Professional surfer and three-time ASP World Champion, Andy Irons, died on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at a hotel in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas.
Andy Irons in a recent ASP file photo.
Irons (32) was en-route, traveling from Puerto Rico to his home on Kauai, Hawaii, when he laid-over in Dallas. Some reports indicate that Irons had spent two days in a Miami hospital (on an IV drip), before leaving for Dallas. It’s unclear whether Irons missed his connecting flight or wasn’t allowed to fly due to his condition. He reportedly checked himself into the Grand Hyatt hotel, inside the Dallas-Fort Worth International airport terminal. Hotel staff discovered Irons’ body after he didn’t respond to a wake-up call just before 10:00 am (GMT) on Tuesday morning.
Irons had recently withdrawn from the Rip Curl Pro Search event in Puerto Rico—the ninth stop on the ASP World Tour. He was scheduled to compete in the event that began on Sunday, October 31. Irons was a no-show for his Round One heat, and finally called event officials the following day, stating that he was too ill to surf.
Statement from Irons family suggests Dengue Fever
A statement from the Irons family confirmed that Andy was suffering from Dengue Fever, but the official cause of his death is still unknown. The following is an excerpt from a post on the ASP Web site:
The world of surfing mourns an incredibly sad loss today with the news that Hawaii’s Andy Irons has died. Andy was a beloved husband, and a true champion.
Irons, 32, withdrew from a professional surfing event in Puerto Rico last weekend due to illness, and passed away during a layover en-route to his home in Kauai, Hawaii. He had reportedly been battling with Dengue Fever, a viral disease.
Dengue Fever is a virus that is most often transmitted by mosquitoes. It is prevalent in tropical parts of the world, including Puerto Rico, where there have been 22 reported deaths from Dengue Fever in 2010. According to WikiPedia, there is no tested and approved vaccine for Dengue Fever. Treatment generally consists of oral rehydration therapy (and, in some cases, intravenous fluids). Dengue Fever is also called “breakbone fever,” because it can be intensely painful. Prescription and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory/pain medications, like Aspirin, are not recommended for treatment of Dengue symptoms, because they may worsen the internal (gastrointestinal) bleeding that can accompany moderate to severe cases of the illness.
Irons had been in Portugal just prior to Puerto Rico. He competed in the Rip Curl Pro in Peniche on October 10 and 11, before being edged out in round two by Australian Kai Otten. Irons had complained of illness up to ten days prior to his death. The details of his illness—where and when it was contracted and any treatment he received—are still unverified.
Hawaiian newspaper raises questions about cause of Andy Irons’ death
The Hawaiian newspaper, Star-Advertiser, reported on Tuesday that Irons’ death may have been linked to the use of methadone, a prescription drug commonly used to treat heroin and other types of drug addiction. Methadone, along with other medications were found on the nightstand in Irons’ hotel room, according to the Star-Advertiser.
The Star-Advertiser attributed its report to the Tarrant County (Texas) medical examiner’s office, but Michael Floyd, the chief investigator for the examiner’s office told a Dallas newspaper that the examiner’s office had not released any such information. In fact, Floyd said that the body of Andy Irons had only just been identified on Wednesday morning.
An autopsy performed on Wednesday showed no signs of trauma or foul play. “We don’t have any results to show that there’s any methadone [in his system] or not,” Floyd said. Toxicology reports could take as long as 90 days.
Andy Irons recently returned to professional competition on the ASP World Tour
Irons took a sabbatical from competitive surfing for “personal reasons” in 2009, but returned to the Tour in 2010, after ASP President Wayne Bartholomew granted him a wildcard entry. Irons went on to win the fifth stop of the ten-event Tour—the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo, Tahiti. Irons’ win was hard-fought; he lost to Kelly Slater in the first round and then worked his way through the consolation bracket to the final, where he defeated CJ Hobgood of the United States (14.67 to 8.33) on September 3, 2010.
During his career as a professional surfer, Irons won three consecutive ASP World Tour titles, in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He was a four-time winner of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, and he won a total of 20 individual Tour titles. During Irons’ reign, he developed an intense and sometimes bitter rivalry with nine-time ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater. A documentary called A Fly in The Champagne (IronsBrothers Productions) was made about the Irons/Slater rivalry in 2009.
Kelly Slater and Andy Irons share the stage after the Quiksilver Pro in Japan, 2005.
After a traditional “paddle out” to honor Andy Irons this morning in Puerto Rico, Kelly Slater had this to say about Andy: “He was the most intense competitor I’ve ever known and one of the most sensitive people. He had so much life left in him and it hurts to think about. We look forward to his memory living on with our memories of him and his child on the way. There are a lot of uncles awaiting his arrival.”
Andy Irons’ wife, Lyndie is pregnant and expecting their first child—a boy—in December. The two were married on Kauai in November of 2007.
Irons was ranked 16th on the ASP World Tour at the time of his death.
View a gallery of Andy Irons images on the ASP Web site.
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