Any surfers out there? Andy Irons 1978-2010

[Kentishman]

Wow, I can't believe the news.

Having apparently contracted Dengue Fever whilst out in Puerto Rico (they are suffering from an epidemic there at present), Andy has died en route back to Kauai, during a layover in Dallas.

Dark rumours are circulating online that drugs may have played some part, but regardless, his passing at such a young age is a sad event.

Andy was a truly inspirational surfer, and set the tour alight with his three back-to-back world titles.

He'll be greatly missed by the general surfing community over the globe and our thoughts and prayers are with has expectant wife and family.

Aloha brother.

 

[Manton]

Sad any way you look at it. Sad way to go too. There is something insanely glorious about going out on a big wave like Mark Foo or Jay Moriarty.

Far more insane than glorious, needless to say.

 

[Matt]

Dengue sucks, there was an epidemic here last year, and you hear about it all the time in the tropics...I have a friend laid up with it now actually. Damn day-time mosquitoes....it's pretty rare to die from it when you are young and healthy though. I've never even heard of that other than for the extremely weak/poor/elderly.

 

[Kentishman]

Pretty sure Jay died whilst diving, but I share you sentiment; Foo (MARK Foo) and Jay died doing something they loved.

Andy died alone, away from loved ones, in a hotel room.

 

[Manton]

I thought Jay died at Mavericks? I know Foo did.

 

[Kentishman]

Foo did, for sure – and on a relatively tame wave. Jay Moriarity had a huuuge wipout at Mavs that gave him huge coverage, but he died diving in the Maldives I think.

 

[Manton]

"Relatively tame" at Mavericks = 30 feet. I feel like I am going to die just sitting on the rocks at Pillar watching.

 

[Blackhood]

Dark days, and a loss to surfing.

Having said that, I'm glad the dude died at the top of his game and having lived life to the max. Better to live fast and die young than live slow and die young.

 

[Baron]

Jay died diving, but the picture of his wipeout on the cover of Surfer is one of my favorite magazine covers ever. Mike Parsons (two years ahead of me at Laguna Beach HS) almost died that same day at Mavericks.

 

[Kentishman]

If Jay's kamikaze, late take off at Mavs was his legacy, I'd like to think Andy's first Teahupo'o session (with Rasta – see Blue Horizon, 2004) would do the same for him.

 

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Kentishman

Wow, I can't believe the news.

Having apparently contracted Dengue Fever whilst out in Puerto Rico (they are suffering from an epidemic there at present), Andy has died en route back to Kauai, during a layover in Dallas.

Dark rumours are circulating online that drugs may have played some part, but regardless, his passing at such a young age is a sad event.

Andy was a truly inspirational surfer, and set the tour alight with his three back-to-back world titles.

He'll be greatly missed by the general surfing community over the globe and our thoughts and prayers are with has expectant wife and family.

Aloha brother.

Dengue is nasty, but rarely fatal for adults. I lived in PR for 20 years and my daughter contracted it at age 6 months, and we almost lost her. But for infants under Age 1 the survival rate is about 50/50. Mostly people only die if they have compromised immue systems or some reason that they cannot regenerate blood platets well.

 

[morefishscale]

A terrible way to kick off the holidays. Such an amazing athlete and human being.

 

[Rosenberg]

I really couldn't believe the headline when I started to read the article

 

[Parker]

Sad.

 

[Kentishman]

It seems somehow fitting that Slater has just won his tenth title.

In his victory speech, he dedicated his titles to AI and said were it not for the competition between the two of them, he'd have retired after world title number five. Nicely said.