I have a really strong connection to Andy Irons, not physically or even in the real world, but more of an energy based connection. When I listen to him speak, I hear it. When I watch him surf, I feel it. And, when he tells his story, I'm hit with a wave of energy that I cannot quite put into words.
Of course everyone loves AI. He is (was) a World Champion, a Pipe champion, a brother, a father to a beautiful boy he never met, a husband, and a friend to so many. Outside of that, he was a person who struggled with mental illness, something that many of us can relate to. For me, I think that is it, the crux. I empathize with his struggles, and although mine pale in comparison, it's just an additional weight we carry as we try to navigate this crazy thing, life. Unfortunately Andy's journey ended November 2, 2010. His heart simply couldn't take the stress.
Everyone who knew Andy spoke of how kind he was, how he would give you the shirt off of his back, how he took his crew with him on his travels--he was generous, perhaps because he knows what it is like to struggle, even if that struggle was of another kind. This weekend I happened into the California Surf Museum and there it was, a board AI rode. The museum has a policy not to touch the exhibits, as most do. It was all I could to stand there without breaking down, taking in the energy (no touching).
I don't know if it is something other people experience, maybe they aren't in touch with the energies of the universe--maybe that even sounds crazy, but I could feel it. If you don't know the story of Andy, check out Andy Irons: Kissed by God, a very emotional look into what made AI, AI, and what eventually ended his all too short life. He was already amazing when he was ripped from this existence; What if he had lived? I'll let you ponder that for yourself.
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