Year has ebbed, flowed for Walsh
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Ian Walsh wouldn't trade the last year of his life for anything.
It's a year that included a staph infection in his foot, a lost passport in South Africa, and stolen luggage in Chile.
But over the past 12 months, Walsh has also surfed big waves around the world, and won contests in Tahiti and Hawai'i.
Most significant, Walsh won the Xcel Pro last November at Sunset Beach. It was the first professional victory for Walsh, who is from Ku'au, Maui.
"Winning it last year helped my confidence more than anything," said Walsh, 23. "A lot of it has to do with the waves, and catching the right ones, but just knowing I can get through heats and make the finals is helping me in all my contests."
The holding period for this year's Xcel Pro Presented by No Fear will begin tomorrow. It will run on the three best days between tomorrow and Nov. 10.
The Xcel Pro is often described as the start of the North Shore's famous surfing season.
Since winning last year's Xcel Pro, Walsh has experienced his share of wins and wipeouts, in and out of the surf.
Among the highs:
"I would have been happy just to surf in Tahiti, but to win all that money made it even better," he said.
"It's an addicting thing," Walsh said of surfing big waves. "You still get scared when you're out there, but that rush you feel keeps you going back for more."
"I want to set a good example for them, especially because they're all into surfing," Walsh said. "But I look up to them in a lot of ways, too."
But not everything was rosy for Walsh. Among the lows:
"I could barely walk, so I knew something was wrong," he said. "That kept me out (of surfing) for about two weeks."
"It was a nightmare," he said. "I had to change all my flights because I couldn't get out of (South Africa) without my passport. I actually had to go to the U.S. Embassy to get an emergency passport."
The backpack was eventually recovered and mailed to Walsh in Maui. His theory is that it was stolen and then turned in to authorities for a reward.
"It's just one of those things you have to deal with when you travel so much," he said. "I just hope I got all my bad luck out of the way."
NOTES
More than 130 surfers from around the world are expected to enter this year's Xcel Pro ... The world's top-ranked surfers are at another contest in Brazil this week. World champion Kelly Slater of Florida, and Hawai'i surfers Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Fred Patacchia Jr., Roy Powers and Pancho Sullivan are in the Brazil event. The Irons brothers, Patacchia and Sullivan are all former Xcel Pro champions ... On the days when the contest is on, a live Web cast will be available through xcelwetsuits.com.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.
