The surfing community is paying tribute to Quiksilver co-founder Alan “Greeny” Green, who has died from cancer at his Victoria home aged 77.
Considered a pioneer of modern surf wear, Green is understood to have died at his home in Torquay on Tuesday following a “relatively short battle with several types of cancer”.
Green first started making wetsuits in 1969 with friends and Rip Curl co-founders Brian Singer and Doug “Claw” Warbrick, aged 22, out of a small rented holiday home in Torquay.
He is often credited with pioneering the design of modern-day board shorts, introducing now-commonplace features such as a velcro fly with two studs in the early 70s.
His designs, which also featured a “yoke waist” and scalloped legs, caught the eye of visiting overseas surfing champions and soon appeared in movies and magazines.
In a tribute, Surfing Hall of Fame inductee Rod Brooks described Green as a “true legend” who “most of all” loved his wife Barb and children Fletcher, Holly and Roxy.
“It was a life well lived and one that will be remembered, along with the legend of the Quiksilver brand and the thousands of jobs he created both here and around the world over his incredible journey,” Mr Brooks said.
Surfing great and 11-time World Surfing League champion Kelly Slater was one of many in the surfing community to pay tribute to Green on Wednesday.
“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 in a statement.
Alan Green grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Pascoe Vale, far from Victoria’s southern beaches.
He was joined by partner John Law, himself a Victorian surfing champion, in building up the Quiksilver brand over 40 years.
His wife, Barbara Green, is credited with naming the brand, taking the word from a novel she was reading.
Out of the sea, he was known as a fan of horse racing and heli-skiing in Canada and New Zealand.
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