Article
Quik Cuts
Industry Giant Eliminates Sister Brands, Culls Surf Teams
Kelly Slater, among the few guaranteed to stay on the Quik roster. Photo: Joli
The surf world has been ripe with rumors of massive cuts and changes occurring at Quiksilver. Recently, news broke that serious changes to the brand’s surf team had taken effect and that the company had chosen to close down a number of its sister brands, including VSTR, Quiksilver Women, and Quiksilver Girls. DC, which is also owned by Quik, no longer has a surf team. Changes were made to the skate, snow, and BMX segments of the aforementioned brands as well. All of this information has been confirmed via a memo sent out yesterday to Quiksilver employees from the company’s new CEO, Andy Mooney.
In the memo, Quik founder Bob McKnight and Mooney (Mooney took over as CEO from founder Bob McKnight in January of this year) stated that the cuts were needed to bring a focus back to Quiksilver’s core brands, which include Roxy, DC, and Quiksilver.
“We must focus on our key brands, key athletes and key categories in order to compete and grow,” wrote Mooney. “Within these brands we must further focus. To that end, we have made the decision that Quiksilver and Roxy should exit the skate category and that DC should exit the surf category.”
Mooney went onto to discuss the discontinuation of the VSTR line, which Kelly Slater helped shape, and announce that the management of Dane Reynolds’ Summer Teeth line will be passed back to Reynolds, who started the brand.
Perhaps some of the more foggy issues involved in the company’s shake up include which team members had received pink slips. Quiksilver would not comment directly on the matter but SURFER can confirm that large cuts had occurred or were underway within the surf team.
The website SurfEurope is reporting that Quik EU boss, Pierre Agnes, has stated that, “There will be no immediate cuts to our teams in Europe.” While the plight of many Quik athletes remains unknown, New York’s Balaram Stack has confirmed that he was one of the athletes to be let go.
“Over the past year or so there have been cuts everywhere and for the most part I survived them all until a few days ago when I got a call from my team manager [letting me know the news],” said Stack, who was shocked to hear the news.
Stack went on to say that he believes that many team members are uncertain about their future with the company.
In the memo Mooney released to the brand, he acknowledged the cuts, but stated that they were needed to refocus their efforts for other athletes.
“Over the last few weeks, we reduced the number of athletes under contract. This was done to free up resources to tell the world about the many great athletes we work with,” Mooney wrote. “Quiksilver for example will continue to have 130 pro surf riders on its team. Going forward, we have the opportunity to tell people how great those athletes really are.”
The news of the changes come at an odd time for the company as Quiksilver is just days away from the beginning of the holding period for the Quik Pro at Snapper.
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Comments
March 8, 2013 10:53 am
Wow, until I read this thread I didnt realize that Quicksilver owed me something. Also, Marc’s style is crisp as hell. He’s not going anywhere.
March 7, 2013 1:47 pm
why would anyone feel bad for a dropped pro. anyone who was lucky enough to have that much fossil fuel allotted to him/her to travel the world surfing should be thankful enough that it even happened. cuz it’s actually a ridiculous premise. maybe some stage parents will actually put their kids back in school where they belong now…
I only buy products from surf companies cuz I think their bikini might actually stay on. Most don’t. I’ve switched to independent designers who sew in the usa and design a product that’s actually designed for surfing.
why are these big companies so dumb with all the fancy degreed people on their staff? they could just read the 22 laws of branding and never suffer from brand dilution again and then eliminate the need for these massive shut downs of offshoots that were never gonna work in the first place.
March 5, 2013 7:48 pm
Quickdollars could care less today who wears their rags, I believe they lost their real stoke and surfing soul a long time ago and are just in in it for the money now. They even partnered with the frigging NFL of all things, (how far from the beach is that).
A few years ago, I personally took all my surf tees, put them on the ground, poured some gas on them and burnt them, (true story), because I was so disgusted with their greed and exploitation of the lifestyle. Real surfers should boycott quick and continue to let the inland masses wear quick while they try to blend in. As some one else said, “the surf industry is not surfing”. Pro surfing sluts are not surfing. You, the average, everyday or weekend surfer, (not surfing for money or fame), just surfing for the pure stoke of it, are the real soul of surfing today.
March 4, 2013 8:50 pm
surf industry shit…get a real job bro
March 3, 2013 7:55 pm
Out of curiosity an we have a list of who was dropped?
March 3, 2013 9:49 am
Does anyone buy quiksilver/billabong/ripcurl anymore? arent they like OP and Gotcha and stuff?
March 2, 2013 6:40 pm
Cut Craig Anderson overrated over hyped pencil neck. Never seen him on a legit six footer, Hawaiian scale of course. 360 airs whocares most the groms I know can stick those things. Journeyman Fred patachia can collect his walking papers too if he still rides for them. Cut all the chicks from the team just look at the wnba one big waste of money. Keep the dead beat dad with the bald head and the titles!! Billabong should cut rastovich another overrated hippie.
March 2, 2013 5:29 pm
did marzo got dropped ????
March 2, 2013 5:14 pm
did marzo got dropped ?
March 1, 2013 11:43 pm
Why do any of you care. Nothing in this press release or this company affects your time in the water or the way you surf.
Also, come on surfer – for the people who care about this like a tabloid, do research and give a list of the cut guys and the guys that still have contracts.
March 1, 2013 8:10 pm
Why are there sooooo many DUMB people on here with comments like “the truth” who says “just dump Kelly”. For someone that is this stupid to even be able to comment on here is a waste of time for everyone. Can “the truth” just go into your backyard and end it? The world would be a better place. The discussion that involves Quiksilver is far beyond most people due to the size of the company. Think about a $2 BILLION company. Lost most people right there. Quik got too big too fast. Where they are now is no different than Levis, Guess, Target, Nike and that is why McNight brought in a 20 veteran from Nike to save his company. Will he be able to save the sinking ship? It does not look good if you look at the last 2 years for Quik. Who killed it the most at Quik? Danny Kwock. Surfer should be interviewing Kwock on this one. He was there from the beginning. Quik is not a “SURF” company anymore. Sad but true.
March 1, 2013 8:00 pm
I wouldn’t consider myself right wing, socialist perhaps, but in this instance I can see the new CEOs point of view. He is taking over a surfing company that owns a skating company that wants to be a surf company etc…. Madness, and the list seems kinda long, doesn’t mater if the guy can surf, but if he has any grey cells to rub together he can see this is nonsense. Kelly Slater being kept on says a lot. It says he is cost efficient, ths guys they drop are not. This is about money, this is no charity, if it was I would hope it would invest in other things rather than ensuring some young guys get to surf all day long. Hope the money saved goes into wetsuit technology…
March 1, 2013 4:17 pm
Funny how they dumped the whole East Coast squad, but yet the racks in the stores and shops are where most of the sales happen over here……. Sure glad I don’t mix it up with all that hoopla….. IAMMYOWNMAG……….
March 1, 2013 2:59 pm
Dump Kelly what r u nuttz!!!!! Kelly Slater is surfing people! He is the reason most people including myself support quiksilver
March 1, 2013 10:33 am
Just dump Kelly, he is too expensive and no one really care about him anymore.
March 1, 2013 10:33 am
Who is mooney and why did quick hire him? Does he even surf? Just because they aren’t making “as much money” is that really whay’s important here? Getting rid of nike in the industry was coming but, quicksilver?
March 1, 2013 8:36 am
@Jhonny Bgood
I don’t get your comparison between Balaram and M. Lacomare other than the usual bias towards american and aussie surfers. Lacomare belongs to Quik Europe, not USA. Btw, Marc surfs way better than Balaram, but that is my personal opinion.
March 1, 2013 8:23 am
Calm down everyone. It’s not the end of the world for the surfers who got dropped. The ones who have their sh*t together will survive.
Quick is a company, like all others that needs to make money. If they don’t ALL the Quick riders will be SOL.
March 1, 2013 8:03 am
The Nike effect… Rise of the Profit Zombies.
March 1, 2013 5:03 am
Kelly should tell Quicksilver USA to keep Balaram,he is a very very good surfer
and a good surfer in Hawaii.
March 1, 2013 1:28 am
I hope it all goes up in flames.
February 28, 2013 8:03 pm
Strange, I didn’t realise there was quiksilver womens or girls, I thought that Roxy covered all that, I never got the concept behind vstr, thought the summer teeth thing was a bit of a joke, seems to me that consolidating the core brands is a good idea, pity some pros will lose deals, but that is capitalism for you
February 28, 2013 7:42 pm
Stack will catch on somewhere else… and Quik will live to regret their decision.
February 28, 2013 5:03 pm
Craig Anderson gone? Not a good move.
February 28, 2013 3:57 pm
What people seem to forget in all this is that these decisions were made by & effect Quiksilver – USA. Quiksilver – Europe, Quiksilver – Australia, & Quiksilver – Asia are separate entities & will be making their own decisions as to what sort of downsizing (if any) will be done as far as team riders etc. goes. That’s one of the reasons you hear about a guy like Balaram Stack being cut, but nothing in regards to European riders like Marc Lacomare.
February 28, 2013 2:31 pm
@Jim Dandy
I agree
I can’t believe they keep guys like Marc Lacomare and dump Balaram Stack
February 28, 2013 2:22 pm
cuts are due to slumping sales, stagnant growth and shareholder pressure. unfortunately, people like Balaram, who have nothing to do with any of these, are the ones penalized. Did Andy Mooney even take a paycut? Or reduce his stock compensation? I doubt it.
February 28, 2013 1:34 pm
I must admit, the photo caption is rather pointless and obvious. Of course Kelly wouldn’t get dropped. He’s Quicksilver’s primary poster child and owns a portion of the company. Can you say, “duh?” You can do better than that, Jeff.
February 28, 2013 1:26 pm
Oh good, a press release from their new CEO, how insightful!
Or…….how about some journalism and you guys and Surfer tell us something we don’t know, not what Mooney wants us to know.
Yawn.
February 28, 2013 1:24 pm
Too bad about Balaram – talented kid.
February 28, 2013 1:06 pm
so what happen whit steph gilmore ?