The visionary founder of Australian surfwear brand Quiksilver has died at his home in Torquay 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 shared a short statement on Thursday. 

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

The roots of Quiksilver stretch back to a garage behind a Torquay pub, south-west of Melbourne, 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 market in the United States in the 1970s.

Mr Green is survived by his wife Barbara and three children, including his daughter Roxy whose name was the inspiration for Quiksilver’s sister brand. 

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

Quiksilver entered other international markets including Europe and Asia in the 1980s and became the first publicly traded surfing company in the US in 1986. 

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 Carroll and Stephanie Gilmore. 

Kelly Slater signed with the clothing label as an 18-year-old and remained with the brand until he was 42. 

Mr Green’s wife anointed the name of the company after she came across the name while reading a novel. 

The name ‘Quiksilver’ is understood to encompass feelings of fluidity, elusiveness and change. 

The visionary title aptly describes the ethos of the brand.

Mr Green’s daughter Roxy served as the inspiration behind the name of the company’s sister brand in 1990. 

Chairman of Surfworld Gold Coast and Surfing Hall of Fame inductee Rod Brooks said in a statement a Mr Green was a ‘true legend’. 

‘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. 

Quiksilver has around 5,700 employees and is currently owned by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) after they purchased the company in 2023 for $1.25billion. 

The company also owns the other associate brands of Quiksilver including Billabong, DC Shoes and Surf Dive.