The sport of surfing is no stranger to untimely death.  Many of its most prominent names have perished while still young, both in and out of the water, while surfing and not.  Dickie Cross, Jose Angel, Butch Van Artsdalen, Bunker Spreckles, Robbie Husic, Rick Rasmussen, Bruce Valuzzi, Mark Foo, Ronnie Burns, Randall Kim, Rell Sunn, Todd Chesser, Tim Fretz, Peter Crawford, Donnie Solomon, Mark Sainsbury, Chris Bystrom, Jay Moriarity, Eric Diaz, Peter Davi, Malik Joyeux, Marvin Foster, and others all left us while still well ensconced in their physical primes.  But arguably, none have come with the level of "knock you flat on your butt" shock factor that the November 2nd passing of Hawaii surfing great Andy Irons did.  That such a huge and iconic talent succumbed to complications related to an exotic disease, traveling alone in acute physical distress, and expiring in some anonymous hotel room in Dallas, Texas of all the bloody places, only serve to deepen the confusion and pain within the surfing community.

For me, only the assassination of former Beatle John Lennon caused me to gasp like I did when a co-worker phoned me hurriedly at the office on the 2nd with the implausible news that Andy Irons was gone.  I just couldn’t process that information.  Like I thought with my sister, the first to tell me about Lennon’s death, I was sure my buddy was pulling my leg about Andy.  Tragically in both cases, they weren't.  There were ironic similarities between both men; they stood alone from their peers and were just resuming their careers after much needed sabbaticals, they returned to their respective professions triumphant and carrying a message of good will and optimism, they were loved by millions of adoring fans around the world, and their lives ended under such indistinct and unjustifiable circumstances.  It’s been 30 long years since John Lennon was murdered, and I'm still intensely sad about it.  I'm sure Andy's absence from the mortal world will affect me and many others (especially in Hawaii) similarly.

His amazing athletic achievements have been covered a million times over, so I'll spare you the redundancy. Much already has and will continue to be written, implied, rumored, questioned, and inferred about what led up to this terrible tragedy;  What the heck is Dengue fever?  How do you get it?  Why didn't Andy get to a doctor in Puerto Rico, Florida, or Texas?  How could a major airlines boot an obviously stricken man from a flight and not, at the very least, ensure he had basic medical assistance once back in the gate concourse? How could such a young, fit, professional athlete not be able to fight through his illness?   And what about the prescription drugs that were found?  Why did and how dare the media imply he overdosed?  With all the anger, confusion, and hurt people are feeling, these questions are understandable.  But knifing through all the scuttlebutt is the fact that surfing, Hawaii, Kauai, and the Irons family have suffered a devastating loss and one that will resonate for years to come. 

Jack Shipley, a Professional surfing pioneer and international judge, had this to say, "Andy's been the most important surfer in recent Hawaiian history. We don't have any other surfer with three world titles. I've know Andy since he was five years old. It's been an honor knowing him and it's been a really sweet thing watching him all these years in the water, he was just an amazing surfer. Everything he did was top notch and what a great thing for kids to look up to. Kelly Slater and Andy pushed each other to the max and for us as judges and spectators when you see professional athletes that are completely challenged by each other and they've stretched their limits for our joy and for surfing, it's just been wonderful. What a great, great rivalry."

“Everyone's hearts are weighing heavy. I paddled out with a lei to put in the water and it hit home again. It makes you want to do it for him and be the animal that he was in the water, but at the same time you know that there's a piece of surfing that's not replaceable. There's only one Andy Irons, and he was it,” said Rainos Hayes, a close friend of Andy’s and team manager and coach for many of Hawaiian pro/am competitors.

Jodi Wilmott, promotions director for the Vans Triple Crown and also a friend of Andy’s said, "Over the past decade, Andy Irons' contributions to the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing have been immeasurable. His rivalry with Kelly Slater during each of their world title and Pipe Masters duels that went down at Pipeline will remain legendary. His performances there raised the bar with each subsequent season. As a professional athlete, he brought an incredible amount of character, personality, and color to the Triple Crown, always fulfilling his duties to his fans, his sponsors, the events, and the media. Andy Irons was always 100% true to himself, and because of that, true to us. He will be missed by the generations of surfers and fans who he entertained, and never forgotten."

The mood on the morning of November 3rd at the HIC Pro was predictably awkward, somber, and guarded.  A pall of quiet heartache occupied the event site, and there were heartfelt handshakes, emotion filled embraces, and other unspoken expressions of sympathy and sharing being exchanged between event staff and the competitors, many of whom were extremely close friends of Andy's and his family.  The sky was fittingly gray and rainy, the surf at Sunset Beach booming.  The call was made to start competition at 830am and the wheels were set in purposeful motion.  As the event progressed, everyone loosened up a bit, and one common theme emerged amongst the competitors that seemed to provide much needed solace, comfort, and strength for everyone;  "Andy would want us to keep charging"... and so we will.

Deepest condolences to the Irons family and their extended ohana in Hawaii. Our thoughts are with you.  The live broadcasts of the Vans Triple Crown on Oceanic SURF Channel are dedicated to them and Andy's cherished memory.  RIP Andy.

Mahalo to Jodi Wilmott and Pete Hodgson for their assistance.