Sponsors: Billabong, Billabong surfboards, Von Zipper, Da Kine, Nixon, Kustom
Stance: regular
Favorite Spot: Backdoor Pipe; Teahupo’o, Tahiti; Pine Trees, Kauai
Vehicle: 2000 Toyota Tundra, 2003 Ford Expedition, my bicycle
Favorite Food: Ahi Sashimi, Sushi, Chicken Marsala at Bamboo Bamboo, Chili chicken
Who or what inspires you? My parents and family, my brother Bruce, and Dave Riddle.
Who do you look up to? Same as above and Tom Curren, Martin Potter, Sunny Garcia, Mark Occhilupo, and Matt Archbold.

STEPPING STONES TO SUCCESS : Grommet

Andy began his days surfing the breaks around his island home of Kauai. He was lucky enough to have the beach that close to his house it was basically an extended backyard. If those things weren't enough to inspire his surfing, than a younger brother of sixteen months by the name of Bruce certainly pushed his competitive spirit into overdrive.

ATTITUDE TO ALTITUDE : Climbing the ladder.

While competing the WQS and during his early days on the WCT, Andy created quite a stir due to his confident, in your face and often reckless attitude. He was labeled "too cool" and "arrogant" and quickly had the reputation as the WCT rebel. Not many people thought he would be surfing's next big thing.These days it is that same underlying aggression which he has learnt to control and use to his advantage that simply makes him so hard to beat.

From 1998 to 2000 Andy struggled to maintain his WCT position, but in hindsight he was learning valuable lessons and plotting his moves for future years to come.

THE GOLDEN YEARS - 2002, 2003, 2004

2002

It's quite obvious Andy dominated 2002, 2003 and 2004. With his winning streak that started at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Australia in 2002 where he defeated 2000 World Champion Sunny Garcia, and continued onto his favorite Tahitian venue, Teahupo'o for a superior ratings lead, Andy was looking good and fast becoming hard to stop. His run continued by locking in a runner-up finish in France, before claiming another victory at the following Billabong Pro competition in Spain. He only entered one WQS event, but reached the final of the Vans Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa. His consistency and talent prevailed and the Hawaiian secured his world title at the second to last WCT at Sunset Beach. Still not content, Andy pushed on and won the year ending Xbox Pipeline Masters, and with it clinched the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title. While his obvious focus, dedication and string of impressive results say that he could of done it with his eyes closed, Andy admits that he definitely felt pressure from the stream of talented young blood like Joel Parkinson and the rest of the Aussie posse. Ironically, these feelings of uncertainty worked in Andy’s favor because no matter how well everyone else was surfing, there’s no way he was settling for second best.

2003

’03 proved to be another golden year for Irons. He duplicated his clean sweep for the second consecutive year by claiming the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) world title making him the 2003 World Champion. Irons, pushed six-time world champion Kelly Slater to the very last heat of the year in a grueling nail-biter and sealed his victory in the final seconds when he took first and Slater took fourth. He is the only surfer to ever win all three titles two years in a row. He also won five of 12 2003 WCT events, managed to get inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach in August 2003, captured the Surfer Poll award for the second year and continues his legacy with his second consecutive world title.

2004

Andy was Mr Consistency in ‘04 with results reading 2, 3, 3, 2, 1, 5, 33, 1, 3, 9,17. His continuous motivation and performances sending shudders down fellow competitors' spines, who often noted that even when Andy needed an 8 or 9 to win with only minutes to spare, he can often jag that set wave or more frighteningly turn an ordinary wave into a winner. Quite simply Andy has dominated world surfing for the past three years. He has pulled away from the pack and with 2 strong placings for the opening Australian leg of 2005, he doesn't look like slowing down.

SECRETS FOR SUCCESS: Andy's Attitude

Andy epitomizes the all or nothing attitude. He also takes it wave-by-wave and heat-by-heat, instead of panicking about the bigger picture. Underneath is also a competitive aggression that still sometimes bubbles over but constantly makes him so dominant in the water. This attitude and strength of mind throughout his career has propelled him to earn his three coveted ASP World Champion titles. Along with these Irons was named Surfer Magazine’s, 2002 Surfer of the Year at the Surfer Poll Awards, breaking Kelly Slater’s nine-year hold on the honor. He managed to uphold the title in 2003 for the second year in a row. Amongst the awards, trophies, titles and reputation is a man who holds the key to competitive surfing in the palm of his hand, where will he take everyone else?