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Sometime yesterday afternoon, November 2nd, 2010, the
circuits started firing. In less than the time it takes to sneeze, the rumors
were confirmed as facts:
Andy Irons, three-time ASP World Champion and Hawaiian surfing’s greatest
competitive warrior, passed away in a Dallas, TX, hotel room. He was 32 years
old. Withdrawing from the Rip Curl Pro Search in Puerto Rico due to illness (he
had reportedly been battling Dengue Fever, a viral disease fairly common in the
tropics), Andy was on layover en-route back home to Kauai, HI. His condition
had become so severe he was unable to board his flight out of Dallas, forcing
him to check into a hotel room, where he was later found dead by an employee.
Official Irons Family Statement:
“At this time the family thanks his friends and fans
for their support, and asks that the community respect its privacy. The family
also asks to not be contacted so their focus can remain on one another during
this time of profound loss.”
An amateur surfing sensation since before his teens,
Irons graduated to the Dream Tour in 1998, where he went on to collect 20 elite
tour victories, four Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing titles, and three
consecutive ASP World Titles.
As an East Coast publication, we’re compelled to play
up East Coast surfers and their achievements, accentuating any positive angles
available to keep the dream plausible for our readership. Kelly Slater, who
completely decimated three generations of prodigious surfing talent on his way
to six world titles before the turn of the century, made those angles
relatively easy for us to find.
Until Andy Irons came along.
The only surfer in the history of the sport to give Kelly a legitimate run for
his money, and the only surfer in the history of the sport to defeat The Champ
at the top of his game, Andy’s supernatural presence both threatened and
inspired East Coast fans, creating dramatic storylines and instilling a sense
of urgency among the collective surfing public — effectively creating
better athletes, better venues, and a better sport.
ESM sends our most heartfelt condolences to the Irons
family — particularly Andy’s wife Lyndie, who is pregnant with their first
child — during this most difficult of times.
Aloha and Mahalo, brother.
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