"Brand"....I thought he was a human being?

Does anyone honestly believe suppressing the truth will quash rumour and speculation.

This is taking tastelessness to a whole new level. I'd hate to think Billabong were behind this decision.

Bring the truth out and let this sad saga come to an end.

I'm stunned. I can't believe a grieving widow would give a fiscal-related reason for wanting a delay. Surely his dignity comes first? To not even pay lip service to it in a public request is unbelievably crass.

I'm stunned. I can't believe a grieving widow would give a fiscal-related reason for wanting a delay. Surely his dignity comes first? To not even pay lip service to it in a public request is unbelievably crass.

A tragic event and such a sad end to a remarkable surfer. A situation no wife child should be in. No question.

However the lack of reporting around the circumstance of his death /alleged troubled past by surf media has been laughable.

lyndie should protect his brand it is the only thing he can give to his son now .whatever the report says he cannot be judged by anyone dengy fever is known as bone crusher it is a painful way to go i hope he took ever drug he could get his hands on and went peacefully RIP andy good luck with your son lyndie

With all due respect Thunder, you can't protect a "brand" (how heinous the great Andy Irons has been reduced to a brand) by suppressing the truth.
That will only feed speculation and rumour.

Andy's legacy is being tarnished by this unseemly effort to circumvent the processes of natural justice and suppress the truth.

understand freeride what difference will it make to your life knowing the truth what does it matter. it is not some world changing conspiracy let his family move on.
You say it is heinous Andy be reduced to a brand what are you trying to achieve by making the fine details of his death public knowledge i repeat let him rest

Freeride has been circulating forums around the globe spinning the conspiracy yarn - what truth has been supressed in your dislocated life freeride - or should I say jim

why the hell is conspirocy a dirty word to some? your a typical sheep ´the-sage´ open your mind. you do know xmas is a hoax i hope?

see what has become of this 'sport'... surfing was never an industry, and it never should've became one, it used to be the out law of out laws, and the people involved actually cared about one another, they were like family. one big community.
why the hell does it matter about a persons brand after they're gone, his wife will be duly taken care of, and billabong dont need any more freakin money.
what ever happened to acceptance, and just surfing cause we love it. you people have destroyed this so called sport, take it back to the outlaw days.
START THE REVOLUTION
australian surf resurrection, research kent turkich

well said anti. i believe in do unto others or be the change you wish to see. im in the board building industy and it gives me the heebeejeebees. they say a successful brand creates jobs. it also takes money and pride away from the small guys who cant afford team riders adverts etc. dont trust a sales man! or a pollie! or a buisness man. they only want your $s.

yeah ok outlaws is a bit over the top but this commercialized world is choking on itself.
i dont want to comment on such a touchy personalized issue but this brand bullshit has to stop.
as grown men we are like school boys checking to see if we are wearing the cool brands to fit in.
lame.
dont be scared of change. b4 the end of slavery many woulda thought the world was going to stop turning. it didnt.

we can, must, learn to live without growth!

....."understand freeride what difference will it make to your life knowing the truth what does it matter."

When does it ever matter Thunder? If your happy swallowing the corporate line then close your eyes, consume like a good sheep and keep silent.

Throughout human history the truth has been concealed and co-opted by Govts and corporations for their own ends. Usually money and power.

Some people find it offensive to the memory of a Great Champion that the truth is being concealed for base commercial reasons.

Some people are happy to let the truth be swept under the carpet so the "brand" can live on and keep selling boardshorts in perpetuity.

You sound like the latter.
I am the former.

The truth ultimately is healing and cleansing. It will end speculation and allow AI to truly RIP.

Whether the truth is ulitimately healing or cleansing, I can`t speak on behalf of anyone else except myself, but knowing the truth will do neither for me. Conversely, as for protecting the brand, I`m not in a hurry to rush out and buy a pair of AI signature `rising sun` boardies.

Morbid curiosity is all I want to know in how he died, nothing more. It seemed suss at the start and remains suss now.

I never realised how much I idolised Andy until he was gone. Pure animal expressionism which unfortunately I will only be able to tell my kids stories about. For all the gossipers the truth is probably better sorted out now than not(saves all the moneymaking bullshit). But for me I think he is more unreal than ever. Legends are earnt not made and Andy is a legend forever. Whatever Lyndie is doing should be respected. A new mother to a beautiful boy(rad name!) who will never personally know his father, deals with everything in the best way she can. IT IS HEAVY. Andy Axel deserves all the positves him and the family can get. When the time is right all will be known RIP ANDY

Totally agree with Lyndie's request, while the term 'brand' seems distasteful you need to remember that this is reported from court proceedings and is a term used that her legal team has used to give weight to their argument in court. Again the naieve amongst us don't realise this and have been mislead by the media which is exactly Lyndie's concern. The tox report is likely to show some form of opiate in his system as he was having medical treatment for the severe pain he was suffering, death from dengue is by all accounts excruciatingly painful, and media will surely use this to support the 'drug death' theory, not based on fact but to further justify their distasteful reporting on Andy's death. I hope Lyndie is successful and we can let a true icon Rest in Peace.

I hope Lyndie keeps this supressed forever and earns a fortune from Andys name. I wonder what some of you are thinking about, even being interested. Go back to your "Who" and "People" junk mags, stop being star suckers and get on with life. How, why and where this guy died is no business of anyones but his family and is worthless news at best. Idolising stars is for morons with no life at all.

...."How, why and where this guy died is no business of anyones "

3 time World Champ dies alone in a Hotel Room in the prime of his life surrounded my mysterious circumstances and with a bunch of horse-shit put out by corporations that smells bad from across the Pacific and you say that's not news?
Tell me Bob, what the hell is news then?

There's changes that could be made here that could benefit many others who could fall into the same pitfalls as AI if only people had the courage to let the truth come out.
Bong is a multi billion dollar company : does anyone honestly think the family is going to be left destitute if the cause of death reveals a host of unanswered question that don;t match the official corporate line?

Why are people so scared of the simple truth?
If there's nothing to hide then out with it. Sooner or later it has to happen.
The legacy of AI deserves the truth, not some cock and bull piece of corporate confectionery fed to dullards to sell more boardshorts.

If you want to keep living in fantasy land then keep your eyes and ears closed and just keep swallowing what your fed like a good consumer.

@ Bob. You are a tool pal and totally miss the point.

I agree with the gist of freerides comments, but reporting the events are really on a knifes edge, given the tragic circumstances involved for the Irons family.

Time will tell indeed.

But rubber bob- 'worthless news at best' and 'star suckers?' What are you banging on about? It has nothing, if anything, to do with 'idolising stars.'

quoting neil young ´they give you this but you pay for that´ ie; the conditions of being famous. his ´brand´ is to blame. im very sorry for any ones loss in life. we all have them. i believe his story could help young drug abusers and or people understand mental health issues in society.

It is not me that misses the point ... No matter how well he could surf, Andy was just another bloke in a world of 40 billion. He was no better or worse a human being than any of us.

It is my LACK of following the media that makes my opinion. It is folk like Freeride (and others) that are so media obsessed that they crave "news" on the life and times of well known folk and seek idols to better their lives. It is no more or less tragic that Andy died than the times any other human on the planet.

Nobody here knew Andy and nobody will be enriched by learning media reported "facts" about his death.

....."It is not me that misses the point ... No matter how well he could surf, Andy was just another bloke in a world of 40 billion. He was no better or worse a human being than any of us".

Bob, you are missing the Point in breath-taking fashion.
You must be staggeringly naive to think Andy was just another bloke in a world of 40 million.
He was a 3 time World Champ and "brand" worth millions to a multi-national corporation.
Surely we can agree on that much, right?

The difference between him dying in suspect circumstances alone in a hotel room and the bloke down the street walking in front of a bus is profound.

One is merely a tragedy, the other has become a battleground where the truth could cost millions in legacy merchandising.

Now, if your happy to swallow all the corporate mis-information and prostrate yourself on the altar of St Andy then no-one is stopping you.

Others would like to see the truth.

The truth could help other people.
Lies never help anyone in the long term. Except those at the top of the tree reaping the profits of them.

I did know Andy. I interviewed him several times. His struggles were an open secret. His desire was to come clean so as to help others and make a fresh start. He was prevented from doing so by sponsors afraid of "brand" damage.
That dehumanised AI.

I'm not media obsessed nor do I idolise AI.
I don't idolise anyone.

Everyone is human. Everyone is flawed. The truth helps certain people, and believe me there are many, many people who have been on the same path as AI. Some of whom could or could be in the future helped if changes were made.
Denial just sweeps things further underground.
It is in the end ,ultimately, self-defeating.

Spot on freeride.

I still don't quite understand bobs odd accusations of people being 'media obsessed' and seeking 'idols to better their lives' and how it applies to this story, although maybe he could explain it from his high horse.

freeride you are obsessed it its now clear you are in the media/surf industry yourself
are you creating interest to raise the price of information you have or past interviews you conducted with AI

if YOU know something we don't tell us now for free

Don't be a dill Thunder.
I'm not creating interest.
Witholding the truth is what is creating the public furore.

I have nothing to gain from this. Any interviews I've done with Andy are well and truly in the public domain.

I've stated my motives here. They are not of a pecuniary nature.

Great response Freeride! I respect your opinion and writing but I still disagree ...

I see a widow asking for details to remain supressed. Her lawyer seems to have used the reason most likely to succeed in a US court and it seems to have worked. I respect her wishes. I don't need to know. If she never wants us to know then I respect that too.

Being a brand worth millions and a 3 x champ does not make any person any better than anyone else. Sorry, if you can look me in the eye and say Andy is a better person than you, me or any other human being then I feel sorry for you. All human life is equally sacred. Andy could surf and he could make money, perhaps he was an inspiration to some but a better person??? Just another bloke in 40 billion is correct in my humble opinion.

The fact remains: We do not need to know how this guy died and argueing otherwise would lend me to the conclusion that you are afraid of your own mortality. I also disagree that there is anything to be learned here. There is no shortage of case studies for the medical industry. This is just another case in millions occuring worldwide daily.

I am sad when folks die young, but hey it happens all the time. We live, we die but we don't really matter in the universe regardless of what we do or how much we earn. I try to live in reality (whatever that is). The fact that the media fails miserably in this regard is a given that is unlikey to change. Whatever they report on this will have a slant on it to suit the day.

it's obvious i have hit a nerve with freeride. name calling is not a sign of good journalism (i am no dill)

freeride said "brand.... i thought he was a human being" and later described AI as a brand. freeride also stated he doesn't idolise AI but earlier referred to him as THE GREAT ANDY IRONS i dont think you know what you think leaving your only interest in this to be profit

lyndie has just asked for six months let her and her son have that if you are not interested in money the truth will come out just not in time for your profit

no disrespect freeride i just dont believe your motives are completly selfless

No nerve Thunder. Just correcting your false impressions.
I'll state it again: I have no pecuniary interest in the death of AI.

I'm concerned as are many, many of his fans that his death is being manipulated for commercial reasons.

I don't idolise him but consider him a great surfer and champion: are you capable of realising that distinction?
He is a human being to me but being treated as a "brand" by others, understand?

It's a sad and sordid business and with this latest development it just keeps festering.
No winners.

Any thinking person knows his death was most likely drug related , and its sad. but almost 2 people die every second on this planet so while your reading this comment probably about 20 or 30 more will die all loved by family and friends , but this man happened to ride a piece of foam and fibreglass on a wave better than most . To me his death has no more signifigance than any other .
Are you surprised that the truth is being surpressed so companys can keep profits coming in , this is the way humans operate and always have and always will ,as soon as one greedy person moves aside there is another ready to take his place .
Do you really think we can live in a truthfull society ? when we cant even be truthfull ourselves . The average person lies about 4 to 6 times a day apparently (including exagarations ) truth is overrated , do you really want your wife to know what you were looking at on your computer the other night , or the cash work you did to avoid paying taxes .Lets not be naive ,everyone is out for himself and this AI announcement is just another example .

@hiline we are evolving. always.
i for one and not ashamed of myself to my wife or close friends or in the heat of the moment to anyone.
we all do some stupid shit and theres always someone whos done worse.
sure talking to her (my wifes) father and grandmother id keep some secrets and opinions to myself, but we do NEED truth for our children to learn from.
do we want them emulating the lies & values u.s.a. has been spreading (a good eg.) or the goody goodies who save lives? help keep the ball rolling guys!!! dont look back! check the new nat. geo. mag. those who think we are all doomed.

Even if the "truth" is published how will you know if is is the truth?
The press are chomping the bit to get this story and the vast majority of journalists are nothing but whores who do little more than prostitute the facts to make good copy.

Get over it, stop thinking you need to know and let this guy's widow and family grieve in peace.

Jeez hiline, ya certainly sucked the life outta this debate.

Are you and bob neighbours?

There is a really interesting/extensive story on AI at this website and well worth a read.

http://outsideonline.com/adventure/travel-ta-andy-irons-surfing-athletes...

r.i.p AI

Thats very old news AC. But yeah, good read and makes a mockery of protecting the "brand".
Seems AI didn't care much for protecting the brand when he was alive.

i always thought of the bloke as another big-headed-gang-member-wanker. (who surfed good) seeing his attitude(apparently) change near the end i changed my opinion of him (i know we are all human) forgivness is perhaps our most important decision in life.
aside from his story. why do i care? morbid curiosity and intrest in humans. even those without much intelligents (obviously)
we can and will live in a better world. the question is how long it will take. education is the key. comparable to the churches of jesus, competition in the financial world breeds oppression in our real world. dont think/look too deep its on the surface!

it seems to me that andy did care about protecting his brand otherwise he would have gone public himself.

i am so sick of the media and thier bullshit they twist and twist and twist again until none of us can tell what the truth is and who cares about the people they chew up and spit out those people who are digging and digging into andys life are hurting the people who truely cared for him and you people who cant wait six months for a tox report you are the driving force behind these vultures you are hurting his family right now

.....it seems to me that andy did care about protecting his brand otherwise he would have gone public himself."

What and have his sponsors release him from his contract?
I can't believe you'd be that naive Thunder.

I respect your point of view Thunder but painting the press as the villains here is muddleheaded.
While the press may uncover uncomfortable truths it is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.
You want to live in a society where the interests of the rich and powerful are protected (and lets be brutally honest here: this isn't about Andy's family this is about a multi-national corporation profiting from his death) then move to China.

freeride correct me if i am wrong but i am sure the worlds media is controlled by rich and powerful people not people interested in truth or democracy.

i agree there are things we need to know and the media has a roll to play but the damage they do is not worth it in this case.the media has no moral high ground here.

i think the truth should be out but it won't cause how does the great surfing 'family ' look when a guy dies on his own in a motel in Texas when a mates in trouble or even sick you don't let him go through it on his own the whole story is unbelievable none of these guys travel on their own this is the real sad part of this story that someone with so many friends had no one in his time of need Vale Andy and all those who have died the same way

A.I was addiccted to oxycontin. He lived life hard. He lived life fast. As did all who pro-surfed before him. We are lucky more world champs haven't perished. Drugs are undergroundly accepted in our "sport". What can we do about it? Where do we go from a triple world champ not being here?

FWIW, I'm with you Bob.

These great truth seekers are nothing more than star-struck voyeurs. It has nothing to do with truth seeking, and everything to do with whether you are entitled to demand the truth of someone else's life.

You don't have that right. Buy the brand clothes if you want, fill your lives vicariously by reading of the failings of the great and good. I find the various rationalisations being used to justify your voyeuristic demands both pathetic and hilarious.

The truth, the truth!!!!! You have no right to the truth, if that's what you want to call it.

Besides, it matters not one wit how Andy died. Leave him and his family be. Get a life.

....."Besides, it matters not one wit how Andy died".

Well that seems to be the main bone of contention here.
Some maintain that a full and frank acceptance of what was going on might, might just save others from falling into the same trap, thus salvaging some dignity and lasting change from this tragedy.

And some find the suppression of this truth to maintain a "brand" to sell clothes to impressionable 15 years olds pretty fucking offensive.

The truth is not a "natural" right. But neither is the suppression of it.

And your rantings here B and K come off as vaguely hysterical.

Freeride, how do you know that the truth is being supressed for fiscal reasons? It is highly likely that this was the only argument that would succeed in a US court and a privacy argument had no chance but was the catalyst for the court case.

You say you have interviewed Andy but clearly if you had any respect for him you would respect his widows wishes. Surely he would want his widow left in peace?

Your pedantic postulations reek of desperation in getting to "know the facts" and are amusing and keeping this post going but honestly what is there to gain?

Don't give me this "saving others" klaptrap, its bullshit and you know it, we are adult surfers who can look after ourselves. Folks die every day, go and find a "saving others" case elsewhere. I for one don't need saving by you or anyone else.

Ok, this is getting boring.
Last one: promise.

Throughout it's relatively recent history surfing has seen devastating waves of drug use sweep through it.
Heroin in the 70's. Coke in the 80's. Ice in the 90's/00's. Now prescription pills.

What has surfing as a culture done about it?

Due to an insecure industry desperate to gain market entrance into mainstream households and erase the surfie/druggie/dole bludger tag they've swept it under the carpet and just blithely pretended it's not happening while continuing to manufacture the "surfing dream" to sell to the masses.

I've lived next door to one of these drug refugees. Someone whos life (and the lives of many around them) has been permanently tainted by easy money, a culture of enablement and concealment and rampant drug abuse.
It ain't pretty believe me.

And now the culture finally has a chance to grow up. To bring this shit into the Open, to drug test it's athletes and support those who need it. That would send a message: there's help if you need it and we're not going to turn our backs on you and ignore it or worse enable it to happen then deny it and cut you loose when it turns pear.
Andy's death could be a touchstone and turning point for a culture desperately clinging to a kind of permanent adolescent sense of denial.

Instead, we are seeing the denial and obfuscation continue for the basest of commercial realities.
Please, this is not about protecting his families sensitivities: this is purely commercially driven.

I've had a family member die in suspicious circumstances. The instinct is for the truth. That brings closure: one of the deepest and most universal human longings.
No-one without very good reasons deliberately conceals or delays the truth. No matter how painful in the short term.

And do any of you so passionately defending the family honestly believe delaying the tox report is going to bring peace to the family or dissolve the speculation like magic?
Like you can just wish it away by putting it off like a case of homework?

The world-wide response would very strongly suggest otherwise.

Seems painfully obvious to me why the tox report is to be delayed.In six months time the spotlight will be lessened and if drugs were involved it should limit damage to Billabongs image.

Surf companies are no different to any other business, they are results driven.These are the same companies who have managed to convert kids from saturday netball soccer footy to getting out into the surf.Thus the reason why our artform has been highjacked for profit and the crazy crowds we have to endure on any day.

Now most kids want to be the next Slater they paddle around at Snapper with a aggressive attitude and to my way of thinking they are missing out on the pure stoke I got 30 years ago when it was all about escapism, fun and nature.
In my opinion the surf industry has a lot to answer for and once again its the old story, introduce the almighty dollar and all is lost.

Regards,

Regards,

I agree. The only brands being damaged here are Billabong and the ASP!!!

Farkin hell freeride. The family has every right to the truth. The hangers-on can speculate all they like. That's how people who don't have a life get by, they gossip about others.

It's gossip, get over it. Nobody is going to be 'saved' by revelations of Andy's alleged intoxication. You could make just as strong a claim saying that more young kids will be drawn to suicide by ingesting whatever drugs may be found in Andy.

It's rationalisation to justify an untenable position. All to satisfy curiousity, nothing more.

If the family want it kept secret, let it be.

Who cares if the 'Billabong brand' is protected by this. How much marketing rubbish have you had to swallow even to believe this 'branding' stuff counts for a hill of beans anyway.

Go out and do some investigative journalism on something that actually matters, you know, the big secrets held by the banks, the pharmaceutical companies, Monsanto. Chasing down this alleged minnow is a joke.

Your naivety is compelling.

I could be wrong but I think by law the Tox report has to be tabled.It can be delayed but at some stage it has to be released.

Just a quick question whats Bob Marley got in common with Billabong, I would have thought absolutely nothing.

Regards,

bob- you sound confused.

...."Your naivety is compelling. "

Please explain the naivety here B and F.

You mentioned banks, big pharm and monsanto.

Surf corps are now multi-billion dollar multi-national businesses who operate as ruthlessly as any of these corps you mentioned.

They have a great ally in a complicit and compliant media largely controlled by their ad dollars.

Why are their ethical and business practices somehow unworthy of thought or investigation?

And bringing this back to cold, hard reality this isn't a decision for the family to make: any more than a suspicious death of anyone, particularly a public figure like AI.
Please use basic logic here: would you expect details of a suspicious politicians death to be suppressed?
What about a well known writer, journalist, mainstream sportsman?

No, didn't think so.

It's a perfectly tenable and rational position to expect a suspicious death of a sportsman in the prime of life to be investigated in the public realm, moreso because so much effort is being invested in suppressing that natural process.
If you think that is "gossip" then we are inhabiting very different moral worlds.

Please tell me how the truth being suppressed by a multi-national publicly listed company for commercial reasons is "gossip" anymore than the same thing being done by Monsanto, or the banks etc etc.?

This is just basic accountability and has nothing to do with "gossip".

@ B&F. You're pontificating like an "Oldman".

Seriously though. I think Steve Ride is on the money. If the "company" is making money from the image of their pro's and effectively cover up anything that could cause harm to the bottom line to the detriment of one of their cash cows (Andy). Then they are IMO responsible and should be taken to task.

EVERYONE knows Andy Irons had 'substance abuse' problems. In some peoples language he was a drug addict.

He is not alone, many surfers take drugs and lots of them.

The corporates hide it well and portray the clean living lifestyle, but every second surfer is a stoner/bonghead, a pill head, an alcoholic or a drug trafficker. If they are not into drugs they are probably peddling porn or banging old ladies over the head to steal their handbags.

Who do you classify as 'everyone', 1963-malibu?

ASP-World-Tour-enthusiasts aside, I don't know how anyone else would/could have any idea about the recreational drug use of any professional surfer.

For whatever reasons, it's never really been a topic raised in the general surf media (let alone mainstream press). I've been involved in various surf forums for many years and this kind of topic has perhaps raised its head a half a dozen times at best. So, I really don't know how 'everyone' could be aware of these kinds of issues.

Whether Iron's had drug issues or not the fact remains he had Dengue fever, which catalysed his death. The onset is ridiculously painful and i speak from experience, your bones feel like they're shattering and you can't move your eyeballs, if you do it feels like your head will explode. Now any sane and rational person will take drugs under these circumstances, i was adminestered morphine and the difference here is that Irons didn't have a Dr administering them and got the doses wrong (by the looks of things). Even without drugs in his sytem the fever may have killed him so now i feel sorry for his reputation however his wife seems more worried about the money, that's even sadder.

......Whether Iron's had drug issues or not the fact remains he had Dengue fever, which catalysed his death."

That is highly debatable Damons, very far from fact, and, considering the timeline of events looking increasingly unlikely.

Fully grown men in their prime do not die from Dengue Fever and if he had the highly dangerous heamorraghic form of the disease then there is no way he would have been travelling alone and unassisted.

If he had dengue then blood tests by now would have been able to simply confirm that.

Would be interested to see if anyone sees an link to cannibis smoking in Billabongs Marley advert on surfline.

The breaking up of Billabong looks a little suspect to me.

Not meaning to pass judgment on smoking pot or not, just interested in peoples views on that particular ad.

Interesting lopez, I couldn't find the ad so I went to the BB site and found the Bob collection and the logo you point out. It is a definite subliminal, probabaly aimed at the smokers out there who are a big market. For some good examples of subliminals go here: http://www.artistmike.com/Temp/SubliminalAd.html Sex is the most common subliminal but there are heaps of others.

Ad gurus are clever ...

But back to this post, I vote freeride the AI expert of the decade, and a bloke obviously obsessed with getting to the facts whatever they are. I note the following:

"I've had a family member die in suspicious circumstances. The instinct is for the truth. That brings closure":
Knowing about this will bring about closure for who FR?

What has surfing as a culture done about it? (drugs)
I am not sure that I want the surf culture involved in this FR, there are enough do gooders out there already.

Freeride, all your comments on drugs sound hysterical and obsessive. 63 Mal is right, but its not just every second surfer, its half of the population. Those (half of) not into the illegals are into the piss or into prescription meds or over the counter pain killers. Knowing the truth may help you get a story but it won't help anyone else.

.....Knowing the truth may help you get a story but it won't help anyone else."

You'd have to be a pretty cynical, ignorant, uninformed and unimaginative human being to carry that logic around Bob as your reason to suppress the truth.

As well, it's just downright wrong.

You drive on the highway without a seatbelt?
Let your pregnant wife smoke ciggies?

No, of course not.

That's because people stood up to entrenched corporate interests and revealed the truth.

Go live in China or Russia and be happy with the carefully censored pap which is fed to the population if a desire for the truth is so offensive to you.

I personally don't like bullshit.
Never have, never will.

Especially when it's being fed to kids to sell clothing.

If you find that "hysterical and obsessive" then good for you.

I'm not asking you to agree with me.

.....Ok this is getting boring
last one i promise

free ride you are losing it unfortunately because you are in the surf/media industry you cant remove yourself from having a financial interest in this

i want to know the truth too but i believe that waiting six months is a good compromise go and sell used cars for six months you will do well i am sure.

does anybody else understand the amount of money the media will make on this in the short term i wonder if it is more than billabong

The real discussion is just how much clout does the industry have as opposed to recreational surfers.

Makes me wonder when you see D bah fenced off for 4 days so Billabong can enhance their margins.

Best Occy takes that show down to Cronulla in my opinion.

Yeah, the judge has spoken and the truth will eventually be leaked out when the hubbub had eased and a plenty of units of legacy merch have been sold.

Such is the way of the world.

But Thunder just again so there is no confusion: I have no financial interest in the death of AI.
None.
Nada.
I have written no articles about it, sold none of my existing interviews.
Nor do I intend to.
I will make exactly zero dollars out of this.

If you want the real reasons for this tox report to be suppressed follow the money.

Heads should roll over this but in a culture of complacency and dumbed down consumers who don't want the hard questions asked promotions are more likely.

Such is life.

ThermalBen i was just taking the piss. I think actually anyone who knew anyone who knew A.I, knew he was heavily into smashing himself up on drugs of any persuasion.

to say 'everyone' was probably a bit broad.

Surfing is so keen to keep the image clean, no drugs, no violence, no nothing. Am i alone in hoping that more and more media comes out about drug use and bad shit to dent surfings image?

Look what happened to Tiger Woods and golf, he was very quickly 'found out' for what he really was and i think surfing is the same and IF the general media finds out the truth about surfing and how riddled with drugs it is, maybe it will slow down the rampant corruption, money and greed associated with making cheap shitty clothes and selling them to children who hero worship (in some cases) drug addicts.

6 months is an easy wait. Lyndie is just giving herself time to greive, it is not unusual for a widow to want a bit of time.
What is strange is that Billabong who have a big vested interest in Andy Irons let him travel alone, why wasn't there a manger or trainer or someone there with Andy to make sure he made it back home safe? Thats the big question.

Billabong have treated Andy Irons like the Catholic Church treats wayward priests.Why the hell didn't they help him , have someone with him ? They knew he had a drug problem and have tried to cover it up for so long. Why not get it out in the open and be transparent like other sports , AFL and Ben Cousins. Why is there no drug testing in surfing. The ASP are just as bad as it is run by the big 3 clothing companies "Rip a Quik Bong". How do share holders of public companies feel about covering up drugs and supporting a known drug taker.Even Billabong said he had inner demons , what the hell are they ? The history of surfing is full of drug fucked surfers. Some made it lots aren't here today because of it. It's not new for gods sake so don't try to hide it.Deal with it and if you sponsor / pay someone as an asset to your company then take responsibility for them if you are a responsible company ? A disposable roll model ? Nice brand ? You want to be seen to to be clean and Green save the whales and the planet and then stand by when someone who works for you needs help. Nice one Billabong.

I don't really understand what the point of suppressing the Tox test is?

You're obviously not going to suppress it if it shows Andy was clean and sober on the night he died are you? So if it's not good, is it bad or ugly?

So now instead of Andy being able to RIP, we're subjected to another 6 months of speculation and rumor mongering until ultimately the truth is known anyway.

If it's genuinely Andy's widow wishing for some peace and lack of media spotlight while she grieves then fair enough. If it's the corporates at Billabong behind it all in the name of protecting "the brand" and selling a few extra pair of boardies then it's an utter disgrace.

@ Lolo.. It is a disgrace and I hope someone blows the lid on the whole debacle.. I personally won't be buying another Bong item until... Oh hang on I don't buy their stuff anyway ;)

@ Haka. Totally agree with your points re the ASP and the Bong. I know of someone who emailed Brodie Carr asking a few questions re this whole saga and in particular about the ASP's drug policy. His reply? "No commment"

WTF.

And can I ask Ben why the comments to this article don't come up in the the latest comments section on the homepage?

Jimmy - it's a random coding issue that we're unable to identify and/or rectify (it's been going on all year actually, but the page was built by our old tech so it's been difficult for our new tech to trace). We'll soon be launching a fresh upgrade to the site that will get rid of this problem.

Thanks Ben.. I was just hoping that you hadn't bowed to any pressure from the Bong...

Would a single boardshort sale be lost because it was found that illegal drugs were detected on toxicology screening? Doubt it. Who thinks otherwise and why?

After reading everything wriiten and said, if you got nothing to hide then your not guilty.
There's guilt wriiten all over this.
That's bullshit about the brand and the Andy Irons Company.
Sound like to me he was using drugs and she know about it.
He had the world at his feet, beautiful wife, baby on the way, lived in Hawaii and was an absolute ripper in the surf.
He looked and sounded depressed on all interviews, we can't always win and when your at the top the next place is 2nd or 3rd. He was aging as well.
She should release the findings and face the truth.
Andy was and will be also be a king, he just fucked up