Quiksilver co-founder and ‘pioneer’ of surfwear dies of cancer as Kelly Slater leads the celebrity tributes

The visionary founder of Australian surfwear brand Quiksilver has died at his home in Torquay, southwest of Melbourne, after a brief battle with cancer. 

Surfing legends have paid tribute to Alan Green, 77, including 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater who who took to Instagram on Thursday amid the news.

‘Love you, Greeny. You were one of a kind and a great friend and mentor for so many. I’ll miss you forever,’ he said.

The roots of Quiksilver stretch back to a garage behind a Torquay pub in 1969 when Mr Green and Rip Curl founders Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick began making wetsuits.

Mr Green then went on to establish the company – which initially focused on revolutionary boardshorts with a velcro fly and higher in the back ‘yoke waist’ – with the help of his friend John Law . 

The iconic shorts, which was designed for comfort and performance, quickly became popular among surfers worldwide. 

The company took Australia by storm and then went international, cracking the lucrative US market in the 1970s.

Mr Green is survived by his wife and three children, including his daughter Roxy which Quiksilver’s sister brand for women was named after.

The company’s expansion into the United States was facilitated by licencing deals managed by surfing legend Jeff Hakman and the company’s former CEO Bob McKnight. 

Quiksilver also entered other international markets including in Europe and Asia by the 1980s. 

Mr Green had a particular knack for recognising talented surfers and formed defining artistic collaborations with several stars including American Lisa Andersen and Aussie legends Tom Caroll and Stephanie Gilmore. 

More to come.