Update, December 28, 12:24 p.m.: In news that will surely upset many of the commenters on the earlier post, a trust has been set up for Andy Irons' widow, Lyndie and their infant son, Andy Axel Irons, according to an ESPN report.
Blair Martin, Andy Irons' agent, told ESPN the trust is meant to “help in providing for the maintenance, health and education for baby Andy.”
]
Martin explained that numerous people stepped up, asking how they could help. The range was vast, “from surf shop owners, to families close to Andy, as well as a few [ASP World Tour] surfers who have been so generous as to give their prize money from the remaining events on tour after Puerto Rico.”
Details of how to contribute to the trust can be found on the website of one of Andy's fellow pro surfers, Australian Mick Fanning.
As for the release of the autopsy? Authorities have honored Lyndie's request and are withholding details until May 20, 2011.
Original Post, December 27, 12:44 p.m.: Controversy and questions have surrounded the tragic passing of world champion surfer Andy Irons, who was found dead in a Grapevine, Texas hotel room on Nov. 2, 2010.
There was talk of drugs and foul play, or possibly a bad case of dengue fever; speculation has run rampant in the surf and national media. Which is why the release of the autopsy report is so valuable: it could clear or tarnish the 32-year-old surf star's reputation and legacy.
Lyndie Irons, Andy's widow and the mother of their one-month old son, has asked a Texas court to delay releasing the coroner's findings to avoid the resulting media storm which she feels may affect his “brand.”
The basis of her request is that the reports are being released prematurely, considering there have been additional questions raised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the federal complaint she filed, Irons indicated that she and her son are entirely dependent on the continued well-being of the Andy Irons name and brand. She would like a six-month extension on the autopsy release to allow the media storm to blow over, reports Courthouse News Service.
Irons had been competing in an Assocation of Surfing Professional World Tour event in Puerto Rico when he fell ill and pulled out of the contest. He was en route to his home on Kauai, but was deemed unfit to fly during a layover in Dallas. He was found the following morning by the housekeeping staff at the hotel he was staying.
On November 14, hundreds gathered at the Huntington Beach Pier for a paddle-out to honor the memory of Andy Irons.
