Lewis Samuels’ interview with Andy Irons was only up for two days before Surfline Editor Marcus Sanders had to shut the comments board down at 500 messages saying, “Thanks for all your comments; Andy’s seen some of ’em, and is taking the next month away from the spotlight. We’re closing down comments now, but stay tuned for more.. ”
Andy, unlike many professional surfers, says it exactly the way he see it no matter what. And that attitude is a magnetic attractor of opinions of all kinds. It’s difficult not to want to comment when a surfer says something like this:
No one really said shit when I was winning about how I acted. Now that I have a bad year, everyone is asking me to change, so let me tell you guys this: I have been on tour for the past 12 years. I have won 3 titles, and come runner-up who fuckin cares how many times. Do any of you people ever think about how draining it is to travel all year long, going to the exact same places, when the waves seem to almost always be shitty, trying to keep a winning attitude? You don’t see anyone giving Bruce shit about going off tour or losing in France with a 2, but that’s ’cause he never acted like he cared. Figure that shit out… You are on tour to win, and anyone who is on tour that says they don’t want to win is just saying that to make themselves feel better about losing. Dane might be an exception, ’cause he’s a little weird like that, but aside from him everyone cares. Saying they don’t is just a disclaimer.
This interview is great for so many reasons, mostly because it is so rare to read an honest interview in action sports. It obviously can cause problem for athletes when they do it, but we just want to say, “Thanks, Andy.”
[Link: Surfline]
