For the first time, the international governing body of surfing has made plans for launching a comprehensive drug testing for professional. The Association of Surfing Professionals would be rolling out a policy in the year 2012 for screening competitors and officials for performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.

This announcement came after the death of triple world champion Andy Irons in November 2010. The postmortem revealed that Irons died from a heart attack and “acute mixed drug ingestion” and traces of methadone, methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, and a metabolite of cocaine were found in the bloodstream.

A 47-year-old pioneer of the Santa Cruz scene in the 1980s and another surfer, Anthony Ruffo, is facing a likely jail term after he was found selling methamphetamine and caught with an ounce of the drug.

From Guardian.co.uk:

“We believe this is a natural evolution in enhancing the professionalism of our sport,” said Dave Prodan, a spokesman for the ASP. “This motion has the full support of the surfers on tour as they want to be taken more professionally, and believe this is a step in the right direction. We have been discussing and drafting a policy with the guidance of the World Anti Doping Agency for over two years and the budget, approved at the November board of directors meeting, has just allowed us the possibility of implementing it as soon as next year.”

“I have seen guys who are stoners and they drop off the scene because it is not sustainable,” he said. “Athletes are training hard. The way the contests are now, it will catch up with you,” Gerry Fitzgerald, a professional in Ireland, said.

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