Andy Irons: Remembering my Hero

r e m e m b e r i n g

m y

h e r o

andy irons

(1978-2010)

aloha

p hoto: flind t

1978-2010

A

N

D

Y

rememberING in loving memory

A.I.

“I am not some bubbly fucking angel who is going to go out and try to be your best friend. I have my friends, and I surf because it’s what I have always loved doing.”

(andy irons) Ph oto: dj strun tz

rememberING masthead

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief travis ferrÉ Badass Editor stuart cornuelle Associate Editor taylor Paul Photo Editor peter taras Associate Photo Editor jimmy wilson Art Director chato aganza Art Director Scott Chenoweth Online Editor jason miller STAFF Photographers Tom Carey, Jeff Flindt, Nate Lawrence, Steve Sherman, DJ Struntz contributing Photographers Pete Frieden, Pat Stacy, Dustin Humphrey

B u bb l y

f u c k i n g a n g e l . Photo: flindt

NG rememberI table of contents

(influencING)

PG. 006

(surfING)

PG. 022

(lovING)

PG. 064

(contendING)

PG. 070

(rememberING)

PG. 100 Fo l l o w

y o u r n o s e . Photo: struntz

rememberING chapter one

Photo: struntz

(influencING)

Wav e : P -P a s s .

Tru n k s an d sw o o p : s i g n a t u r e .

Photos: struntz

B o s s . Photo: sherman

C h a m p . P h o t o : s h e r ma n

I c o n . Photo: d. hump

S o l d i e r. Photo: flindt

Hands-free. Like

a b l u e t o o t h . Photos: flindt

O c c y , A n d y , Ta h i t i .

T h e l i p i s n ot in the way. T HE LI P I S T HE W AY.

Photo: struntz

Photo: sherman

Photo: she rman

Photo: sherman

“I should probably be a little more mild mannered and not so outspoken at times, but it’s hard to change your personality.” —AI

rememberING chapter two

(surfING) “When I first started surfing, it was just for the pure love of it. It was the ultimate outlet. I wasn’t really good at anything else. It’s something that’s always been there for me.”

Photo: stacy

Inspirations: Martin Potter, Mark Occhilupo, S

sequence: struntz

Shane Dorian and Sunny Garcia

Inspiration:

A n d y I r o n s , I n d o . Photo: d. hump

Immeasurable

D ow n w a r d D o g . N a m a s t e . sequence: frieden

Ta h i t i . sequence: flindt

IN LIVING COVER: Andy’s final cover shot, from SURFING’s October 2010 issue. We asked if he remembered his first.

“For sure,” he replied. “I was 16. Backside snap at Rocky Point. SURFING Magazine.”

T h a n k s A n d y,

fo r m a k i n g o u r j o b s f u n a n d e a s y. Photo: frieden

Close

Closer

Closer

Hi Andy.

sequence: Flindt

Photo: struntz

LEFT BIG TOE.

“Brother Andy, one night, I came to the airport to pick you up for a really big day.

We arrived at my house around 1 a.m. Water was splashing my wall.

You looked worried, so everyone else did too.

‘How big is it?’

I told you, ‘Enough to get you barrels. And covers of magazines.’”

—Raimana van Bastolaer

Photo: flindt

sequence: frieden

A n d y I r o n s , O n e Tr a c k M i n d . Photo: struntz

5 ’ 5 ” x 1 9 1 / 4 ” . . . . . . . . . . R aw I r o n s . . . . . . . . . . M o m e n t u m : U n d e r t h e I n f l u e n c e . . . . . . . . . . C a m p a i g n . . .

we took notes.

. . . . . . . B l u e H o r i z o n . . . . . . . . . . Tr i l o g y. . . . . . . . . . O n e Tr a c k M i n d . . . . . . . . . . H i g h 5 ,

sequence:

frieden

B a l i . Photo: lawrence

Commonly Described As (Al p h a b e t i c a l ) : Aggr e s s i v e E mo t i o n a l Fast Pass i o n a t e Pow e r f u l Punk Ro c k

R aw R ec k l e s s St r o n g

sequence: flindt

The thing about Andy’s surfing was

Photos: struntz

Photo: frieden

it had no setting between Off and Hig h — and when he was around 17,

sequence: flindt

the off switch broke.

“Power s u r f i n g w ill always be legit. I d o n ’ t t h i n k t h e s e k i d s will be d o i n g a i r reverses when they’r e 5 0 , r i g h t ? ”

P ho t o : struntz

Photo: struntz

A n d y I r o n s , P i p e l i n e . Photo: struntz

“ I d o n ’ t w an t t o b e o n e of those guys who says t h e y d o n’ t c a r e .

I want to win everything, or I don’t even want to be there.”

A m e n . Photo: struntz

(lovING)

rememberING chapter three

Photo: d. hump

A n d y + L y n d i e . Photo: struntz

sherman

sherman

s truntz

s truntz

Forever young.

Photos: flindt

Andy Irons

fo r p r e s i d e n t . Photo: sherman

rememberING

(contendING)

chapter four

“ I love you.”

Photo: struntz

10! sequence: stacy

Pho t o : s herman

Pho t o : f rieden

Photo: frieden

Photo: frieden

Photo: frieden

Photo: frieden

And h e t hought to himself: “I’ m g o ing to start locking that d o o r . ”

Photo: she rman

sequence: frieden

Any

questions?

sequence: struntz

Once,

twice,

Photo: struntz

three times a France champ.

Photos: struntz

“Would I kill all of your guys’ dreams if I told you that K elly and I are actually friends?”

Brothers

in

A r m s . Photo: sherman

Photo: flindt

“Those titles were my life goal, but I’ve realized getting them is a type of temporary happiness. It would all reset as soon as you got to Snapper the following year. So I’m not the guy who wants to eat you for breakfast anymore when we’re in heats together.

That shit will drive you crazy.”

cra zy

Photo: sherman

Photo: frieden

S e p t e m b e r 3, 2 0 1 0 Billabong Pro Teahupo’o, Tahiti ( Tw o

months to

Dallas)

sequence: flindt

One

m o r e t i m e w i t h f e e l i n g . Photos: flindt

all

Ph otos: flindt

“ I d ed ic at e th is w in 1 0 0 % t o my w if e, L y nd ie .

S h e i s ev er yt hi ng t o me a n d w it ho ut h er I ’d b e n o t h i n g . I f ee l on t op o f t h e w or ld t od ay .”

R i p C u r l S e a r c h , P u e r t o R i c o . Photo: sherman

(remeberING)

rememberING chapter five

“There ’ s n o t hing that can m a k e i t b e t t e r .

You ju s t h a v e to feel it a n d p r o c e s s a l l those m e m o r i es. We’re just b a f f l e d t h a t he’s g o n e . ” —K elly S later

Porta

N o v e m b e r 3, 2010 Rip Curl Search Del Sol, Puerto Rico

all Photos: sherman

Photo: she rman

sunny

Garcia

and

Dustin Barcca.

“I haven’t just lost a frien d, I ’ve lost my brother here. It’s hard to take.” —Mick Fanning F r e d d y P.

and

Melissa.

Photos: flindt

I r o n s F a m i l y.

B l u e r eyes on

Photo: flindt

a b l u e horizon

remember the end

Photo: struntz