Bruce walking in his brother’s foot steps (so to speak) was a fitting a tribute to his brother.

In a testament to the overall healthy nature of surfing no ASP (short board) world surfing champion other than Andy Irons has died since its inaugural year in 1976 (won by Peter Townend). That is including all the women champions (who came into play from 1977), but excludes the longboard titles – Manly personality Stuart Entwistle the 1987 long board world title winner died of skin cancer in 2002 at age 52.

Andy Irons’ death in 2010 was shocking on so many levels and in so many ways. On a purely one-dimensional surfing level, his death reminded us that these world champions aren’t indestructible. These legends, these pillars of our culture, our tribe – who seemed god-like – are anything but. They can’t live forever. Not anymore. Andy risked life and limb in the ocean, and like many of us pushed the envelope celebrating the good times on land too – but if you can survive pulling into the Waimea Bay shore break you can survive anything, right? Wrong.

Andy’s passing has forced many of his peers to ponder their own mortality, none more than his brother, Bruce. Bruce, with a young family of his own to take care of, was part of a two-man fraternal click that took on the world and won. His brother became the guy to knock the unbeatable Kelly Slater off his concrete perch – not once but thrice… And Bruce, against the will of his own free surfer DNA, followed his brother and qualified for the ASP world tour. Although feeling like a fish out of water at times, Bruce had a multitude of successes on tour; none bigger than a win in the Rip Curl Search event in Bali (one of Andy’s favourite events).

For Bruce however, the contest thing wasn’t his bag. He handed in his jersey and went off to do what he does best; get barreled, where and whenever he fancied. Bruce is that good a tube rider, having him on 24 hour tube watch is the only just thing for him to be expected to do. You’ve seen the movies – seeing him live, in barreling waves of consequence, is another thing all together.

Like Andy, Bruce’s affinity with the tube draws him to places like Tahiti. Contests not being his reason of choice for many years. That’s what makes this sequence of frame grabs so special. In round two of the Von Zipper trials this week Bruce paddled out on the exact board Andy had ridden to victory in the main event the year previous. No doubt, paddling the board alone would have been an emotional experience.

Putting land based melancholy behind us for a moment, the sheer act of Bruce walking in his brother’s footsteps (so to speak) is about as fitting a tribute one surfer can pay to another – especially when the surfer in question is your brother.

In no way is Bruce’s pit the biggest, nor the best barrel ever to be ridden at this magnificent reef in Tahiti – far from it – but it is a mighty special moment that can’t really be described with words alone.

But old mate Bob Dylan has some lyrics that come damn close I reckon…

From: Let Me Die In My Footsteps

“Let me drink from the waters where the mountain streams flood
Let me smell of wildflowers flow free through my blood
Let me sleep in your meadows with the green grassy leaves
Let me walk down the highway with my brother in peace…”

– Col B

Note: I would have loved to see Bruce given a wildcard into the Billabong Pro Tahiti, unfortunately this wasn’t raised early enough for organises to make adjustments. The trials must be surfed and locals must have their chance. Let’s hope next year a spot is made available to one of the best tube riders of all time.