When the waves crash: The triumphant life and tragic death of Andy Irons

Philip Andrew Irons was an American professional surfer, arguably one of the most revolutionizing surfers the industry had ever witnessed. His fearless attitude alongside his fiery character separated him from the bunch, turning him into a surfing icon. By all accounts, his one true enemy was himself, a dark side that followed him around like a shadow.

Born in 1978, and raised his whole life on Kauai, Andy Irons was the second generation of a proud surfing family whose roots in the sport are as deep as almost any living today. His father, Phil Irons, taught Andy how to ride a surfboard at an early age, and by the age of eight, the was charging into shallow Hawaiian waves.

Andy and his brother Bruce grew up surfing waves off Kauai’s Northern Shore. A beautiful paradise surrounded by tropical beauty, however, the 10ft waves crashing on the shallow reef served as a brief reminder of the island's ruggedness.

Andy and his brother Bruce quietly honed their skills in the hollow Hanalei Bay, a power-packed reef break, under the radar of the surf industry star-making machinery. His talent did not register a bleep on the screen until 1995.

Despite other ASP rookies being blown up into major contenders, Andy’s anonymity continued. The world awaits from the limelight, with cameras unwelcome at his breaks and line-ups heavily protected by the locals, Irons went almost entirely unnoticed.

The two young surfers grew up constantly exposed to challenging conditions, which carved their styles into unique intense high-power surfing. After being spotted by a local surfboard brand, the two brothers were flown to the North Shore, Oahu, to compete and develop their skills. 

It was until 1996 Pipeline Pro, when young Andy, age 17 at the time, charged into a rowdy 12ft Pipeline, taking out reigning Pipe Master Derek Ho. Four years later, Irons would go on to claim his first World Championship.

The road leading to the top was not a smooth ride for the young surfer. For a couple of very precarious years, Andy Irons's career was as rocky as the reefs he would surf on. He suddenly found himself in the glare of the media spotlight and the pressure got to him.

He was a young and inexperienced country boy from the outer islands, completely out of his element. Surfing for young Irons was something pure, and honest at heart, yet he was seeing himself engulfed by the age of commodification.

By the end of his rookie year, his ambitious blitz for the world contest, the late nights, and relentless travel started to take their toll. But Irons returned to his roots steadied by an environment much deeper than the whirlwind of stardom. He sidelined himself from the competitive side of surfing.

Andy battled his way back into the Championship Tour and started winning events in all types of conditions and turned his instinctual approach into a snowball of victories. The Hawaiian surfer claimed 3 World Titles in a row at the time, competing against top surfers like Tom Curren and Kelly Slater.

After taking another year off in 2009 to regain perspective and focus, the mainstream media kept him more in the limelight than almost any other surfer on tour. This included four magazine covers and a full-length award-winning film about his rivalry with Kelly Slater.

In 2010, Andy Irons won the Teahupoo event after rejoining the World Tour, sending the young surfer down a path of long-lasting legacy! Nevertheless, he always remained humble and never forgot his roots back in Kauai.

The Pine Trees contest formed by Andy and his brother Bruce for all kinds on the island of Kauai has turned into one of the most popular and well-respected non-profit events in surf history. Completely free of brand-building and addicting in its purity and joyous sense of fun!

Andy Irons and Kelly Slater shared many moments together both in and out of the water. They were both competing for the World Title and one could feel it in the raw intensity of their monumental battles. Theirs was the greatest rivalry to ever exist in the sport of surfing.

On November 2, 2010, the world of surfing mourned the death of Andy Irons who passed away in a hotel at age 32. Medical reports conclude Irons died from a cardiac arrest due to artery issues. The official autopsy revealed a severe drug problem that had been kept relatively hidden.

The Hawaiian surfer was struggling with opiate addiction and was in a downward spiral due to the drugs. During the autopsy, they found traces of alprazolam, methadone, benzoylecgonine, methamphetamine, and Oxycodone. Andy was one of many great surfers who fell into the hands of opiates in the ‘90s.

A memorial service was held on November 14th, 2010, in Hanalei Bay Kauai. His wide Lyndie and his brother Bruce scatted his ashes during a paddle out where many friends and family said their goodbyes.

Friend and rival surfer Kelly Slater dedicated his November 6th, 2020, victory to Andy Irons and his family. “I’m a little overwhelmed right now, but I want to dedicate this to Andy…It’s like exact opposites…This doesn't offset that, I’d give this title away in a second if Andy could come back,” said Slater after winning the competition.

To this day you will see pictures and posts of Andy Irons across surf magazines. His family now runs the Andy Irons Foundation in his memory which focuses on providing support to young people with mental health and addiction issues, as well as disability services.

The Pines Trees competition still runs to his day and many young Hawaiians pick up surfing because of him. His legacy is now eternal due to his authenticity, but above all, his legendary surfing.