Remembering ANDY IRONS
I Surf Because
November 2, 2011, marks the loss of the much revered ASP Surfer Andy Irons, respected by many as a fierce competitor and big wave charger, and an all round regular guy. At the recent Billabong Pro Tahiti, it was bittersweet for many in the surfing community who remembered last year’s champion.
Irons, 32, who was found dead in his Texas hotel room on November 2 last year, died primarily of a heart attack related to coronary artery disease, and a controversial secondary cause listed as “acute mixed drug ingestion” possibly associated with pain killers or anti inflammatory drugs he was taking to combat the effects of Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne virus similar to Ross River Virus, that he was suffering from, shortly before his death.
Irons’ sudden death sent shock-waves through the surfing world, particularly in Hawaii where he made his name and earned much of his fortune. “It’s all about the feeling I get from riding that wave,” Irons said in a video for one of the tours called ‘I Surf Because’ .“That first wave is the reason why I think everyone keeps coming back.”
And making a comeback is just what Irons had done. He had taken a year off, and admittedly struggled with some personal problems, but said getting back into surfing was what helped him get through it.
“I have a lot of inner demons. If I didn’t have surfing to get those out of my system, I would self-destruct,” he said in the video. “Surfing’s the only reason that keeps me going at a normal state. It keeps my life at an even keel; without it, it would just tip into oblivion.”
Kelly Slater paid tribute to the late surfer following a competition in Queensland in February 2010, telling reporters he lost a lot of his competitive desire when Irons, his greatest rival, died.
We miss you Andy and you will be remembered fondly by the global surfing community.
Andy Irons: “I Surf Because”
A showcase of why Andy Irons was one of the heaviest surfers on the planet.
via: Action Recon
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