Kelly Slater on his split with Quiksilver
Straight after his Round 1 loss to Yadin Nicol, Kelly Slater had the microphone put in front of him and a bunch of questions to answer. Gracious as ever, Slater elaborated on why he left Quik, explained the unusual timing, and took the time to thank particular people.
Comments
You can't help but like this guy. Morally strong.
Dunno bout Kelly, seems so humble and intelligent but just seems a know all to me. But in saying that, he's got some street cred..ha
Isn't that a contradiction? humble, but a know it all :P
Yes... If he's not an authority on surfing then who is?
You have to respect the man and I have it from a family relative who has met and surfed with him at Werri Beach that he is a delight to surf with and talk to, felt like he was in the presence of royalty who gave total respect towards him.
Interesting pasage from US surf business website, Shop-Eat-Surf, who ran a story with Quik Executive Chairman, Bob McKnight:
"Quiksilver knew it [the split with Kelly] was a possibility a year ago when Kelly said he wanted to start his own brand - something high-end, contemporary and fashion oriented, and fully sustainable.
He wanted to create a brand where he would know where every component was sourced, and that was sustainable in every way, from the fuel used to transport the goods to the boxes the clothes are shipped in.
The two sides had tried to work something out so that even though Kelly would start his own brand, he could still use Quiksilver boardshorts and wetsuits during competition."
Sustainable in every way .......to offset the huge amounts of power required to run his wave pools ?