Menehune Mayhem

When Professional Big Wave Surfer, Ian Walsh, was 19 years old he wanted to give back to the Maui community that had helped raise him in and out of the water and that had given him the opportunity to work his way into a professional surfing career. With almost nonexistent amateur surfing events on Maui at the time (and none that offered a free entry), Ian decided to create a surf contest and build it exactly the way he would have wanted as a young kid growing up on the island without much money. 

In 2004, Ian Walsh’s Menehune Mayhem was born. Ian was the first to start a surf contest that had no entry fee and no exchange of money at the venue for any kids or their families. It was a completely free event for all who attended. 

In addition to the free event, it was Ian’s goal to provide an outstanding prize for each child who entered into the surf contest, whether or not he/she advanced out of their first heat. The idea was to provide each child with an epic prize bag of surf gear, gift certificates, and other swag from the community and local shops on Maui.

With surf as the main focus of the Menehune Mayhem event, over the years it has integrated new pillars of focus around the arts including music, dance, Hawaiian culture/traditions, as well as environmental responsibility and academic success. In the early years of the Menehune Mayhem, Ian would spotlight Maui students who earned 3.0 GPA’s or higher. As valedictorian of his high school, Ian understands the discipline and dedication it takes to be academically successful while being a competitive athlete. In 2018, Ian elevated the “academic success” component of the Menehune Mayhem by offering scholarships for Maui’s high school seniors who are college bound. Today, more than $70,000 has been awarded to scholarship recipients. 

The annual event has grown immensely over the last 18 years. The small, local surf contest for Maui’s youth has grown into a sought after surf contest that has kids training and gearing up for all year long. More kids, spectators, beach activities, and opportunities to educate Maui’s youth in areas of importance has led to expanding the event over two days. The principles of the event and every child being able to participate for free will remain the same as the event continues to grow.