Thank You, Andy Irons

On November 2, 2010, surfing lost a true original. Andy Irons left a huge hole in the world of surfing when he departed. And not just emotionally, or iconically, or inspirationally. Yes, he was all those things, but he was also responsible for creating a style of surfing that made his own generation lift, and inspired the generations that followed. A lot has been said about Andy since his untimely death. But it was Stab’s wish, five years later, to physically channel Andy’s impact on surfing performance and style… which, after Axel, is his greatest legacy of all. We went to the Mentawais with three of the world’s best surfers right now – Dane Reynolds, Kolohe Andino and Noa Deane – men whose surfing styles owe at least something to Andy. The aim was to remember Andy through the very vessels that he used to change the sport, ridden by those he inspired. Andy’s spiritual home will forever be Hawaii. He had an ineffable connection with Tahiti. But, some of Andy’s greatest ever performances in the golden age of surf cinema (and quite often for Taylor Steele’s lens), happened in the Mentawais. And so, Stab had our boat trip team ride Andy’s boards in those very Indonesian waters. The never-dulling light of Andy flickered out there between the islands, as our team felt the energy of his boards, channelled his memory through their turns, and honoured Andy in the best possible way.