RIP Andy Irons

Some sad news began circulating the internet last night – surfer Andy Irons had died. On his way home from an event in Puerto Rico where he was forced to pull out of his heat. He was suffering from dengue fever, a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical climates. Andy was so sick he was unable to board his flight from Dallas to Kauai, got a hotel room at the Grand Hyatt at the DFW Airport, and was found there dead at 10am. The death is being investigated as a possible overdose of methadone. The methadone was found inside a container of zolpidem along with numerous other medications on a nightstand. Zolpidem is a prescription drug commonly used for insomnia. Methadone is a powerful controlled substance used for pain. Andy left behind a pregnant wife, set to give birth next month, a family, and a world full of friends and fans including myself. I have been following Andy's surfing career since I was a little kid dreaming of better surf on the Third Coast. Andy was smooth, powerful and graceful on the water and along with Kelly Slater, dominated the last decade. He was a 3 time world champ and a good dude and will definitely be missed and at 32 years old, he left ranked #2 in the world. R.I.P.