On Tuesday November 2, 2010 world champion surfer, Andy Irons was found dead in his hotel room in Dallas. He was on a layover on his way back to his home in Hawaii. The cause of death, as far a I know, was dengue fever. Dengue fever is a tropical disease spread by a specific type of mosquito. Normally, it will last anywhere from 2 to 7 days, but there are rare instances where it can progress to a fatal disease. Unfortunately, Andy's was one of those instances. He is reported to have contracted the disease in Portugal, where he was competing. He then made his way to Puerto Rico, where he dropped out of a surfing contest because he was too ill to compete. He travelled to Florida, where he was treated with IV antibiotics for 2 days before leaving to return home to Hawaii to be treated by his doctor. It was during this return trip that he was in Dallas.
I am truly saddened at his death. When I was thinking of only surfing and doing nothing that was not surf-related back in high school and college, Andy Irons was one of the up and coming stars in the sport. He was the champion by who all others gauged their performance. The guy was an incredible athlete, and from what I hear, a very real and true person. His wife is expecting their first child in under a month. Please send out your prayers and well wishes for the Irons family during this tragic time. This is a great loss to the community as well as the world. It is my hope that consolation can be found in that Heaven has he greatest waves and the best boards one can imagine. You can bet that right now, Andy is smiling upon his friends and family as he rides the biggest and best waves anyone can fathom:)
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