“It is my duty to accept responsibility for the recent calculation error that resulted in the premature crowning of Kelly Slater’s 11th ASP World Title,” Brodie Carr said. “Ultimately, the responsibility for every activity within ASP lies with me. Therefore, I have elected to resign my position as CEO.” Photo: ASP/Kirstin
Last week the Association of Surfing Professionals mistakenly awarded Kelly Slater his eleventh World Title. After the mathematical error was discovered via Twitter, Kelly Slater alerted the ASP and returned the title. One day later, he won it back. The ASP apologized the following day, and admitted its embarrassment regarding the oversight, but apparently, the event had a deeper impact as CEO Brodie Carr announced his resignation today.
“It is my duty to accept responsibility for the recent calculation error that resulted in the premature crowning of Kelly Slater’s 11th ASP World Title,” Brodie Carr said. “The determination of the ASP World Title is the most important moment in professional surfing. Ultimately, the responsibility for every activity within ASP lies with me. Therefore, I have elected to resign my position as CEO.”
Richard Grellman, Independent Chairman of the ASP Board, will temporarily act as Executive Chairman while a global search for a new CEO is undertaken.
“The Board of Directors met today and reluctantly accepted the resignation of Brodie Carr,” Richard Grellman said. “We would like to recognize his valuable contribution over the last six years and wish him every success in the future.”
When asked to comment on Carr’s resignation, ASP International Media Director Dave Prodan provided the following response via email:
Brodie Carr has navigated the ASP through arguably the most exciting and difficult six years the sport of surfing has ever seen and he has done so with class and effectiveness despite a number of daunting hurdles. He considers all the activities within the ASP to be his personal responsibility and, in light of our organization’s ASP World Title calculation error last week, he has determined that the best course of action for pushing the sport forward is to resign.
I, personally, am disappointed in this decision as he has been a close colleague and inspiring leader to me since I began at ASP five years ago and I’ve always valued his opinion. I think his decision to resign is characteristic of his selflessness and passion to see the sport succeed. I’m confident that he will become an asset wherever he decides to go next.
At the moment, there are no candidates for the replacement, but the ASP Board of Directors will begin a global search immediately.
