Bruce, hosed beast at Teahupoo. Photo:Alex Laurel

The younger brother of the late great AI, Bruce Irons rose to international prominence through a combination of proposterously late entries into big heaving tubes and a signature lofty fs punt, signature even down to the hand placement of the leading arm. Growing up duelling with Andy in and out of the water, and having access to stellar, guarded Kauaian surf gave Bruce the tools to hold his own as both a technician and a freak at some of the heaviest, most photogenic surf spots on the planet, namely Pipe and Teahupoo. Crotch grabbing through beastly End of the Road caverns, slaying Slater in the 2001 Pipemaster final with nary a thought to hat tipping deference, Bruce never apologized for being rad, nor seemed to particularly care about managing his image, much less being a role model. Along with Pipemasters performances, competitive highlights came via winning the Eddie in 2004 and the Rip Curl Search Bali 2008, although ASP tour ratings never quite matched the heights his various Volcom video parts boasted. Whether down to him being a radical non-conformist as his defenders claimed, or rather being fairly unexceptional on the open face as his critics whispered, the surf world seemed in a much more natural order with Bruce not losing in Rd 2 to Greg Emslie somewhere during a mid tide lull, but rather free falling out of the sky wherever was code red-ding. Whatever your personal tastes, nobody is questioning that Bruce Irons is one of the most naturally skilled tuberiders the world has ever seen.

– GD