"I'm back!" Andy Irons said after winning the Billabong Pro in Tahiti Friday.

The grin on his face was one we haven't seen in years.

This was the Andy Irons the world fell in love with during his three world title runs in 2003, '04 and '05. The Andy Irons who almost made us forget about that Kelly guy for awhile.

Inner-demons are a constant struggle for Andy Irons. He'll be the first to admit it. While much has been made of his recent trip into the mental abyss, it was hardly his first run in with life's dark side.

Andy lives hard, burning at max power regardless of who's driving and where the road ahead leads. When one pushes that hard there's usually nothing left to bottle emotions. They surface unfiltered, readily viewable for the world to see.

That level of intensity is Andy Irons' natural state. Taming that beast...bottling that fire, keeping in harnessed for positive purposes is something he's struggled with since he was a kid: sitting in a classroom, dealing with his pesky little brother, waiting out a flat spell, even a crappy movie.

"After losing my first contest to a girl I couldn't come back for a year," he admits in his recent "Why I Surf" video. That's how pissed he was at himself. Nobody's tougher on Andy than Andy.

Friday we saw the happier side of Andy.

The Andy Irons who cuts himself some slack. The guy who keeps the past in the past. The man appreciative for everything he has, and has to lose.

To be clear, Andy Irons's surfing isn't at 100%. The rust is still plainly visible. But by wining the Billabong Pro today, he'll be even more determined to shake the rest off. And very few surfers can win an event at this level when they're approaching 80%.

Andy Irons, the beast, just got his first taste of ASP meat since 2007. Now is when the real comeback begins. With his victory, Irons is sitting in the number 7 spot.

Key to his success now are the forces in his life helping him keep the beast tamed, focused on channeling his endless energy into things that net positive results...be it burning calories, trimming hedges, washing cars or winning heats.

With a kid on the way, rest assured something biological will be sharpening his focus. Kids have a way of doing that.

Yes, Friday we saw the happier side of Andy Irons. Here's hoping we see a lot more of him this year, because if he's really back he'll me making things a lot more interesting.


Billabong Pro Tahiti Final - HIGHLIGHTS from Billabong on Vimeo.

It's great to see Andy Irons in form again. As of this writing, Andy just won his Round Four heat against Mick Fanning with some last minute heroics. He fired off three big turns under immense pressure, needing a 6.41.

The judges rewarded him with a slim victory, the first time this year he has had a close call go his way.

Irons had lost in the prior two events by a margin of .4 or less. When he advanced to the quarterfinals today, he already had best result in 2 years. It's been quite a journey back.

During his heat the web commentators aired a quick clip of an Andy interview when he was asked about and "McEnroe moments". His honest reply painted a hilarious mental picture. Fast forward to 3:25 for some interview gold.

"Those are awesome. I've had a bunch of those... I've had some bad ones ah? One of my worst ones was at Trestles, I lost to Dane, who is an amazing surfer, one of my favorites now... i was kicking my boards around the competitors area, acting like a little kid... I've broken phones, computers, stuff like that. Really bummed the next day when you go to use your computer and its ripped in half."

Andy seems far more mature than his former self, and with the jitters out of his surfing and some momentum for the business end of the 2010 season, he's a dangerous threat to any world title contender. For what it's worth, in his post heat interview, Andy alluded to his wife Lyndie having a bun in the oven. I hear that's a motivator. Go Andy!

The ASP should have been filming its own reality show this week. The drama was thick with several surfers stranded on a tropical island facing elimination from the tribe.

On Wednesday the hammer finally fell. The ASP's elite tour roster was officially culled of 13 individuals. Victims of the heavily-hyped hack-down were sent down to the minor leagues (Or were they? More on that later.)

Was it painful? Absolutely. Entertaining? You bet.

Yet the past 10 days have not been enjoyable ones for anyone at the ASP. The tortuous flat spell (which will likely lead to the event's death on Friday) compounded the already-increased amount of bitching and moaning as reality started biting the surfers at risk. The squeaky-wheel chatter on blogs and Twitters over ASP "fairness" and "confusion" spiked as individual fates became clear.

All of that was, of course, to be expected.

Officials knew none of this would taste good going down. These are solid surfers and all-around great guys who, in some cases, even have families to feed. Yet the ASP is not unlike other business that have had to streamlined to improve their product. This pruning helped cleanse the tour of flab that was -- hate to say it -- slowing the show.

The chatter will fade and a new normal will set in in due time. While the new reality will be tougher on all surfers, at the same time, it'll be better for them too, whether they realize it yet or not.

Say what you want about how it was executed, but there's no arguing the ASP has dramatically improved their product line this year. Tahiti's Survivor episode was just the latest step in that process. The World Tour elite is even more so now, and A-list match ups will occur more frequently as a result. That's a good thing.

Meanwhile, while the sound of being sent to the minors sounds horrendous, the truth is the minors aren't so minor anymore. Prime events weigh huge and play huge with webcasts, sizable chunks of prize money and ridiculous amounts of talent.

After years of toiling in anonymity, the WQS finally has a platform it deserves; One that shares a lot of the perks of world tour events. As a result, surfers rising up (or dropping down) through the minor leagues can still be in our faces via some high-quality broadcasts, and continue to battle the best surfers in the world.

The new Prime series revealed this year is proof of this. It's a solid product with quality webcasts that rival the best of the World Championship Tour. For the average fan, it's arguably more exciting. There's more action with four man heats and they also can take place in quality surf, like Lower Trestles and Margaret River. The best part, however, is the pool of talent is deeper than ever because many of the world's best must surf them to stay alive.

While many fear the eliminated surfers will disappear from the public eye because they're not on the elite world tour, I'd argue we'll be seeing more of them than ever. Through the rest of this year, and early 2011, they'll be fighting like hell to claw their way back up into the Top 32 of the ASP's new world ranking at events like the Coldwater Classic, the World Cup at Sunset, the Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River, and the 6.0 Lowers Pro.

Those events have been some of the most exciting of the year. If you saw Josh Kerr launch massive aerials to get past Taj Burrow at Margaret River, or some of the incredible showdowns at the 6.0 Lowers Pro then you understand. Even the US Open had it's moments with Dane and Kelly doing their thing.

And look at who won those contests: Josh Kerr, Gabe Kling, Brett Simpson.

One of the complaints being thrown out there is that qualifying is too hard now. That threading the needle can't be done by guys who aren't already on tour. Hogwash. John John Florence is already ahead of Keren Perrow on the ASP world rankings, and Perrow spent the first half of this year on tour. (Perrow failed to make the cut, but did he get one of the two injury wild card slots.)

I hear whining about too many good surfers are coming from the tour and dominating the Primes. Yet Josh Kerr fell off the tour last year. As did Gabe Kling. Both won Primes this year. So did Brett Simpson, who remains on tour, but is hardly in danger of winning any world titles. And if you can't beat Brett Simpson on a regular basis you don't belong at the top level. These are guys who should be winning Primes.

Of course Prime events are tough. Very tough. But breaking into the highest level should be a monumental task in any sport. As a fan, the harder somebody has to work, the bigger the obstacles, the higher the stakes, the better it is to watch. And therein lies the best of what the ASP's done with their overhaul.

With the caliber of surfers on display in this year's Prime events, the ASP has upgraded their entire product line, adding weight, significance (and an audience) to events that previously went unnoticed. From where I'm sitting, it's a good thing when Kelly Slater shows up at the US Open of Surfing.

The confusion argument that's being tossed around is probably the most ridiculous. That narrative was being driven by surfers at risks and their sponsors who would be losing, in some cases, their only tour representative after the hack. Excuse me, but what exactly is so confusing about making the cut (or not) based on a ranking system that considers your best results over the past year. If you want confusing try explaining college football. WTF?

There will be refinements to come. And some have taken issue with the fact that the ASP has indicated they're open to changes. The argument is why didn't "perfect the system" before putting it in place.

That's easier said than done. Pro surfing is headed into uncharted territory. Nothing is perfect, but I see the ASP's readiness to bend and adjust as a sign of strength after years of stiff resistance. As Bruce Lee said, "Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind."

Kelly Slater. Photo ASP/Kirstin

In a recent interview posted on his blog, Joel Parkinson said "...being world number one coming into Tahiti isn't all beer and skittles because you generally get Manoa." Quite a compliment to hear coming from Parko, that he'd rather not be leading the world title race, just because it means facing Tahitian wildcards like Manoa Drollet. "You know you're going to get Manoa or Heiarii and they know the place so well its going to be hard. I've been beaten by wildcards so many times it's not funny." 

Tahitian born Manoa Drollet has been the standout surfer at Teahupoo for years, winning the Von Zipper Trials in 2005 and 2007, and has beaten just about everyone at his home break.  

In 2008 he beat Kelly Slater in round 3 on his way to making the final in the event, eventually placing second behind Bruno Santos. His freesurfing antics at Teahupoo are legendary, as evidenced by the news clip below. 



In the same interview, Parko went on to say "..the Tahitian guys thrive when the guy they surf against doesn't know their spot as well as them, they sense it and they lift." This was very evident this year as Manoa took out current ratings leader Jordy Smith in round 3 with critical wave selection and confident tube rides. That performance came the day after he did the exact same thing to current world number 2 Taj Burrow in round 2. Both heats saw Drollet display patience and superior wave selection to pick off the best tubes on offer. The fact is, Manoa wouldnt stand a chance in a heat against Kelly, Taj, or Jordy if it came down to performance, and he knows that. Luckily, Teahupoo is a wave that is scored on the tube, so performance is often secondary. All the turns in the world arent going to beat a gaping Teahupoo pit. 

 Some have even argued that wildcards should be done away with or at least seeded differently, as it creates a severe disadvantage to the top seeded surfers. Many tour stops have local wildcards that almost always cause problems for the top seeds: Adam Robertson at Bells, Sean Holmes at J-bay, Manoa at Tahiti, and the entire pipeline posse in Hawaii.  Would you rather surf against Marco polo or Jamie O'brien at Pipeline? Silly question, but at Pipeline the local specialists are seeded just below the lowest ranked surfer on tour. Since the system is designed to reward the top surfers by always matching them with the lowest seeds in the round, the system is inherently flawed if the last 2 seeded surfers are as dangerous as anyone in the entire event. When it comes to the top surfers leading the points race going into events such as Tahiti and especially Pipeline, such wildcard matchups can mean the world title. On the other hand, the local surfers do deserve the right to surf their home break when the circus comes to town. Either way, the point is: try not to draw Manoa Drollet at Teahupoo.

GRINDTVNEWSWIRE - TEAHUPOO, Taiarapu/Tahiti (Wednesday, September 1, 2010) ­ The idyllic
conditions of the past two days were washed away this morning under heavy
south wind and rain, forcing the Billabong Pro Tahiti to call competition
off after completing the remaining four heats of Round 3.

Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2010 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti is
both a pivotal point in the hunt for the 2010 ASP World Title as well as the
midyear field reduction; the latter of which was completed today.

Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 24, 2010 ASP Dream Tour rookie, punctuated the
morning¹s action, executing an incredible Rodeo Flip in the dying moments of
his Round 3 heat to overtake Chris Davidson (AUS), 33, and advance through
to Round 4.

"It was really tough out there," Gudauskas said. "There weren¹t a lot of
waves coming through and I didn¹t know if I should wait for the good ones or
if there were even any good ones left. I knew I needed to go big at the end
there so I thought, whatever, I¹ll just try this¹. It had a really nice
section and when I came out of the rotation, I knew I had it so I just kind
of rode out and gave the judges a little thumbs up."

The Califonian¹s advancement to Round 4 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti
guarantees an Equal 9th, a career best, and rockets him from No. 32 to No.
24 on the ASP World Title Race rankings.

"My mind is still here for the moment," Gudauskas said. "But it¹s been my
dream of mine since I can remember to surf at this level at home and at
Pipe, and I¹m over the moon. First and foremost though, focus remains here."

Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, reigning ASP World Champion and current ASP World
No. 6, has been in impressive form all season, but has yet to recapture the
dominance shown late last season. The Australian remains calm when
discussing his ASP World Title defence, citing last year as an example.

"It¹s still early days," Fanning said. "I¹m holding a couple throwaways
already this season so I need to start looking at putting in results. It¹s
not all that different to last season really. Anyone can get on a roll at
any time and put a few events away. I just need to stay focused on each heat
and surf my best."

Andy Irons (HAW), 32, past three-time ASP World Champion and former winner
at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, survived a hard-fought heat with high-flying
rookie Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 21, in deteriorating conditions this morning.

"I just tried to catch a lot of waves," Irons said. "It was real stormy. So
I just tried to catch a bunch of waves and stay busy. That kid (Wilkinson)
is really wild, he can throw big airs and I knew he could blow the heat wide
open with one wave. It was a close one."

Damien Hobgood (USA), 31, current ASP World No. 13, finalized the ASP
midyear cut-off today, eliminating rookie Marco Polo (BRA), 29, in a
tightly-fought Round 3 heat.

"It was really close," Hobgood said. "Marco (Polo) beat Bobby (Martinez)
here the other day ­ anyone can beat anyone out there. I was hoping for more
barrels so it would favour me, but it¹s just really small. I¹m lucky to get
through out there. I knew it could potentially be like this. I hope we get
some fun waves in the last few days."

With the elimination of Polo, the ASP¹s midyear field reduction is complete.
The following 13 surfers have been relegated back to the ASP PRIME and Star
events:

- Drew Courtney (AUS), 31
- Neco Padaratz (BRA), 34
- Tanner Gudauskas (USA), 22
- Mick Campbell (AUS), 34
- Kieren Perrow (AUS), 33
- Tom Whitaker (AUS), 30
- Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), 25
- Blake Thornton (AUS), 25
- Dean Morrison (AUS), 29
- Jay Thompson (AUS), 28
- Nate Yeomans (USA), 29
- Ben Dunn (AUS), 24
- Marco Polo (BRA), 29

Moving forward, the ASP World Title events will have 36-man fields comprised
of the ASP Top 34 (Top 32 finishers after five events plus two surfer
wildcards) and two event wildcards.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6am to assess conditions for a
possible 6:30am start.

When competition resumes, up first will be Dane Reynolds (USA), 24, against
C.J. Hobgood (USA), 31, in the opening heat of Round 4.

Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, are calling for
a small mix of south and southwest swell will prevail for the last days of
the waiting period along with moderate to strong easterly trades.

Highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti will be available via
billabongpro.com

FUEL TV will be broadcasting the Billabong Pro Tahiti LIVE in Australia.
Check out http://www.foxsports.com.au/fueltv for details.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI REMAINING ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 13: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.50 def. Tamaroa McComb (PYF) 6.83
Heat 14: Andy Irons (HAW) 9.34 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 9.16
Heat 15: Damien Hobgood (USA) 10.77 def. Marco Polo (BRA) 8.74
Heat 16: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.43 def. Chris Davidson (AUS) 13.16

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 2: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Manoa Drollet (PYF)
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 8: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)