The news came in an e-mail.
Jodi Wilmott, longtime surfer and media director of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, sent out a media alert that Andy Irons, three-time World Champion, died today. He was just 32.
I’m in complete shock. He was young, he was at the top of his game — he wasn’t supposed to die. Surfers don’t die.
And yet, the surfing world is mourning this loss, and I still can’t get my head around it.
Irons missed his Round 1 and 2 heats at the Rip Curl Search Puerto Rico stop on the ASP Men’s World Tour due to illness and was traveling back to Hawaii when he passed away.
According to the Associated Press, Irons was found dead in a hotel room in Dallas, where he was on a layover en route to his home on Kauai.
According to Wilmott, he had reportedly been battling with dengue fever. But other news reports are saying the cause is still unknown.
Irons was scheduled to compete in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in Hawaii, which is scheduled to begin next week.
“The thing that I think many of us appreciated the most about Andy was that he was an incredibly real person,” Wilmott told the Associated Press. “Where a lot of champions in sports and celebrities become very guarded and you just wonder sometimes if you’re really seeing who they are, you’ve got Andy Irons 100 percent of the time.”
Despite our close ages — and both growing up and surfing in Hawaii — I never got a chance to meet Irons. But I did see him surf. And let me tell you, he ripped. No question. It didn’t matter which side you were on — Kelly Slater or Andy Irons — you couldn’t deny that the guy could surf.
And to make it worse, his wife, Lyndie, is pregnant and scheduled to give birth to their son and first child in December.
My thoughts are with his family and friends. He will be missed.
***
To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].
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16 Comments
This is really sad. Hug the people you love and tell them that you love them. May he rest in peace and deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
I know, this news came out of nowhere! I was pretty shocked.
RIP Andy, You will be missed but never forgotten
In gassho.
I was shocked when I came across this on Twitter. I’ve seen him surf a few times in California and he has always been a heart throb for me. So sad to see him go, he’ll go down in history as one of the surfing greats.
I’m still in shock. …it doesn’t seem to make sense. I read the words and …wha? huh?
Prayers for his family and friends.
32 is just too young. Thoughts and prayers to friends and family. Aloha Andy.
RIP Andy Irons. You’ll be missed.
Condolences to his dear wife and family. Like Maxcat said, Hug the ones you loves and tell them that everyday. Never know.
My condolences and prayers go out to his family and friends.
kauai boy represents…………..
A.I. is gonna be missed big time. Know he’s in Heaven right now “charging” with Eddie, Todd Chesser, Mark Foo, and the Duke. Keeping Bruce and the rest of the Irons ohana and the surfing world in our prayers.
Skip out of work Wed…..and go surf.
RIP Andy!
Incredible talent…ambassador of aloha…he will be missed.
Shocking. And tragic.
Yeah, I found out via Facebook. So sudden and unexpected for such a talented guy in the prime of his life…
I was in total shock when I saw mikesumida rt’ed something about the passing of Andy Irons. Jumped onto the laptop and started dogpiling. I saw that Wikipedia has already updated his passing with “-Nov 2, 2010” but I couldn’t find a source. Luckily hollyhadsell had found a source and mikesumida also followed up with a blog from surfermag .
The ultimate respect for Andy was a tweet received from oakley . Presented here complete with no modifications: “@oakley The Hearts & Thoughts of the Oakley Family go out to the Irons Family. Traditional Paddle Out Memorial today in PR: https://on.fb.me/9t0RDi.”
That is ONE AWESOME PIC! The number of surfers out in the Circle of Respect must be close to 100, if not more.
My condolensces to Bruce and the rest of the Irons family. R.I.P. Andy!