Andy Irons Foundation announces scholarship in honor of 3-time world champion surfer from Kaua‘i

Then-Hawai‘i Gov. Neil Abercrombie in 2014 declared Feb. 13 Andy Irons Day in celebration and honor of the legacy left behind by the three-time world champion surfer from Kaua‘i.

Andy Irons Foundation now takes great pride in announcing the Andy Irons Foundation Scholarship in his honor and to celebrate Irons’ remarkable life.

Scholarship eligibility

Eligibility requirements include:

• Have a home address on Kaua‘i.
• Be accepted to or attending a university, community college, vocational or technical school.
• Have a 3.0 grade-point average.

Students from Anahola to Hā‘ena are encouraged to apply.

Deadline to submit completed applications and supporting documents is April 30.

“If there [was] anyone destined for surfing greatness, it was Phillip Andrew ‘Andy’ Irons,” says the foundation website about its namesake.

Irons was born July 24, 1978, in Līhuʻe to a mother who was a former competitive skier and a surfer/carpenter father.

“He had all the geographical and genetic advantages that breed unrivaled natural talent in the ocean,” the foundation website adds. “Irons’ rise up the surfing ranks was fierce and swift, dominating all the requisite amateur milestones through the mid [1990s] before embarking on the professional world tour in 1997.”

He clinched his first world title in 2002, defeating then six-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater and sparking inarguably the greatest surfing rivalry of all time. Irons would go on to compete head-to-head with Slater and come out on top three years in a row.

“As surf historian Matt Warshaw noted, ‘Andy Irons was the only worthy rival to the greatest surfer who’s ever set foot on a board,'” the foundation website says.

Behind the scenes, however, Irons — who always lived and surfed on raw, unbridled emotion — began to fatigue throughout the 2000s.

“Running white hot for so many years took its toll on his body and mind, and some of his latent battles with addiction and mental illness began to manifest,” says the foundation website.

Irons, unfortunately, died in 2010 while on his way back to Kaua‘i after he withdrew from a world tour event in Puerto Rico. He was only in his early 30s.

“The Andy Irons Foundation exists to help others with some of the personal challenges Andy never addressed himself,” the foundation website says.

It’s the mission of the Andy Irons Foundation to celebrate the legacy of the surfing legend by supporting impactful, community-based programs for young people struggling with addiction, mental illness and learning disabilities.

Email to info@andyironsfoundation.org for additional information about the Andy Irons Foundation Scholarship.

Visit the Andy Irons Foundation website for additional information about the foundation and Irons.