Quicksilver co-founder and ‘pioneer’ of surfwear dies of cancer as Kelly Slater leads the celebrity tributes
The visionary founder of Australian surfwear brand Quicksilver has died at his home in Torquay, southwest of Melbourne, after a short battle with cancer.
Surfing legends have paid tribute to Alan Green, 77, including 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater, who took to Instagram on Thursday amid the news.
‘I love you, Greeny. You were one of a kind and a great friend and mentor to many. I will miss you forever,” he said.
Quicksilver’s roots go back to a garage behind a pub in Torquay in 1969, when Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick, founders of Mr Green and Rip Curl, started making wetsuits.
Mr Green then founded the company – which initially focused on revolutionary board shorts with hook-and-loop closure and higher-at-the-back ‘yoke waist’ – with the help of his friend John Law.
Designed for comfort and performance, the iconic shorts quickly became popular among surfers around the world.
The company took Australia by storm and then went international, cracking the lucrative US market.
Mr Green is survived by his wife and three children, including his daughter Roxy, after which Quicksilver’s sister brand for women is named.
Alan Green, the co-founder of Australian surfwear brand Quicksilver, has died at his home in Torquay, southwest of Melbourne, after a short battle with cancer.
Quicksilver took Australia by storm and then went international, cracking the lucrative US market (pictured, pro surfer Wade Carmichael of Australia is eliminated from the 2019 Quiksilver Pro France)
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