Andy at Winki. //Photo Steve Ryan

Andy, interviewed in 2009 from Parko+Friends.

“There was always a friendly rivalry between Joel and I. As soon as that horn goes off I wanna beat him as badly as he wants to beat me. And it’s almost a major scalp, and I remember all the wins and losses against him because they mean so much. I used to smoke him in the early days but he’s come back lately. I remember beating him with two fours in the final in Japan, stuff like that. And then he’s got me some really good ones that’ve scarred me, one time at Bells in a semi in particular. I got the inside first and got caught behind on my first wave. I’ve kicked out in time to watch him get a 9.9 or something, and then paddle back out and get a 10. Then he paddles over to me with 25 minutes left in the heat and goes, “I think I’m gonna go in soon cause I wanna be warm for the final.” I went, “This guy is heavy!” I was ready to do a deal with the devil right there for some miracle to happen and me come back and win that heat, just to see the look on Joel’s face. It was like, if you’re going in, I’m going in. There’s no way I’m sitting out here on my own with 10,000 people watching me getting my ass kicked in a triple combo. It was embarrassing.”

Andy Irons

It was Superbowl Sunday over on Kauai. I was over there camping up in the mountains with Andy, Shano and a few other crew, and it was bloody freezing. It was freezing. It was so cold it was like winter in Canada; only this was Hawaii. We had these log cabins we were staying in, the campfire, the full deal. Slept in big jackets. But it was some of the most beautiful countryside I’d ever seen. Shano had bought his bow and arrow and we went pig hunting. I wasn’t up for killing a wild boar, but there were wild chickens everywhere and I thought if I shot a chicken with the bow and arrow I’d pluck and cook it. The mighty hunter from Coolangatta. So I picked up his bow and arrow, this huge hunting bow he kills pigs with, and I’ve lined up this chook from across the campsite. I’ve lined it up and let it go and it’s gone between its legs! I was kinda glad actually. Pulling in a fish I can handle, I don’t know about putting an arrow through a chook. Then Shano got serious and got cans of dog food and put holes in them and threw them out into the bush, then we waited to see what came to eat ‘em. We were up till 10 o’clock that the night waiting for a boar but nothing showed up. Shano shoots on his property. He’s got a heap of acres on the Big Island and he’s got little hideouts where he baits and waits. He’ll sit some nights till two in the morning and wait for the right one. He’s the full bow hunter in his cammo gear and face paint… and here I am trying to shoot a chook. – Joel

Blam. //Tostee/ASP

There were a million brilliant Andy moments out at Teahupoo… where do you start? But for me, Andy and the shotgun claim was probably the best competition moment I’ve ever witnessed. Andy was surfing against Deano [Morrison] and needed a seven to win. I was staying with Andy and was his caddy, and he’s come flying out of this barrel in the dying seconds knowing he’d got the score he needed, and he’s claimed it by pretending to fire a shotgun into the air. But while he was busy doing that, Deano has got an even better barrel on the next one. I’m looking at Andy and he’s still claiming it, he’s reloaded his shotgun and is still firing, and I’m too far away to tell him he should probably stop. They announced that Deano had won, but Andy still didn’t hear it, and Deano has had to paddle over to him and say, “Umm, sorry mate, I think I won.” Andy didn’t say a word and just started paddling the half-mile back to shore, snapping. When I got home the stuff that was coming out of his mouth was some of the funniest shit I’ve ever heard in my life. After a while he’s stopped screaming at the walls and just looked at me and we’ve both just cracked up.” – Joel

An excerpt from Parko+Friends… check it out or buy here.