SYDNEY, New South Wales (Thursday, July 2, 2009) - Andy Irons (HAW) former three-time ASP World Champion, has been on sabbatical this season from the ASP World Tour. Taking a year to clear his head and recharge for another assault on the world’s best, Irons has been the topic of much rumor-filled speculation in his off season. Is he coming back? Has he quit surfing? Has he (GASP!) given it all up to SUP? Despite the sewing circle talk from around the globe, confirmed reports have placed A.I. in Australia following a wildcard showing at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. STAB Magazine recently caught up with the Hawaiian to pick his brain about the off season and his return to form in 2010. This...is their story...
Stab: You’re definitely back on tour next year?
Andy Irons: I’m gonna do it. I’m not gonna tell everyone every contest, I’m might do it, I might not do it, do you want me to do it? (Laughs) I’m gonna do it. I miss it.
Stab: And, you’re back for Billy’s Pipe event.
Andy Irons: Yeah, but not Jeffreys Bay, no Mundaka. It’s my year off and after not doing a contest for that long I’ll be excited for the triple crown.
Stab: Do you ever fear going back, and be like, whoa, it’s left me behind?
Andy Irons: I see all the flips and stuff. It’s new surfing, for sure. For a while there I freaked out. I was like, "Holy sht! I gotta do flips! I can’t do flips!" Flips are the new airs, but I think good surfing will always be recognised. It must have been the same when Mark Richards first saw someone land an air. The thing is, the guys like Pat Gadauskas, who make it on tour doing flips and no rodeos, they won’t be able to do em on tour because you can’t really do em where we surf. Maybe Duranbah, Snapper, Trestles, like two or three events but there’s 10 or 11 events, only a quarter of the tour.
Stab: Since you’ve been off the tour in December, what’s been your highlight turn/wave/session as a surfer?
Andy Irons: I haven’t surfed until this last month. I haven’t really surfed for six months. I’ve surfed here and there, but not really. I was so fat and so out of shape I was over it. When you get out of shape, it’s heavy. It sucks when you feel your stomach rolling around. It...
For full interview, check out STAB Magazine’s ’Vintage Irons’
NOTE: Full interview may contain adult language.
