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ANDY IRONS: KISSED BY GOD
Three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons quietly battled with bipolar disorder and opioid addiction throughout his life - demons that millions of people worldwide combat daily.
Born and raised on Kauai with his brother Bruce, Andy was an incredible presence on the world surfing stage. Revered around the world for his blue-collar rise to fame and success, he became known as the “People’s Champion” and the pride of Hawaii. At the same time, many of his friends and most of his fans were unaware of his internal struggle that ultimately led to his untimely demise. As the opioid crisis rises to a national emergency in the United States, the untold story of Andy’s life serves to tear down the myths associated with these two ferocious diseases.
Join us on October 8th for an exclusive viewing of the Kissed by God Documentary, a roundtable discussion on mental health featuring Andy's wife and friends and healthcare experts, and a special tribute to Andy’s legacy by Metallica.
Credit: Video / Teton Gravity Research
Agenda
Click on Speaker for Bio
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | Introductions and exclusive viewing of Kissed by God Documentary |
| 4:35 p.m. EDT | Expert panel round table discussion Hosted by: Selema Masekela Commentator, Journalist, Host, and Producer Featuring: Lyndie Irons Andy Irons's wife and board member of the AI Foundation Evan Slater VP Men's Global Marketing, Billabong Joel Parkinson Pro Surfer and 2012 World Surfing Champion Dr. Andrew Nierenberg Founder and Director of the Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation, Massachusetts General Hospital Greg Horne Global Principal of Health Care, SAS |
| 5:30 p.m. EDT | Data for Good project launch Featuring: Aykia Soni SAS Health & Life Sciences Stephanie Carter Clinical Director Mindaugas Mozuratis Manager, Reporting & Analytics at Center for Addiction and Mental Health Dr.Goldston. David B. Goldston, Ph.D. Duke Child and Family Study Center |
| 5:45 p.m. EDT | Metallica tribute to Andy Irons |
THE MORE YOU ASK FOR HELP, THE MORE HELP IS OUT THERE. Lyndie Irons
About the Andy Irons Foundation
The Andy Irons Foundation exists to help others with some of the personal challenges Andy never addressed himself.
Started in 2011 after the untimely passing of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons, the Andy Irons Foundation exists to help provide the support network that doesn’t exist for so many of our youth. By focusing on impactful, community-based programs that address debilitating conditions like mental illness, addiction and learning disabilities, we strive to create a world where no child struggles alone. The Andy Irons Foundation is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives.
About Andy Irons
Andy Irons, one of the greatest surfers of all time, passed away on November 2nd , 2010 while traveling back to his beloved Ile of Kauai. Only 32 years old, he had in that short time put his mark on the world of surfing forever. When Andy Irons won his third World Professional Surfing Championship, he joined a rare trio of legends whose impact has dominated competitive surfing for the last 3 decades. Only Mark Richards, Tom Curren and Kelly Slater share that achievement, and they have arguably been the most influential surfers in modern history. It is an unforgettable legacy.
Accomplishments
- 1998 – 1st OP Pro Huntington Beach, USA
- 2000 – 1st Billabong Pro Trestles, USA
- 2002 – 1st Ripcurl Pro Bells Beach, Australia; 1st Billabong Pro Teahupoo, Tahiti; 1st Billabong Pro Mundaka, Spain; 1st X-BOX Pipeline Masters Pipeline, Hawaii; ASP WORLD CHAMPION
- 2003 – 1st Ripcurl Pro Bells Beach, Australia; 1st Quiksilver Pro Tavarua, FIJI; 1st Quiksilver Pro Niijima Isalnd, Japan; 1st Quiksilver Pro Hossegor France; 1st X-BOX Pipeline Masters Pipeline, Hawaii; ASP WORLD CHAMPION
- 2004 – 1st Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, South Africa; 1st Quiksilver Pro Hossegor France; ASP WORLD CHAMPION
- 2005 – 1st Quiksilver Pro - Chiba Japan; 1st Quiksilver Pro Hossegor France
- 2006 – 1st Ripcurl Pro Search - Huatulco, Mexico; 1st Ripcurl Pipeline masters Pipeline, Hawaii
- 2007 – 1st Ripcurl Pro Search Arica, Chile
- 2010 – 1st Billabong Pro Teahupoo, Tahiti
