Andy Irons let the surfing world know that the former three-time World Champion is back, winning the Billabong Pro Tahiti for the second time in his career. Irons defeated former rival Kelly Slater in the semis before taking down CJ Hobgood in the Finals at Teahupoo. Slater’s semifinal appearance, coupled with early defeats for both Jordy Smith and Taj Burrow, allowed Slater to become the overall leader in the adjusted ratings for the ASP World Title.
“I did it!” said Irons. “I surf because I have to put my jersey on some time. I took a lot of losses, but I put in the hard work too. I dedicate this win 100% to my wife, Lindy, she is everything to me and without her, I’d be nothing. I really, really like competing because I love to win and I feel on top of the world today. I surf because I love to win. I love this feeling.
“I feel like I’m back,” continued Irons. “I have to thank ASP for giving me the wildcard back here. My whole dream was to come back and just win one contest, and I’ve done that now. I want more. And to win at Teahupoo, it’s my favorite wave in the world. It’s a very special win.”
Slater, who lost to Irons in the semis after defeating him in the opening round of the contest, was the only surfer in the contest to score a perfect 10. With the equal-third finish, Slater is now back to his customary top spot in the overall ratings, after adjusting the standings by dropping every surfer’s two lowest scores. Slater’s quest for an unprecedented 10th World Title continues.
“I’m up there pretty close,” said Slater. “Going all the way to J-Bay and getting 17th makes me wish I had stayed home. You lose confidence and waste time on planes. That’s the way it goes – you have good events and bad events. This one has been pretty good though. The waves haven’t been good, but we’ve seen a lot of cool things. We’ve seen the young guys really step up and we’ve seen Andy (Irons) come back and put one together.”
The 2010 ASP World Tour now shifts to Southern California, home of the Hurley Pro Trestles. The contest window opens September 12th.
Current ASP World Tour Ratings (After Dropping Lowest Two Scores)
1) Kelly Slater 24500 Points
2) Jordy Smith 23250 Points
3) Taj Burrow 23000 Points
4) Dane Reynolds 18250 Points
5) Andy Irons 17500 Points
