Andy Irons Forever, More

Andy Irons passed away over 15 years ago.

In the years that followed, geopolitical events such as the Arab Spring, the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Russian annexation of Crimea, the rise of ISIS, Europe’s migrant crisis, the Brexit referendum, and the rise of populism in the West changed some things.

Smartphones multiplied, social media expanded to become the lens through which we see the world, and its algorithms reshaped discourse. Identity politics hardened and divided, wtf was that pandemic, the Capitol was stormed, Russia invaded Ukraine, Israel invaded Palestine, and surf contest prize money everywhere other than the CT has been replaced by supermarket vouchers.

Makes sense that it’s now possible to look back on Andy Irons’ dominant years and see something more charming there, although that may just be the way memory works.

Fortunately, the excellent footage remains and is accessible 24/7. In a time when agreement is rare, his surfing still seems to produce it.

In Next Gen, the second episode produced by Billabong to promote its recently released Andy Irons collection, we hear praise from former team members Shane Dorian, Joel Parkinson, and Mark Occhilupo, who witnessed some of Andy’s antics with their own pterygiumed eyes. Andy also shared his thoughts on future generations and compared their behaviour to his when he was their age.

To celebrate its release, Billabong put up an Andy Irons Retrospective at JS Garage in Oceanside. Of note was an installation of legendary photographs by John Bilderback, Patrick Eichstaedt, Brian Bielmann, Pat Stacy, Steve Sherman, Jason Childs, Grant Ellis, and Jimmy Wilson. All proceeds from their sales support the Andy Irons Foundation.

Photos: Jimmy “Jimmicane” Wilson

Ethan Ewing’s Stab In The Dark was also screened, and it is hard to imagine Andy not becoming an instant fan of EE’s surfing.

What better way to fill the nostalgic crater left in our hearts than with some AI retail therapy?

Available here and at your local surf shop.