Photo: Billabong
Andy Irons R.I.P.Yesterday the internet ran abuzz with the shocking, untimely death of 3x ASP World Champion, Andy Irons. Only 32 years old, AI was a fierce competitor, one of Kelly Slater's toughest rivals and the only surfer to win at every ASP tour stop. His fellow tour mates reacted to his passing; here are their comments...

- Danny Spyra

Kelly Slater - "Andy was an absolutely gifted individual. I'm lucky to have known him and had the times we had together. I feel blessed that we worked through the differences we had and I was able to learn what I'm made of because of Andy. We enjoyed many quiet times together with our girls in the last year and I got to know a happy, funny, innocent kid who was happy to live every second with the people he loved. I'm so sad. My thoughts are with Bruce and Lyndie and their parents and all of his many friends around the world. It's a huge and far too premature loss for all of us. He was the most intense competitor I've ever known and one of the most sensitive people. He had so much life left in him and it hurts to think about. We look forward to his memory living on with our memories of him and his child on the way. There are a lot of uncles awaiting his arrival. I really miss Andy. He had a really good heart."

Mick Fanning - "Yesterday I lost not only a competitor, friend but most importantly a brother. Andy Irons you will be in my heart for eternity! R.I.P AI"

Bede Durbidge - "Absolutely devastated R.I.P Andy you will be deeply missed by everyone. A true champion. My prayers go out to the Irons family."

Jordy Smith - "RIP Andy.....Mahalo for your inspiration, sportmanship and friendship..both in and out of the water....Gonna miss you in the line up bru. Condolences to Lyndie, Bruce, the Irons family and friends at this very sad time"

Damien Hobgood - "I would like to tell you about a feeling, an experience, I would get being around Andy. I can clearly remember so many times when I would be surfing, mainly at Pipe and Teahupoo and there was this intense feeling in the water, I myself was pretty scared, then Andy would paddle out and instantly I would feel comfortable and confident just by having him in the lineup, this happened a lot. That's how great of a person he was, he wasn't good, he was great, everyone knows when they're around great people because they bring out the best in each one of us."

Luke Munro - "Absolutely devastated Andy Iron's has passed.....A.I you were a champion mate! I was privileged to have known you. So so sad.."

Ben Dunn - "So sad and shocked to hear about Andy. surfing lost a legend there!"

Tim Boal - "Very sad day for surfing,his family and friends... forever a legend."

Kieren Perrow - "Such a sad day, totally shattered. My heart goes out to Lyndie and the Irons family... Andy rest in peace."

Sunny Garcia - "My friend was a great Brother, Son, Husband, Friend and one fucking great surfer and for anyone to try and say anything bad about him would be just down right disrespectful we love you Andy and you will always be our Champion!!!!!!!!!! RIP buddy we will meet again"

Clay Marzo - "My heart is ripped right now to hear about my good buddy Andy Irons death thank you for teaching me things no one else could like how to whip a tennis racket at klevs car haha & giving me some dope surf movies to watch as a grom, I look forward to the day when I get to see you on the rock again, hopefully then I'll come packed with extra fuel hahah you will be missed my brother love and respect the marzos"

Marlon Lipke - "R.I.P. Love for family and friends"

Kekoa Bacalso - "R.I.P. A.I.!!!! YOU WILL BE MISSED!!!"

Ian Walsh - "Wow I'm absolutely in pieces right now hearing about Andy irons death. You'll be missed my friend. Sending prayers out for his family...."

Brett Simpson - "Thoughts and prayers go out to the Irons fam! Andy was a true inspiration for me and the whole surfing world! As he will always be remembered as a true CHAMPION!!! R.I.P. A.I."

Luke Stedman - "To my friend and a hero. I will miss you but you will never be forgotten. My love goes out to all the Irons family members.God bless you all"

Jeremy Flores - "Andy..a person I grew up watching, a brother and the best human being ! U will always be in my heart, RIP"

(Continued on JF's website) "This day is a very sad day, I heard about the death of a really close friend and an idol Andy Irons, I couldn't even explain how my feelings are right now still, he was a hero for me and such real person, honest and friendly I can still remember him coming to talk to me after I lost heats, he would always have the right words to say and he's one of the only person who would understand some feelings I had at some stages of my life! I still wish this is a bad nightmare and I'll wake up tomorrow morning and nothing of this would be real I mostly hope Lyndie, his wife, who's pregnant of a little Andy can get through this horrible moment well, I send a lot of love to them and will always be here for anything!"

Nate Yeomans - "RIP ANDY, you were the king in the sport of Kings, Praying for your family. very sad day!"

Photo: Arnette
Joe Freitag, Arnette Global Brand ManagerMost humans only have two eyes. Fortunately, we have companies like Arnette to protect 'em. Established in 1992 in an Orange County garage, Arnette continuously pushes the eyewear envelope in terms of design, style & performance.

Today Arnette's frames can be found on hard-charging athletes like Fred Patacchia & Pat Duffy. Considering each pair is meticulously designed with the highest-grade materials, you can't go wrong with Arnette on your face. Joe Freitag, Arnette Global Brand Manager, was psyched to get involved with Street Beat. Enjoy!

- Danny Spyra

Photo: Danny Spyra
Arnette's sleek new site

BNQT - FIRST OFF, CONGRATS ON THE SITE RE-DESIGN; IT'S LOOKING SHARP AND I DIG THE ATHLETE TWITTER FEEDS. WHAT OTHER KINDS OF CHANGES DID YOU MAKE TO THE SITE?

Joe - Thank you. Our web team did a great job and deserves a huge pat on the back. The site went through a complete overhaul to ensure that we re providing the best possible brand information while keeping people entertained. Providing fresh content on a regular basis is very important to us, so in addition to brand and athlete Twitter feeds, our blog is featured front-and-center and is updated daily. All of our regions have the ability to post what s going on in their part of the world so it's easy to stay engaged with Arnette happenings across the globe.

Photo: Arnette
The Stakeout shades

BNQT - ARNETTE IS RELEASING THREE NEW MODELS FOR FALL/WINTER 2010. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT EACH FRAME?

Joe - Creative inspiration for this release came largely from the eclectic styles and personalities of our athletes. A few of the key design points include taking cues from vintage styling, incorporating unique design details, and offering a mix of vivid and traditional frame colors while ensuring they fit great and offer solid value. It's definitely one of our most fun and exciting releases of the year. The Fire Drill, Stakeout and Wager each posses their own unique personality and reason for living in the line.

The Fire Drill is hands down the new team favorite. It's a large retro-inspired 6-base square frame that comes in a fun array of colors, including our limited edition Gas Station pack available exclusively at select retailers.

The Wager is a slick medium sized 6-base frame with a classic throwback feel. It has a semi-straight brow, thick arms and rectangular lenses with a slightly more traditional color palette.

The Stakeout is a large navigator style wire frame with slim temples, split bridge and rectangular lenses. It's the new sibling of our old-school aviator, the One Time.

Photo: Carl Steindler
Arnette celebrated the release of their 3 new frames
during the Night of the Undead party

BNQT - SPEAKING OF NEW PRODUCT, HOW DID THE RELEASE PARTY GO THIS PAST SATURDAY? I HEARD YOU GUYS TOOK OVER THE TIKI BAR?

Joe - The party was insane! We partnered with BL!SSS and Shorescrew and blew up the Tiki Bar. The crowd was great with tons of people in full Halloween gear, and the Snakebit Drifters and Skatanic Rednecks slayed it.

Photo: Arnette
The Fire Drill frame

BNQT - LIKE YOUR TEAM RIDERS, I'M REALLY FEELING THE FIRE DRILL. WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR IT?

Joe - We wanted to do a frame that was fun and timeless that a lot of different kinds of people can wear, but at the same time wasn't your typical retro style frame. It's loud enough for those that want to make a statement with their shades, but has just enough class for those that don t want to be too flashy. The fit is amazing and it's versatile enough for a variety of head shapes. We also wanted the Fire Drill to be a great value, which is why it has an MSRP of $69.95 for non-polarized, and $99.95 for the polarized colorways.

Photo: Arnette
Ford Archbold rocks the Arnette Blowout shadesBNQT - FORD ARCHBOLD HAS BEEN ROCKING THE BLOWOUTS LATELY. TELL US A BIT ABOUT THIS FRAME.

Joe - When Ford joined the family we sat down with him right away to get his input on what kind of frame he'd like to wear. Needless to say, he has style for days and gave us lots of great input on shape, size, colors, etc. and our design team took it from there. The Blowout is our take on a classic round silhouette with incredible fit that both guys and girls can wear.

Photo: Arnette
The Arnette Bowl Bash party is TOMORROW. Hit it up!

BNQT - SO ARNETTE'S THROWING A BOWL BASH AT THE ETNIES PARK TOMORROW. WHAT ARE THE DETAILS?

Joe - We're presenting the Hallows Eve Bowl Bash at the Etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest this Friday the 29th. In addition to sponsored and up-and-coming local rippers competing for cash, we'll have lots of different ways people can win Arnette shades and swag. It's all about having fun, so people that come dressed up can expect to be in the running for some cool stuff. A few of our team guys, namely Pat Duffy, Danny Supa and Willy Santos, will be there to judge the contest. We always like to add a twist to any event Arnette is a part of so keep an eye out for our Slush Puppie mobile with free treats for those in attendance.

Photo: Arnette
The Wager

BNQT - ANY LAST WORDS?

Joe - There are a lot of people that work on the brand in many different ways, and they all deserve a huge Thank You. Keep your eye on Arnette in 2011 there are going to be some big things happening that are sure to shake things up a bit. Shameless self-promotion...If you want to find out more about Arnette check out: Arnette.com, Facebook.com/Arnette, Twitter.com/arnetteantics and Youtube.com/arnetteantics.

Street Beat Archive:

Nigel Alexander with Markisa

Josh Sherman & JJ Thomas with YEA.NICE

Matt Biolos and Ryan Divel with ...LOST

Chris Gougeon with DROP MFG

Elizabeth Miller with Flat Fitty

Anna Sherwood with Quiksilver Women

Jeff Kelley with Sanuk

Bob Carlson with Arbor Collective

PJ Connell with Reef

Whitney Morris with O'Neill Girls

Erik Paulsen with TAVIK

Joe Babcock with Gravis

Mike Quilliam with Atwater

Chris Friel with SABRE

Ryan Hagy with Metal Mulisha

Dustin & Dylan Odbert with ambsn

Chad LaBass with Freestyle

Joey Jorgensen with Analog

Kelly Magrath with DC

Frank Delgadillo with COMUNE

Derek Boucher with Vestal

Steve Van Doren with Vans

John Harbin with West Wetsuits

Ryan Rush with ECO'Neill

Nicole Hanriot with TAVIK Swimwear

Matt Gleason with Liquid Force

Eric Mehlberg with Kustom

Mike Murphy with Fyasko

Ian Foulke with ISIS

Jonathan Paskowitz with Lightning Bolt

Matt Harkins with SPY OPTIC

Chris Brunstetter with Goldcoast Longboards

Damon George with ERGO

Charlie Setzler with Rusty

COMUNE's BLKHLZINVZFS video installationOn October 23rd COMUNE unveiled their first snowboard video project "Black Holes and Invisible Forces Bending Time Through Particle Deformations Creating Infinite Freedom in the Garden on The Moon", (or BLKHLZINVZFS for short) at their headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA. Under a full moon, the packed house witnessed seven edits of the experimental film while live music from Gypsy Death Star, C-TOWN and The Perfect Gentleman filled the night air.

Photo: Sean Rosenthal
Live music from Gypsy Death Star, C-TOWN and The
Perfect Gentleman filled the air

The idea behind the film was to focus on showcasing snowboarding and snowboard filmmaking as a raw, creative art form giving all involved the creative freedom to translate a collection of footage through their own interpretation. Multiple viewing stations were set up for the guests to throw on a pair of headphones and watch each individual edit of the movie featuring COMUNE snow team, aggregates and associates. Contributing artists towards the project included: Corey Smith, Liz Davis, Ryan Scardigli, Hunter Longe, Matt Porter, Kevin Castanheria, Mark Wiitanen and Shelby Menzel.

Photo: Sean Rosenthal
Party people in the place to be - Kelley Ash, Andrew
Kuykendall, Liz Davis, COMUИE’s Corey Smith,
Jason Lee Parry & Wyatt HullAll edits of the film as well as shorts and trailers ranging in style from traditional snowboarding to abstract obscurity can be viewed at thecomune.com/blackholes.

The film project is part of COMUNE's DROP CITY creative platform. Inspired by the early 1960's artist commune in Colorado and the brainchild of COMUNE's Art Director, Corey Smith, DROP CITY was introduced to attract like-minded contributors to the COMUNE artist community.

BLKHLZINVZFS video premiere photo gallery HERE

Check out one of our favorite BLKHLZINVZFS trailers, "No Fun," edited by Ryan Scardigli below.

Photo: Sergio Villalba
Your 2010 Cold Water Classic winner, Matt Wilkinson

ASP Dream Tour surfer Matt Wilkinson won the ASP PRIME O'Neill Cold Water Classic California over young Hawaiian Tonino Benson in tricky two-to-four foot conditions at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California.

Wilkinson, who is currently competing on his rookie year on the ASP World Tour, ventured to the O'Neill Cold Water Classic California in search of the valuable ratings points on offer at the ASP PRIME event to contribute to his ASP World Ranking.

The progressive goofy-footer launched out to a quick start in his bout against the young Hawaiian, blasting a solid 7 point ride. Benson quickly matched the Aussie s score, but Wilkinson notched a backup score of 6.67, to take out the win after a week of impressive backhand surfing at Steamer Lane.

Photo: Sergio Villalba
Steamer Lane always plays the perfect host to the
Cold Water Classic"I'm so stoked, I haven't won a contest in a long time," Wilkinson said. "It's been a long day, but I guess when it's cold like this I guess you don t get too buggered. I kept enough energy for the final and just got over the edge, so I'm stoked. I love surfing on my backhand and have always felt I'm stronger backside, I'm just stoked to have won this contest."

Wilkinson, who is currently sitting in the No. 27 position on the ASP Dream Tour, was elated to win the O'Neill Cold Water Classic California, which will substantially boost his ASP World Ranking.

"This is definitely a good result for my World Ranking going into the rest of the year," Wilkinson said. "I'm towards the back of the ratings on the World Tour and I was getting a little bit worried about the end of the year and I don't know, I'm definitely stoked with this."

Photo: ASP / Shadley
Local Peter Mel slashes a rightBenson was another young talent to shine on his backhand at Steamer Lane. The lightning-fast goofy-footer eliminated an impressive list of names, including 2009 O'Neill Cold Water Classic Champion Nathan Yeomans, prodigy Kolohe Andino and Australian Yadin Nicol before falling to Wilkinson in the final.

"That was kind of a tough heat for me," Benson said. "I just couldn't find a second wave and it cost me. It's okay. I'm stoked. It's a good result for me. I just came off of an injury, so I'm really happy that I made the final."

Nat Young, who was a standout throughout the O Neill Cold Water Classic California, detonated the day's highest heat-total of 15.36 out of 20 in his Quarterfinals matchup, but was unable to find a rhythm in his wave-starved Semifinals heat against Matt Wilkinson at his local break of Steamer Lane and finished equal 3rd overall.

Shaun Cansdell, who finished equal 25th in the O'Neill Cold Water Classic California, took top honors in the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series to win the $50,000 prize purse for finishing first in the five-event series after Dion Atkinson failed to advance out of his Round of 16 heat this morning and was at a loss for words after winning the additional prize money.

"I don't even know what to say," Cansdell said. "I'm really stoked to have ended up winning the Cold Water Series. I'm at a loss for words."

For O'Neill Cold Water Classic California results log on to http://www.oneill.com/cwc/california

O'Neill Cold Water Classic California Final Result:
1 Matt Wilkinson 13.67
2 Tonino Benson 12.53

O'Neill Cold Water Classic California Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson 9.00 def. Nat Young 5.44
Heat 2: Tonino Benson 12.17 def. Billy Stairmand 4.40