Kendrick Louis and Guy Andrews have called for the surf community to give Iron X a go

Past and present ironman stars have called for the surf community to give Iron X a go.

DON’T knock it until you’ve tried it.

That’s the message from Manly ironman Kendrick Louis as the surf lifesaving community responds to the advent of Iron X which will see stand up paddle boarding and obstacle courses make their ironman racing debut on January 27, 2020.

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While the exhibition event and rumours that Surf Life Saving Australia will introduce the new disciplines as part of the 2020/21 Nutri-Grain series have attracted despair, Louis believes they could be exactly what the sport needs to propel it back into the national limelight.

Kendrick Louis is excited to give Iron X a go. Photo: Shane Myers / Supplied

“It sounds really exciting and I’m excited for it,” he said.

“I don’t think change is always a bad thing.

“The biggest thing from my perspective is that you can’t bag something until you’ve tried it.

“If I try it and it doesn’t work then I’ll voice my opinion but for now I’m excited to give it a crack.”

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When asked if he’d support the permanent inclusion of the new disciplines into the professional series, Louis said he’d support the move to preserve the future of the sport.

“I’m getting towards the end of my career now because I’ve always had it in my mind that I’d stop racing when I was 30 and my career goal was to win an Australian ironman title and I’ve ticked that box,” he said.

“It’s something else that they’re bringing to the table that I can use to support myself and my family.”

Ironman great Guy Andrews has also come out in support of the changes, claiming they are just what the sport needs to kickstart another golden era.

Guy Andrews believes Iron X is what the sport needs to recapture public interest. Photo: Harvpix

“I have people say to me all the time that we wish we had the exposure you had in the 1990s,” he said.

“Well you can have that with this.

“You have got kids there leaving the sport in droves because they don’t have these icons like a Trevor Hendy to look up to.

“If that’s what it takes to get kids enthusiastic about surf lifesaving then so be it.

“It will get the public watching this sport again.”

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