AI Tribute

I only met AI once. It was for a photoshoot for Foam magazine, and I was an intern/lighting assistant at the time. I remember my boss Nadia telling me we had some pro surfer coming in to shoot for the cover of Foam, but she could not remember his name.  I immediately wrote it off, and thought it was going to be some random California model with that "surfer look."  When I got to Nadia's house and saw Andy and Lyndie sitting on the coach I was shocked.

I quickly assumed Andy would be over the whole photoshoot- having to model, smile, run twirling down the beach ect.... I was wrong. Andy was all smiles. We talked about Maui,  the crappy California surf, traveling, traffic, and how much we both just wanted to get back to Hawaii.  In the three hours I got to know Andy, he made me feel I had known him forever.

The world has not only lost one of the greatest surfers of all time, but a true legend, role model, and friend.

Andy Irons Tribute by Photographer Brian Bielmann  (http://www.brianbielmann.com/)