The premiere date has finally been announced. Image: TGR
On November 2nd, 2010, surfing lost Andy Irons. He died in a hotel room in Texas, an unfitting end for one of the best ever. Two years ago, Teton Gravity Research announced they were making a documentary about him. It was a heartwrenching look at a few of the interviews with those closest to him, including his wife Lyndie, his brother Bruce, and long-time rival Kelly Slater, and it showed just how much he affected the lives of those around him. Since then, it felt as though the day would never come, but now they’ve finally announced a release date: May 2, 2018, in Los Angeles.
When the trailer dropped, the working title was Andy: The Untold Story of Andy Irons. Now, the name has been changed to Andy Irons: Kissed by God, a hat tip to his description of what he said surfing feels like.
Andy’s death put a hole in the global surf community, started conversations that needed to be had, and sent ripples of grief around the world. Even now, nearly a decade later, his name is spoken with reverence—as much for his surfing as for his struggles. “Every generation of surfers has a pool of great talent,” said Michael Tomson of Andy. “But within that pool, there are normally one, maybe two, who rise above who come to represent that era of surfing. They define it.”
The makers of the film decided to go an interesting route for financing: crowdfunding. They started a Kickstarter campaign that raised $165,736, more than $15,000 over their $150,000 goal.
“As Kickstarter campaigns go, the risk on this project is very limited,” said the official page. “Principal photography is finished and the edit is well under way without the need of this community. The ask is to join us in simply assuring that the finishing touches and music are the best they possibly can be.”
After the LA premiere, there will be showings in Hawaii on May 6th and New York on May 10th. While more details are forthcoming, Teton Gravity announced that more details will be available on April 3rd.
