Andy Irons didn't know me, but I knew him. And, so did thounsands of young people who turned out year after year to participate in the summer surf contest that Andy and his brother Bruce conducted on Hanalei Bay. Andy Irons died earlier today, November 2, 2010, at the young age of 32. He is the home-grown, world-champion surfer that I mentioned in my previous blog post. After taking some time off from professional surfing, he made this short film earlier this summer, as he was starting his comeback. Andy leaves a big hole in many, many hearts. A hui hou, Andy.