WORLD surfing champion Kelly Slater has split from long-time Torquay-based sponsor Quiksilver just weeks before he’s expected in town for the annual Easter Ripcurl Pro at Bells Beach.
Slater has been with Quiksilver for 23 years but will embark on a “new journey” with his own global fashion label as part of the Kering Group.
“There is little I can say that would give the credit due or cover the debt of gratitude I feel on a personal and professional level to Quiksilver,” Slater has told his million followers on Facebook.
“They have been a part of my life, career, and personal relationships for more than 23 years now, well over half my life.
“They’ve supported me through good times and bad, personal hardships and competitive triumphs, and never wavered in backing my choices and desires in all that time.
“Under the tutelage of Bob McKnight, Bruce Raymond, Alan Green, Pierre Agnes and Danny Kwock (and many others), Quiksilver signed me to a 100 per cent sponsorship deal in 1990, finishing up my amateur career and guiding me into my professional life and adulthood. Having their support group around the world allowed me to create a life I only dreamt of as a child.”
Slater said he’d dreamt for years of developing a brand that “combines my love of clean living, responsibility and style”.
“The inspiration for this brand comes from the people and cultures I encounter in my constant global travels and this is my opportunity to build something the way I have always wanted to,” he said.
