‘True legend’: Founder of iconic brand dies

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.

For 18 years, Green, like many surfers, was known to frequent the islands of Indonesia on his 100ft boat.

Among those to meet Green there were the operators of Mentawai Islands-based charter company, The Barrenjoy.

In a Facebook post, they said “it is with great sadness we say VALE to Alan Green.

“One of those blokes you meet in life that are instantly endearing, like a country uncle.”

Australian pop band GANGgajang recalled supplying music for the 1987 film Mad Wax, “beginning a great friendship with Alan”.

“Greeny has ridden his last wave and we send his family and friends our condolences on their loss. RIP innovator and surf legend,” they said.

News of Green’s death was met with admiration and sadness from the myriad surfing publications to exploded with the sport’s popularity over the decades.

Surf publication Stab Magazine remembered Green as a “pioneer of surfwear” whose “passion for surfing and design reshaped surf culture and industry”.

“Despite Quiksilver’s meteoric rise to a billion-dollar brand by 2004, Green remained humble, emphasizing collaboration,” they said.

“Alan Green’s legacy endures in his contributions to surfing and beyond.

“He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and their three children. His daughter Roxy inspired the name of Quiksilver’s women’s line.”

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.