[UPDATE: November 23, 2015]: Kieren Perrow and the WSL have officially awarded Bruce Irons the Wildcard for The Billabong Pipeline Masters.

Bruce had this to say: “I’m so honored to be given the opportunity to compete in the Pipe Masters in memory of my brother,” Irons said. “I reached out to Kieren (Perrow) a couple of weeks ago and asked if it would be a possibility and he’s been completely open with me through this whole process. I understand that the opportunity is coming to me due to someone withdrawing, which is never what you hope for, but I’m really pumped to surf Pipe with the world’s best. Really looking forward to the event and I hope the waves fire.”

Dear Samsung Jeep Cherokee World Surf League Kieren Perrow Corporation thing,

Ready for your chance at the feel good hit of the winter? How about you let Bruce Irons don a singlet with all your logos on it and show the world our “lifestyle” at the Pipe Masters this year. We want to get the band back together, and apparently it’s your call now. Everyone loves a good comeback story. And this one is family, not political. So don’t puss out.

Bruce Irons has been emulated by every single one of us at some point in our lives. That’s a fact your higher-ups don’t know, and it aint on your spreadsheet, but it is cold hard fact. And after a few years of staring life in the eyes, more than his fair share of humbling moments and dealing with some of life’s most fucked-situations: he’s back. Doing exactly what we all aimed to emulate our whole lives. And if you want surfing. The lifestyle. And all the shit that we do to contribute to your bottom line, then it’s time you accept us for everything we are, and we are all Bruce Irons. The good, the bad, the humbled, right down to this very moment in which he’s fucking ruling Pipeline once again.

I’ve personally only had the chance to meet Bruce Irons once in my life. He came into my office sucking on a lollipop buzzing around like a bumble bee staring at the photos I had tacked on the wall. He was and is surfing to me. All of it. And it was rad to watch the spontaneous mind inside that I’d been so fascinated by my whole life wander around my weird corpo office and just let it ooze into the berber carpet. He’s been there forever, and he’s making his presence felt again, simply by going surfing.

And I will be the first to say that this isn’t his first, second or third chance, and I actually don’t care which one we’re on. Because as I’ve said: We are all him. Just a man. Bruce, his demons, his limp-wristed forehand cutback, his family, his friends, his fuck-off backhand no grab pit stance. That’s all us too. So instead of saying no. Or even thinking that it’s a choice, let’s say yes to Bruce Irons. Now and forever, until he’s exactly where he should be.

I woke up today and saw some of the people on Instagram posting the viral #Bruce4pipemasterswildcard and I couldn’t help but think: If any one in this fucked up world deserves it, and is showing and not telling (Bruce has been on the two best waves of the winter already) is Bruce. And as we saw in our recent Afternoon Interview (watch below), he’s faced his demons and his family and made the decision to go surfing. He has de-cluttered his life and is ready to do it. For him and for us — our whole fucked up surfing family. Because at the end of the day, Samsung Galaxy Billabong Pipeline Masters: don’t forget what you signed up for. We give you the Brazilian Storm, perfectly pretty faces like Julian, champions like Mick, shark attacks, Kelly Slater, but we are also Bruce Irons. And if we don’t let him do it his way, then we should all fuck off and tighten the noose on our neck ties. We want to watch Bruce go surfing. And if you need any convincing beyond this, then beat it. But don’t forget who’s last name is on the contest.—Travis

Watch our recent Afternoon Interview with Bruce Irons here:  

Watch part 2 of our recent Afternoon Interview with Bruce Irons: