“Almost 20 years ago Bob Hurley looked me in the eye and told me to ‘go surfing.’ He could see my frustrations with contest surfing and knew that I would be better off just surfing and being me.” Photo: JP Van Swae
Effective January 1, the most recognizable head of hair in surfing, Rob Machado, has officially split with longtime sponsor Hurley in the first wave of what’s likely to be multiple waves of cuts to Hurley’s surf squad as the Costa Mesa-based brand undergoes a radical restructuring.
Last October, we learned that Hurley’s longtime corporate benefactor, Nike, had inked a deal to sell off the surf brand for an undisclosed sum to the corporate giant Bluestar Alliance.
Rumblings out of Costa Mesa suggest that in the few months since Bluestar has taken over, the holding company has ousted the entire Hurley family from Hurley’s corporate ranks and has plans to effectively strip the brand of what shareholders might perceive as frivolous spending that doesn’t help the company’s bottom line. Athlete contracts, apparently, fit into that category.
In a touching post on Instagram, Machado announced the split and especially thanked Bob Hurley for nearly two decades of friendship – which, knowing the Hurley family was ousted against their will, makes the line, “I especially want to thank the Hurley family for always making me feel the importance of family,” feel like a concealed barb thrown at Bluestar.
“All good things must come to an end,” writes Machado. “Almost 20 years ago Bob Hurley looked me in the eye and told me to ‘go surfing.’ He could see my frustrations with contest surfing and knew that I would be better off just surfing and being me. Thank you, Bob, for the years of encouragement, motivation, inspiration, enjoyment… the list goes on and on.”
“It truly has been an honor to work for the brand for such a long period of my life,” he continues. “I want to thank everyone that I have ever crossed paths with at the Hurley brand for collaborating in so many ways to bring the joy of surfing to so many all over the world. And I especially want to thank the Hurley family for always making me feel the importance of family and always welcoming me and my family into your hearts. Bob. I am forever grateful for our friendship.”
No doubt Machado will land on his feet, but the split raises all kinds of questions around Hurley’s current roster – four-time world champ Carissa Moore or two-time champ John John Florence may not even be safe once their contracts expire.
