Kelly Slater signs new five-year Quiksilver deal
10/06/2009
Specialist surf brand Quiksilver has followed up on its announcement of new funding in the shape of a $150 million loan from private equity firm Rhone with a new five-year sponsorship deal with nine-times World Surfing Champion, Kelly Slater.
The surfing superstar has agreed to take shares in the sports brand as part of the package.
On announcing the deal, Quiksilver chief executive, Robert McKnight said: “We couldn’t be more pleased than to continue our long-standing relationship with the greatest surfer the sport has ever known. Kelly has been a fantastic spokesman for Quiksilver, a terrific ambassador and promoter for the sport of surfing and a true friend of the company. Kelly continues to work toward broadening the exposure of surfing through projects such as his upcoming IMAX movie and he’s got some great ideas that we will work on together to enhance the marketability of surfing and bring surf competitions to a broader audience in new and innovative ways. Kelly’s agreement to accept a significant portion of his compensation in the form of Quiksilver stock demonstrates his confidence in Quiksilver and our future prospects. We are absolutely delighted to continue our partnership with Kelly.”
For his part, Kelly Slater added: “Quiksilver’s been family to me for so long it's hard to remember a time before them. It might not come as a surprise to many people that I have re-signed with them but there have been major transitions in my life and many changes within Quiksilver. It's a long relationship and things often alter over the course of time. In our case, we have got exciting projects that coincide and are still stoked working and surfing together. These next 5 years and beyond will end up being our best together. As we put our minds and efforts together capturing our lifestyle and creating product that reflects this, I see Quiksilver remaining the industry leader. Revisiting what got us there and breaking new ground into some unforeseen areas, it seems things are on the upswing and it’s a fresh time again.”
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