Slater-Irons battle goes beyond surf
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Andy vs. Kelly.
It makes for a dramatic storyline, but truth is, Andy Irons and Kelly Slater have not surfed against each other all year, and may not go one on one for the remainder of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
"It sounds good to hype it like a boxing match, but this is surfing," said Andy Irons.
"We know this is not a rivalry thing. But it's fun and if it gets people into surfing, even better," Kelly Slater said.
Yet, Irons and Slater are the two leading contenders for surfing's 2003 world championship. In essence, they are racing each other without facing each other.
Adding to the drama, they happen to be the two most popular surfers on the planet who come from opposite ends of the United States, and who are sponsored by competing companies within the industry.
"It sounds good to hype it like a boxing match, but this is surfing," said Irons, the defending world champion from Hanalei, Kaua'i. "Everybody is saying it's about me against Kelly, but there's a bigger picture. It's more about me against the other guys on the tour, and him against the other guys."
Slater, the Florida surfer who owns a record six world titles, said: "It's not about me and Andy if we don't face each other. But even if we don't face each other, how he does affects me and how I do affects him. So if you look at it that way, it kind of is about me and Andy."
Entering this week's Rip Curl Cup, Slater is ranked No. 1 on the World Championship Tour (WCT) with 8,340 points through 10 of 12 contests. Irons is No. 2 with 7,692.
The Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach (today through Dec. 7) and the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters at the Banzai Pipeline (Dec. 8-20) are the final events for the 2003 WCT and Triple Crown of Surfing.
"Who remembers No. 2?" said Glen Moncata, the Hawai'i director of sales and marketing for Quiksilver. "It comes down to who wins the world championship. If you win it, it means you beat everybody else, not just one other guy."
Slater is sponsored by Quiksilver; Irons is with Billabong. Those two companies are generally recognized as the two biggest in the surf industry.
"There's no love lost between the companies, but the fact is we are competing against each other for business," said Billabong team manager Rik Iaconetti. "And the company that can claim the world champion has a huge advantage."
Their popularity only adds to the hype. Irons was voted the most popular surfer in the world by Surfer Magazine this year; Slater was No. 2. If success breeds popularity, then the results of the poll are understandable.
Irons and Slater have each won four events so far this year, meaning they have combined to win eight of the 10 contests in 2003.
But because they enter each event ranked first and second, they are always placed in opposite brackets. The only way they could surf against each other in the Rip Curl Cup or Pipeline Masters is if they both reach the finals.
"That's why I say it's about the other guys," said Irons, 25. "We have to get past a lot of good surfers to even have a chance of going against each other."
What's more, Irons would prefer somebody else to eliminate Slater in the early rounds. Because Irons is playing catch-up in the world title race, he needs to have a good showing in the Rip Curl Cup and hope for a poor showing by Slater to make up ground.
Lost in the Irons/Slater hype is that at least two other surfers — Australians Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow — have outside shots at the world title.
"I'm actually really concerned about that," Irons said. "That would be a real bummer to have Mick or Taj pass me."
In any case, Slater said the match-up with Irons — whether it materializes — is good for surfing no matter who wins.
"So many people are talking about it," said Slater, 31. "We know this is not a rivalry thing. But it's fun and if it gets people into surfing, even better."
NOTES: The Rip Curl Cup will take place on the best four days at Sunset Beach between today and Dec. 7. The women's Turtle Bay Resort Pro will take place on the two best days at Turtle Bay between today and Dec. 7. Both events are the second of three in the respective Triple Crown of Surfing series for men and women. For daily status of the contests, call 596-7873.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
