One of the world's top surfers, he was a four-time Triple Crown of Surfing winner, and died tragically from a drug overdose.
He learned to stuf in the reef-infested waters of Hawaii's North Shore.
He was found dead in his hotel room, with initial reports stating it was from Dengue fever, and later confirmations said it was a mixture of drugs.
His younger brother Bruce Irons also became a professional Surfer. He married his wife Lyndie Dupuis in 2007, and she was seven months pregnant at the time of his death. She gave birth to their son, Axel Irons, in December of 2010.
He had a much-publicized professional rivalry with Kelly Slater.
