*Embarrassing update.. due to an ASP MATH ERROR Kelly isn't ke11y yet.. He has to win one more heat.. and will get two chances to do so, as he is into the 3-man no loser round 4, pitted against the Brazilian duo of Miguel Pupo and Gabe Medina. You can bet Slater hopes for triple overhead shacks at Ocean Beach...

After the excitement and emotion of yesterday, a day off is just what the doctor ordered for the top 32 in San Francisco. The uncharacteristically gorgeous weather, calm blue skies, and perfectly groomed peaks of Wednesday, replaced with gloomy grey and blustery onshores. As Kelly made mention of after his win, yesterday was the best day of weather all year in SF, on a day where wind and clouds were forecasted, almost as if Andy was smiling down on them.

From the drama of Kelly and his quest for 11, to the hi-fi action in 2 rounds of the world's best in pumping surf, to the emotional paddle out for the Late Andy Irons who passed away one year to the date, to the ke11y afterparties that rocked late into the night, the collective surf sphere needs a day to lay on the couch and watch soap operas.

The low pressure system that is currently crop-dusting San Fran with wind and rain will be making its way South in the coming days, making room for better conditions and a handful of swell pulses that could see competition resume this weekend.

In case you were in a cave for the last 24 hours, here's some of what went on..

On the eve of his incredible 11th World Surfing Title, Kelly Slater took the time to sit down an ink an article for theinertia.com, an independent online surf publication, on the life and memory of his only true rival, Andy Irons, who passed away exactly one year ago.

It's an amazing insight into the lives of champions, the super-men that we put on pedestals, and the candid moments that are so undeniably human.

Andy and Kelly had a very simple or very complicated relationship, depending on how you look at it, but hearing Kelly speak so honestly about their love and hate for each other is quite touching.

Here is an excerpt, read the whole article on the Inertia here.

Kelly:
"I've been asked for many opinions and interviews about Andy Irons and the situations and decisions that lead to his early departure from our world. It's not something I take lightly. I have my own opinions about not only Andy's choices and how he ultimately got to the place he did, but also about the way these things are handled from all sides of the story. But what is right? And whose opinions actually matter other than those of his family and closest friends about who they knew and how they feel inside? What is it that each of us hopes to take away from the Andy Irons story? And what is it that we want to give to the story of his life?"

(Kelly also shares a couple anecdotes about his and Andy's battles, physical ones.)

"I'll share a story, but for the sake of brevity, I'll just say this: We got really drunk on a Tavarua trip. We got into a shouting match. I said something about him thinking he's the man for winning a couple of contests. He screamed and laughed at me, "You're going baaaalllldddd, hahahaha." I told him he'd know how I felt when his father passed away, and he started kicking me in the face. (I had earlier punched him in the face in a crazy 10-man wrestling match in a taxi). Then Shane Dorian tackled him and pulled him off me telling him my father had just died a few weeks ago. Andy started crying hysterically and hugging and apologizing to me for the next half hour before he went to bed and then apologized again the next day. In some weird way I think I just wanted him to know that I was hurting because he had a way of just sorta being tough even though he was one of the most sensitive guys in the world. "

Read the full article.

One year to the date. Three hundred sixty five days ago, the surf world went into collective shock, as the news of Andy Irons' death became a reality. The tour was in Puerto Rico for the search event, and Kelly was on the verge of title number 10.

Here we are, a year down the road, and Andy's death still doesn't seem real. Kelly is now on the verge of number 11, which he could clinch today. Kelly choked up in his post heat interview yesterday, mentioning Andy and the possibility of winning the title on this already historic day. The champagne is on ice, but you can bet there will be tears along with the joy today.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the Irons family. Long Live A.I.

When Kelly Slater was closing in on his 10th ASP World Championship in 2010, the nice round number that he was chasing demanded his career accomplishments be compared against all other athletes.

Sadly, the eventual celebration was tempered because his 10th title came just days after the sport's biggest tragedy: the untimely death of Hawaiian great Andy Irons, Slater's biggest rival, and the only man who managed to truly challenge Kelly during his 20 year reign.

Irons won three straight titles in 2002-2004, but none bigger than his 2003 showdown that saw him get the better of Slater in the final heat of the season.

Wednesday marked the one year anniversary of Irons' passing. After ASP competitors and fans marked the occasion with an early morning tribute at the Rip Curl Pro in Ocean Beach, San Francisco, Slater got busy clinching another world title... his 11th.

"Winning today, on the anniversary of Andy's death, it's really the best way I can honor his memory," Slater said after being carried up the beach. "It reminds me of all those times we battled together."

[Flashback: Slater and Irons, a rivalry for the ages]

For the record, his was the first time the ASP crown has ever been clinched on the U.S. Mainland. And naturally Slater's latest feat has all his fans busting out their scales again.



As they discovered last year at this time the list of athletes with careers that have lasted 20 years is a short one, albeit filled with legendary names. But try making a list of athletes that have completely dominated their sport for two full decades and it gets very tiny indeed, and there's little arguing that Kelly Slater, the surfer, is right there at the top.

The 39-year-old from Florida remains ageless in a sport where the athletes are built like gymnasts, and 25-year-olds are considered dinosaurs -- at least they were when Slater's career began.

His feat is all the more impressive considering he won his first world title in 1992, when Bill Clinton was still a candidate for office, Magic, Larry, and Jordan were playing together on the Olympic Dream Team, and Jay Leno was enjoying his first season as the Tonight Show Host.

[Surfer Magazine photo gallery of Slater from the Rip Curl Pro]

Slater was the youngest world champion then, and he's the oldest today by a spread of nine years. His 11th world championship gives him seven more than Australian Mark Richards, the man with the second most, who racked up four straight from 1979-1982. His achievement surprisingly got a bit of mainstream attention last year, as even the most cynical sports pundits pondered the argument of Slater being quite possible the best athletes ever.

For his part, even though he's bolstered the argument with yet another championship Slater wants nothing to do with the conversation. He let's his rabid fans do the debating for him while he cherishes the anonymity that comes driving just a few miles inland.

His trip to San Francisco was his first for an ASP competition, and he did his best to make it a family affair with his brother Stephen and longtime girlfriend, swimwear designer Kalani Miller.

When he realized that he might clinch his 11th world title on the anniversary of Andy's death, Slater took some time to finally open up on the matter. Today the surfing world knows more about the personal struggles Irons faced leading up to his tragic departure than they did a year ago. They've made peace with Irons' issues. But on Wednesday we got a glimpse of how long it really took for Slater to cope. In the days leading into the Rip Curl Pro, he put down some thoughts about his roller-coaster relationship with Andy for The Inertia. While there's great stuff in there about the hottest of hot days in their storied rivalry, his summary is what hits home most.

The story of Andy Irons may likely never feel good to us whether you were his friend and you miss him or you have a strong judgment about his shortcomings and it made you angry. No matter what, it doesn't make sense for someone so gifted and in touch on so many levels to die alone in an airport hotel room nowhere close to anything that mattered to him. But remembering someone can sometimes be about the toughest thing you ever had with them and feeling like your life is better for having experienced that with them. And if that can make you laugh or smile, you're honoring their life and their legacy, I believe.

I have questioned whether anything in our relationship and battles had any impact on the course of his life or whether I could have made a difference somehow. Maybe that's just my own form of denial, but one thing is clear, I still can't believe that Andy is gone. Hell, I still can't believe that Todd Chesser is gone and Donnie Solomon and Malik Joyeux and a whole bunch of other good friends are gone. An anniversary is best used for remembering the good things and letting it all sink in more so that the sadness fades away and the good memories remain. And if we learn anything from that, let it be that the positive impact of Andy and all our other friends who are gone bring us closer to the ones and the things that we love right here, right now.

As surfing fans celebrate one of the greatest athletes of all time, on this day they're also remembering the fallen hero who made him better.



Photos of Kelly Slater by Grant Ellis of Surfer Magazine. Fan shirt shot comes courtesy of Kalani Miller.

Nearly 8 months since Andy Irons tragic and sudden death, his autopsy results have finally become public.

The ultimate cause of his death has been listed as "natural" as he died from cardiac arrest in his sleep. The heart attack was caused in large part, by a hereditary heart condition which constricted the arteries with plaque deposits. His weakened state due to illness, and the cocktail of prescription and recreational drugs found in his system definitely played a role as well, the question is how much of a role. At this point, I don't think that is a question that will or ever needs to be answered.

Traces of xanax, cocaine, and other chemicals were present in his body at the time of death, though the amounts were not lethal. There is no mention of a possible overdose in the press release.

Our thoughts once again go out to the Iron's family and friends.

See Surfer Magazine's report on the issue here.

Press release below:

June 8th, 2011

TO: MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA
FROM: THE FAMILY OF ANDY IRONS

RE: OFFICIAL IRONS FAMILY STATEMENT REGARDING ANDY IRONS AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGY REPORT

We have received the final autopsy and toxicology report filed in connection with Andy's death on November 2nd, 2010, from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office in Forth Worth, TX.

The family apologizes for the delay in the release of this information. The injunction filed last December was to allow Andy's widow, Lyndie, who was then eight months pregnant with Andy's son, Andy Axel Irons, to give birth in peace. Please understand that this decision meant that the family did not learn the cause of Andy's death until May 20th, and only after a second delay was requested by an attorney in Dallas, without the family's knowledge or consent, to provide time for the 13-page toxicology report to be interpreted by two independent forensic experts -- a process that took several weeks, but also enabled the family to fully come to terms with the unexpected root cause of Andy's death.

The autopsy concludes that Andy died a natural death from a sudden cardiac arrest due to a severe blockage of a main artery of the heart<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart>. Dr. Vincent Di Maio, a prominent forensic pathologist in San Antonio, TX, who has consulted on many high-profile cases, was asked to review and explain the autopsy results to the family. He states: "This is a very straightforward case. Mr. Irons died of a heart attack due to focal severe coronary atherosclerosis, i.e., 'hardening of the arteries.' He had an atherosclerotic plaque producing 70%-80% narrowing of his anterior descending coronary artery. This is very severe narrowing. A plaque of this severity, located in the anterior descending coronary artery, is commonly associated with sudden death."

Dr. Di Maio continues: "The only unusual aspect of the case is Mr. Irons' age, 32 years old. Deaths due to coronary atherosclerosis usually begin to appear in the late 40's. Individuals such as Mr. Irons have a genetic predisposition to early development of coronary artery disease. In about 25% of the population, the first symptom of severe coronary atherosclerosis is sudden death." He concludes: "There were no other factors contributing to the death."

Andy had a grandmother, 77, and a grand-uncle, 51, both on his father's side, who died of congestive heart failure. Looking back, Lyndie recalls that Andy complained of chest pains and occasional intense heartburn for the first time last year, and also recalls a holistic health practitioner, whom he sought out in Australia for vitamin therapy, offhandedly mentioning he "had the heart of a 50-year-old." In addition, Andy contracted Typhoid Fever five years ago, which can result in damage to the heart muscle. But Andy shrugged it all off and led no one to believe he was in ill health.

The official autopsy report, prepared by Tarrant County Chief Medical Examiner Nizam Peerwani, MD, lists a second cause of death as "acute mixed drug ingestion." On this point, Dr. Peerwani and Dr. Di Maio diverge. In a letter sent to Arch McColl, a Dallas-based attorney acting on behalf of the family, Dr. Di Maio questioned Dr. Peerwani's decision to list the finding "Acute Mixed Drug Ingestion" under "Cause of Death" because he believes "it was not the cause of death and did not contribute to the death. The Manner of Death is in fact labeled Natural." Dr. Di Maio goes on to say that the drugs cited, Alprazolam (Xanax) and methadone (an analgesic drug commonly used in the treatment of chronic pain), are in "therapeutic levels" and notes that benzoylecgonine is an "inactive metabolite," which Gary H. Wimbish Ph.D., DABFT, a forensic toxicologist consulted by the family, has explained is a breakdown product of cocaine. Wimbish states that the benzoylecgonine present in Andy's blood at 50 ng/ml "is consistent with the use of cocaine at about 30 hours prior to his death." In addition, Wimbish agrees with Dr. Di Maio that that the amount of Alprazolam present in Andy's blood "is consistent with a common therapeutic regimen."

Dr. Peerwani's report also cites the presence of a trace amount of methamphetamine. Lyndie insists Andy was not a methamphetamine user, so it is likely the substance was present in the cocaine he ingested. But again, Dr. Di Maio believes that none of these drugs was the cause of, or contributed to, Andy's death.

As we are not doctors, we have no choice but to accept that two respected pathologists have come to different conclusions about a secondary contributing cause of death. However, the family would like to address the findings of prescription and non-prescription drugs in Andy's system. Andy was prescribed Xanax and Zolpidem (Ambien) to treat anxiety and occasional insomnia - a result of a bipolar disorder diagnosed by his family doctor at age 18. This is when Andy first began experiencing episodes of manic highs and depressive lows. The family believes Andy was in some denial about the severity of his chemical imbalance and tended to blame his mood swings on himself and his own weaknesses, choosing to self-medicate with recreational drugs. Members of his family, close friends, and an industry sponsor intervened over the years to help Andy get clean, but the effort to find balance in his life was certainly complicated by his chemical makeup.

Finally, as has been reported, Andy was suffering from severe flu-like symptoms while in Puerto Rico to compete in the Rip Curl Pro Search leg of the ASP World Tour just days prior to his death. Andy was unable to leave his bed and for the first time in his Pro career, withdrew from a contest. He was put on an intravenous drip for hydration and strongly advised to seek further medical treatment. Against doctor's advice, Andy left for Kauai, Hawaii, to be with his wife, telling the doctor: "I just wanna go home."

Though Andy's illness is not addressed in the autopsy (which only tested for and ruled out suspected Dengue Fever), Andy's weakened condition clearly contributed to the tragic circumstances of his death, adding more stress to an already gravely compromised heart.

Having defied the odds so many times before, Andy may have felt that getting on a plane while dehydrated and wracked with fever, and choosing to meet up with acquaintances during a short layover in Miami, was nothing out of the ordinary. His strong-willed personality was part of what made him such a formidable surfer and champion. Like others who face down extreme danger, Andy seemed to feel bulletproof -- as if nothing could take him down. But traveling while sick and suffering from an undiagnosed heart condition, was more than even Andy could overcome.

We are hoping that people will remember Andy for his very full life, which included his intense passion for surfing and the ocean, his astonishing achievements as a world-class athlete, and his devotion to the family and friends who love him dearly and miss him every day. Receiving the disturbing news about the cause of death brings back the shock and tremendous grief we first felt upon receiving word that Andy had passed.

We would like to thank everyone for their condolences and support over the last seven months. There was so much positivity in Andy's professional and personal life, not least of which was how hard he worked to overcome his challenges. For this we remain forever proud of him.

This continues to be a very difficult time for our family and we appreciate the media's respect for our privacy. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support and will not have any immediate comment beyond this statement.

For those who wish to honor Andy's memory, we ask that they consider making a donation to the Surfrider Foundation, a charity Andy supported, at www.surfrider.org<http://www.surfrider.org>.

--The Irons Family