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

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

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Alan Green, co-founder of Australian surfwear brand Quicksilver, has died at his home in Torquay, southwest of Melbourne, after a brief battle with cancer.

The visionary founder of Australian surfwear brand Quicksilver 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 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 date back to a garage behind a Torquay pub in 1969, when Green and Rip Curl founders Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick began making wetsuits.

Green then founded the company, which initially focused on revolutionary swim trunks with a Velcro fly and a higher “yoke” at the back, with the help of his friend John Law.

The iconic shorts, designed for comfort and performance, quickly became popular with surfers around the world.

The company took Australia by storm and then went international, breaking into the lucrative US market.

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

Alan Green, co-founder of Australian surfwear brand Quicksilver, has died at his home in Torquay, southwest of Melbourne, after a brief battle with cancer.

Quicksilver took Australia by storm and then went international, breaking into the lucrative US market (pictured, pro surfer Wade Carmichael of Australia is eliminated from the Quiksilver Pro France 2019)

Quicksilver took Australia by storm and then went international, breaking into the lucrative US market (pictured, pro surfer Wade Carmichael of Australia is eliminated from the Quiksilver Pro France 2019)

More to come.

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