While most of the surfing world, which may never have had the chance to interact with Andy Irons personally, remembers him for his raw uncut personality, fierce competitive nature and desire to win at all costs, filmmaker Jack McCoy remembers him for much more.

McCoy, a documentary maker and one of the most prolific storytellers in surfing over the last 40 years, had the honour of filming, following and working alongside Andy during his 2002, ’03 and ’04 world title wins. The storyline formed part of the Blue Horizon film which documented Andy’s rise to competitive glory and also David Rastovich’s quest to carve out a name for himself in the free surfing world.

The film won a number of awards including the 2004 Surfer Movie of the Year and originally toured ten countries with 156 screenings in front of over 88,000 people. In celebration of Andy’s triumphs, Blue Horizon has been remastered and is returning to the big screen as part of an Australian tour which is set to kick off later this month.

McCoy will be joined by Rasta and some of Andy’s closest rivals and friends including the likes of Taj, Occy, Hedgy, Phil McDonald, Antman and more to be announced. There’s also rumours that Kelly might make a cameo appearance if he’s in town.

Ahead of those screenings, we caught up with Jack who was happy to share some of his favourite stories from the times he spent with Andy.

“As a filmmaker and storyteller, I was always looking for those golden moments, unique happenings and conversations which capture a particular moment in time and tell the story unlike anything else,” said McCoy.

Charging Chopes with Rasta and Bruce

“When we first started filming the movie, I remember the next ASP contest was at Teahupo’o and so myself and Rasta went to Tahiti a week before the waiting period started to catch up with Andy. We were all living together in a homestay and this was the first time Andy and Rasta had ever met. One morning we woke up, it was 8 to 10 feet and they delayed the contest as some surfers’ boards hadn’t arrived yet. Andy, Bruce and Rasta went out amongst the crowd and that morning there was no better three surfers in the lineup. Rasta was doing no hand tube rides, Bruce was charging and Andy was knifing late drops under the ledge. There’s one particular wave where he takes off under the lip, disconnects his board before managing to re-engage and makes the tube. That wave went on to be a defining moment in Andy’s career.

“After that session, Bruce comes back to the boat and says that Andy wouldn’t have gone unless it was for him yelling at him to go. It’s those little snippets which are golden moments and truly capture the story of what went on.”

After the comp, which Andy ended up winning, he and Rasta stuck around and scored empty Chopes which became the end sequence for Blue Horizon. It was at this point that Jack realised ‘Oh, we got a movie going here.’

Andy the teddy bear

“What people don’t realise about Andy is that he was also a bit of a teddy bear. He was very humble and gentle. I used to have this picture of Andy holding a kitten in his arms, I’ve lost the shot but it’s in my mind. There you have this World Champion who would cut someone’s throat to win a heat, but here he is holding a kitten in his arms. It couldn’t be more juxtaposed if you tried.

“He was such a sweet guy. I remember one time we went down to Dbah when we were on the Gold Coast for the Snapper contest. We were having a surf and afterwards about six or seven groms surround Andy asking him all sorts of questions. He was so accommodating and cool with them, he was polite, giving and a real ambassador for surfing and his brand. He had a really sincere side to him which I don’t think everyone got the chance to see. When he wanted to be professional, light and cool he really could be.”

He was never afraid to speak his truth

The first opportunity Jack had to work with Andy was during the Hawaiian’s youth when he was filming the Billabong Junior Challenge.

“I remember we took all the competitors up to Foster and rented two houses, one for the surfers and one for the rest of the crew. I would go into their house each morning at 6am and get everyone up to go and surf, we would spend all day at the beach and then go to the pub or golf club for a meal. We would then go back to the house and get an early night, but Andy and Chris Ward would spend all night in the pub and come home at 6am. However, they were always on time for the morning surfs and you wouldn’t think they’d been out all night.

“He lost to Taj in that Junior Challenge and I remember he smashed his board in half on the beach. When I saw that, I thought ‘that kids got real raw emotion’.

“He was never afraid to express himself, even from an early age. I remember one time he lost a heat and during his post-heat interview he told the cameras that it was fine. As soon as they stop filming, he says ‘What do you fucking think, of course I’m not fine about it, I don’t come to a contest to get knocked out’.

“In this day and age, you don’t see that now. Every competitive surfer has the same Colgate cheesy smile, there’s no personality. I’d much rather see some of that raw energy instead.”

During the filming of Blue Horizon, McCoy was also granted the opportunity to spend time with Andy in his native Kauai in between contests.

“I remember one year, after being on the Gold Coast, we had gone back to Kauai and Andy is spending time hanging with his friends and surfing his favourite waves. One morning we’re driving around and I asked him ‘Andy, what do you want in life?’ and he told me that he just wanted to make as much money as he could. Some would think that was egotistical or rude but he was none of that, he was just being totally honest with me.

“After the movie came out, I thanked him for allowing me into his life and letting me capture his honesty. In those years I worked with him he couldn’t have been any more of a gentleman out of the water. He had a really big heart. He was polite, humble, and honest; he spoke his truth and would never tickle people’s ears with what they wanted to hear. The opportunity to work with him at the time was very special and they are golden moments that I’ll never forget.”

To purchase tickets for the upcoming Blue Horizon screenings, click here.