Ian Walsh’s Menehune Mayhem

On March 22, 150 little kids swarmed on Ho’okipa, Maui for the 11th Ian Walsh Menehune Mayhem event. They took over stormy Pavills Peak and surfed 10 divisions. Menehune Mayhem, in case you’ve never heard of it, is all about giving something to the community – something Ian’s been doing for over a decade. “When I first started this event 11 years ago it started as something for the kids to look forward to and give them something to do at the beach because there was a lapse in surf events on Maui at that time,” he says. “It’s something that’s grown into a carnival-like event. Each year I love bringing new activities to the event and this year I was especially excited to bring Matt Kinoshita of Kazuma Surfboards and his son Chaz to do a demonstration of how to shape a surfboard. We basically brought a shaping bay to the beach where we had a live shaping seminar. This helped the kids see how a board is shaped and learn what it is they are riding while giving them the opportunity to watch and ask questions. Matt was my first shaper more than 20 years ago and that made it even more special.” And, IWMM ain’t just purely about surfing. It also recognises academic achievement. Ian was valedictorian of King Kekaulike’s Class of 2001 and awards prizes for competitors with the highest grade point averages. Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa came down to check out the vibe and presented six academic excellence awards with Ian. “This an example of someone coming from the community, a young gentleman that wanted to give back to the community,” said Mayor Arakawa. “For Ian Walsh to be willing to come back, sponsor an event like this, specifically for the youth, and to encourage them to not only be very active sports-wise, but to reward their scholastic ability sends a real strong message that it’s important to have athletic skill, as well as be a good scholar is tremendous for the community.”