Surfing superstar brothers Andy and Bruce Irons will take 2009 off from professional competition, the Association of Surfing Professionals officially announced yesterday. The ASP’s top 45 tour surfers were announced, with neither of the Irons brothers listed to compete. Although
Surfing superstar brothers Andy and Bruce Irons will take 2009 off from professional competition, the Association of Surfing Professionals officially announced yesterday.
The ASP’s top 45 tour surfers were announced, with neither of the Irons brothers listed to compete. Although Bruce Irons announced his retirement from full-time competitions last year, the release stated that he will pursue wildcard entries into several meets.
Fellow Kaua‘i surfer Roy Powers will replace Bruce Irons on the Dream Tour.
Andy Irons, a three-time world champion, told Surfline.com that he was taking time off from surfing because he was physically and mentally drained.
“I’ve been doing the Tour for 12 years and I came really close to just burning out completely last year,” he said. “The ASP has been cool about me taking some time off, and I think they understand where I am at right now. They know I need a break, and the fact that they have been able to guarantee me a wildcard for 2010 takes a lot of pressure off me to just work on myself and my surfing in ’09.”
Andy Irons has been granted an ASP wildcard to enter the Tour in 2010. Andy Irons won three consecutive world championships from 2002 to 2004. His last major win came at the Rip Curl Pro Search in 2007.
Bruce Irons was the last winner of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational (2004) and his most recent win was at the Rip Curl Pro Search in Bali last year.
The brothers and their family also host an annual Irons Brothers Pine Trees Invitational, but The Garden Island has not been informed of an official date yet.
Returning to the tour, which starts next month, are nine-time world champion Kelly Slater, Hawai‘i’s Fred Pattachia and Australians Bede Durbidge, Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson.
New to the Tour is Kaua‘i’s Dustin Barca. Joining him from Hawai‘i is Kekoa Bacalso.
The waiting period for the first competition of the year, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, will be from Feb. 28 to March 11.
