By . Leon Watson . UPDATED: . 07:16 EST, 2 January 2012 . Surfing will try to wipe out drug cheats with a radical move to bring in comprehensive testing for the first time. The sport's international governing body, the Association of Surfing Professionals,  will roll out a policy for screening competitors this year. Surfing has long been associated with 1960s and 70s counter culture and the recreational use of marijuana and LSD. Surfer Andy Irons died from a heart attack with traces of crystal meth, methadone and cocaine in his blood . But now the sport is cracking down on its growing culture of performance enhancing drugs at its top level. It comes after the death of the triple world champion Andy Irons, from Hawaii, in November 2010. A postmortem found he died from a heart attack and 'acute mixed drug ingestion'. Traces of methadone, methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, and a metabolite of cocaine were found in his bloodstream. Another professional surfer, Anthony Ruffo, a 47-year-old pioneer of the Santa Cruz scene in the 1980s, is facing a possible jail sentence for selling methamphetamine after he was caught with an ounce of the drug. ASP spokesman Dave Prodan told the Guardian: 'We believe this is a natural evolution in enhancing the professionalism of our sport.' Former world champion Andy Irons, of Hawaii, pictured holding up three fingers to the crowds as he claimed his third world championship title at the Nova Schin Festival at Imbituba, Brazil . Neco Padaratz (centre), who was suspended after he tested positive for performance-enhancing anabolic steroids, ride out on the world's longest surfboard in 2005 . He added that the ASP have been in discussions over regulations with the World Anti Doping Agency for more than two years. Professional . surfers compete for prizes of up to $100,000 (£65,000) and testing is . already carried out at some European events and in the UK and Ireland. In 2005, the Brazilian surfer Neco Padaratz was suspended after he tested positive for performance-enhancing anabolic steroids at an event in Hossegor on the French Atlantic coast. Peter Davi, a pioneering big wave surfer, was found to have high levels of methamphetaine in his blood after he died in December 2007 riding a 20m wave off California. He sustained head and chest injuries, probably from being dashed against jagged rocks. Gerry Fitzgerald, a professional in Ireland, said that for most surfers, the idea of taking drugs before tackling dangerous waves was anathema. '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.' Pancho Sullivan, a professional surfer from Hawaii said he supported the new testing regime despite a tradition of recreational drug use in the sport.
Sport's elite athletes face testing .
Move follows death of Hawaiian star Andy Irons .
By . Leon Watson . UPDATED: . 07:16 EST, 2 January 2012 . Surfing will try to wipe out drug cheats with a radical move to bring in comprehensive testing for the first time. The sport's international governing body, the Association of Surfing Professionals,  will roll out a policy for screening competitors this year. Surfing has long been associated with 1960s and 70s counter culture and the recreational use of marijuana and LSD. Surfer Andy Irons died from a heart attack with traces of crystal meth, methadone and cocaine in his blood . But now the sport is cracking down on its growing culture of performance enhancing drugs at its top level. It comes after the death of the triple world champion Andy Irons, from Hawaii, in November 2010. A postmortem found he died from a heart attack and 'acute mixed drug ingestion'. Traces of methadone, methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, and a metabolite of cocaine were found in his bloodstream. Another professional surfer, Anthony Ruffo, a 47-year-old pioneer of the Santa Cruz scene in the 1980s, is facing a possible jail sentence for selling methamphetamine after he was caught with an ounce of the drug. ASP spokesman Dave Prodan told the Guardian: 'We believe this is a natural evolution in enhancing the professionalism of our sport.' Former world champion Andy Irons, of Hawaii, pictured holding up three fingers to the crowds as he claimed his third world championship title at the Nova Schin Festival at Imbituba, Brazil . Neco Padaratz (centre), who was suspended after he tested positive for performance-enhancing anabolic steroids, ride out on the world's longest surfboard in 2005 . He added that the ASP have been in discussions over regulations with the World Anti Doping Agency for more than two years. Professional . surfers compete for prizes of up to $100,000 (£65,000) and testing is . already carried out at some European events and in the UK and Ireland. In 2005, the Brazilian surfer Neco Padaratz was suspended after he tested positive for performance-enhancing anabolic steroids at an event in Hossegor on the French Atlantic coast. Peter Davi, a pioneering big wave surfer, was found to have high levels of methamphetaine in his blood after he died in December 2007 riding a 20m wave off California. He sustained head and chest injuries, probably from being dashed against jagged rocks. Gerry Fitzgerald, a professional in Ireland, said that for most surfers, the idea of taking drugs before tackling dangerous waves was anathema. '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.' Pancho Sullivan, a professional surfer from Hawaii said he supported the new testing regime despite a tradition of recreational drug use in the sport.
comes after the death of the triple world Former world champion Andy Irons, of Hawaii,