If you surf better than almost anyone alive, y’deserve to eat cream. Stab’s insider guide to pro surfer salaries…
STORY BY FRED PAWLE
ALL PHOTOS JIMMICANE
After thirty years of tears and complaints, the best surfers in the world are finally skimming the cream. KS, Taj, Parko, Jordy and Mick make a million bucks or more every year. They deserve it. They’re marketing gold.
When we embarked on this project to report what the top 20 surfers in the world (as rated at the end of 08) earn, the sound of shutters coming down was deafening. As with the Sarge investigation last year, half the time spent working on this story was engaged in persuading people that their involvement was a good idea, that their co-operation would mark them as sophisticated, candid and bold, and that such inquiries are common from journalists covering most other sports. Some got it. Others didn't. But we got their details anyway. In the process, we uncovered some amazing anecdotes: Quiksilver bankrolling Mikey Picon's dream of becoming an underwear tycoon after he drops off the tour, Taj signing a lucrative new contract only days before the global meltdown, Reef calling Bobby's bluff on a contract and saving $US600k, and a sponsorless Dayyan Neve sacking his agent and suddenly finding companies that were interested in signing him.
You can contact us if you are a company or pro surfer and think the figure we've published is inaccurate. Where necessary, we've added "estimate" to the figure. All amounts are annual salaries, and have been converted to Australian dollars.
There are more stories to be told about the high-stakes game of contracts, and we will file them as they trickle in. You can also contact Fred Pawle (fredpawle@optusnet.com.au) if you are a company or pro surfer and think the figure we’ve published, some of which are estimates, is inaccurate. This story will be constantly updated. Eventually, this list will be the definitive guide to pro-surfer profits.
Note: All figures are annual salaries.
1. Kelly Slater
Quiksilver $2 million (estimated) over five years; Channel Islands, nominal royalties (see Dane Reynolds).
Re-signed with Quiksilver during the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast in March, which Quiksilver finally reported in June. Negotiations had been going on for months. "I think Quiksilver couldn't pay the money he wanted," one insider said. "It's no secret that Quiksilver is having a hard time." Slater's original request for a 10-year deal was reduced to five. Negotiations were conducted directly with CEO Bob McKnight. Still, the deal is "way bigger than Julian's," the insider said.The contract possibly includes specific objectives outside the pro tour. It's not difficult to conclude that Kelly will drop off the tour this year or next. Quiksilver gets good returns as long as he's the man to beat in a contest singlet, and Kelly knows he doesn't need to do much outside that. As another insider says, "It's hard to get Kelly to do anything (related to publicity) these days." That will need to change once the contest results stop coming in. If he does drop off the tour, expect to see more Kelly interviews and pictorials from 2010 or 2011. Another pro surfer said that Kelly's protracted contract negotiation was an indication of how tough times were. “The best surfer who ever graced this earth is redoing his contract,” he said. “When else have you heard of Kelly renegotiating? I’ve never heard of a time when someone of that calibre renegotiated. The climate we’re in right now, it’s hard to tell the future.”
Kelly on why the negotiations went on so long: "It might not come as a surprise to many people that
I've 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."
2. Bede Durbidge
Mada: less than $200k, plus the Australian licence for Mada, should he want it.
Bede on his income, as compared to Kelly’s and Taj’s: "Shithouse."
On negotiating without an existing deal, in September 2007: "I didn’t have any other offers in the pipeline. I didn’t have any power, I was running out of money. I had to take what I could get."
On managers: "You’ve got to make sure you get the right manager. They’re going in to battle for you to get the money, and if the sponsor doesn’t get a good vibe off the manager, it won’t work."
3. Taj Burrow
Billabong $1.5m for five years, Globe $250k; $50k from Creatures
Taj on good timing: "I signed late last year, just before the financial meltdown. I was pretty happy that I got it done just before the hard times kicked in, although I had no idea it was coming. It was like a day before it happened that I signed. It’s pretty tough for everyone now. I’d probably get two-thirds of what I originally got if I had to sign now."
4. Joel Parkinson
Re-signed with Billabong and Kustom last year for $1.3m to $1.5m over five years (up from his previous deal of $1.2m). Bonus for winning a title: $1 million.
Billabong’s Simon Barratt on the value of owning a world champ: "It’s not all about a world title, but god, it’s easy to leverage an athlete when they own one. It’s like they inherently earn a new set of letters in front of their name. It’s no longer Andy Irons from Kauai, it’s three-time world champion Andy Irons from Kauai. Compare it to earning a doctorate or an MBA, it can’t be taken away, you’ll always be a world champion, you’re in the books for life. If you look at AI, he came through with style, attitude and won three consecutive crowns. The signature Rising Sun boardshort he wore during his ‘04 title year become Billabong’s highest-selling signature boardshort. Ever.”
5. CJ Hobgood
Globe, around $1.1 million
CJ on his impending contract renewal: "My contract’s up at the end of 09. There’s no doubt about it that Globe won’t be able to afford the same amount. Every single person on (this) list, if they are renegotiating this year, they can pretty much just cut it in half. It would be foolish of me to think otherwise."
6. Adrian Buchan
Hurley: $215k; Dragon $12k
Ace on the secrecy of money: "Surfing has a lot of issues that need to be brought out in the open, and this is just one of them. Some companies don’t want (details of contracts) to get out (because it would) push up the price."
7. Adriano De Souza
Oakley $350k (estimated), Red Bull (100k estinated).
Adriano signed with Oakley 10 years ago, aged 12. His manager, Luiz Campos, who was working for Oakley at the time (and still does), signed him up. Adriano is aware of how competitive the sponsorship market is back home. "I'm just so glad because there are a lot of kids over there (in Brazil) who surf similar to me. I'm glad that Oakley sponsored me from the beginning. I'm just one kid from Brazil. It's amazing." He's a firm advocate of managers. "Luiz has helped me so much. I stay out of (the negotiations). I just need to go into the water, man."
8. Mick Fanning
Estimated $2.2 million all up from Rip Curl, Dragon, Red Bull and Reef. Since 2004, he has earned more than $450k in royalties from his signature Reef sandal.
Mick's sandal was pitched by Reef designer Ryan Keenan (who has since moved to Quiksilver) for two years before Reef agreed to produce it. The bottle-opener is patented, and, being the only sandal in the world that doubles as an opener, has penetrated markets wherever men use their feet to stand on while necking non-twisties. Like Texas. The sandal was a big hit there when it was released in the colours of college football team the Texas Longhorns. Mick takes a cut from every pair sold. Reef claims an astonishing, and hard to believe, six million have crossed the counter.
9. Bobby Martinez
Estimated $350k from Monster, O&E $35k (estimated).
Walked away from an offer of $850k from Reef last year because it was too low. Went back after reconsidering, but the offer had been withdrawn. Has since been picked up for much less by Ocean & Earth. "He’s fine," one pro surfer friend said. "He’s definitely not kicking himself. Like all of us, he’s learning a lot. I really think Bobby learned a lot, but no way I think he’s kicking himself."
10. Jeremy Flores
$550k-$750k from Quiksilver. Also sponsored by Orange.
"Orange has some sort of partnership going with Quiksilver," a European contact said. "Quiksilver push their best surfers to also be sponsored by that brand." The rumour that Quiksilver scoffed at Jeremy's original request for €850k couldn't be confirmed.
11. Luke Stedman
Insight $175k, Havaianas $20k, Electric $15k-$20k.
Luke was having a bad run in Spain in 2006 when a friend rang and asked him to be in Hawaii in a few weeks to shoot a Mexican beer commercial. Luke got $US20k for spending a few days being shot riding a retro pushie around with a slab of Coronas on the back. When authorities in some markets complained that he wasn't wearing a helmet, Steds was called back, last year, to shoot it again, this time safely sitting on the beach. He was paid "a bit more this time," he said.
12. Fredrick Patacchia
Quiksilver, $420k (estimated); Budweiser, $60k (estimated).
Fred is the only surfer in last year's top 20 to be sponsored by an alcohol company. There have been many deals between pro surfers and companies outside the industry in the past, but Stab senses that this time the trickle may quickly grow into a flood. The energy-drink and prepaid-phone companies are also becoming big players. Beer is a walk-up start. "The surfing community is passionate, outgoing and active, which is an ideal fit for Bud Light," Anheuser-Busch sports marketing director Dave Brunette told Stab. "Fred has an excellent pulse on the surfing industry. It's been fun for Bud Light to be a part of his growth." Fred's been with Bud since 2005. The contract is renewed annually.
13. Chris Ward
$215k from Lost (clothing, boards, wetsuits and energy drink) and DVS. (Total includes travel allowance.)
In 1997, at age 17, Chris scored a three-year deal from Gotcha worth about $150k a year. When that expired, Rusty took him on, but dropped him at the end of 2001 for what marketing manager Mogga Sutton calls bad behaviour and attitude. "We'll put up with some things, but he just overstepped the line," Mogga said. Among other things, Chris rolled a hire car. "You roll a car and you're sorry about it, that's fine, but if you do it and you don't give a fuck, that's different. Chris was a bit out of control when he was with us. He's since grown up, and that's fantastic." Between then and finally qualifying for the tour in 2005, Chris's only substantial sponsor was Lost, his original board sponsor, who had him on a small deal as a free surfer and increasingly successful WQS campaigner. When he qualified in 05, a bidding war ensued. Chris emerged with Lost, Oakley, Creatures and DVS. The total package was about $450k. Oakley and Creatures have since dropped him. Last year, Chris was charged with assaulting a woman outside a bar in Mammoth last year, but his two surviving sponsors stayed solid. "Cause he is not a bad guy," said Mike Reola, of Lost.
14. Kai Otton
Insight $160k (world title incentive: less than $500k), Smith $12k, Etnies, Gorilla $1 royalty per pad.
Kai on deciding to switch from Aloha to up-and-coming label Insight five years ago: "Insight approached me. I used to surf Whale Beach a lot, and Mike Rommelse (from Insight) approached me. Greg Clough (of Aloha) was like family to me at the time. I owed him everything. It was a big decision to leave him and the boards and go to Insight. I started (at Insight) on nothing, in 2004. It was under $20k. I was on the WQS, and Insight's only rider. But I just saw the potential in the company. I knew the guys involved and I knew they were psyched and had good concepts. They were fashion focused, and I knew that was taking off."
On not signing with a major: "I'd be so scared (of being signed by one of the big three). Those companies sign you up and if you're not performing they just drop you on the hot coals."
On agents: "I've never had an agent or a coach or anything; never had money to do that. My contracts have always done themselves. Maybe I would have got more money if I'd had an agent, but then I would have paid them that little bit extra."
On loyalty: "I've never gone fishing for other sponsors. I've been with Smith since 1999. Been with Etnies pretty much the same, since 2002. Sometimes friends and business don't mix, but I'm just going with it. I'm tight with all the people I work with, and it works well."
15. Tim Reyes
About $350k from O’Neill.
O’Neill global ambassador Rob Bain, on what pro surfing was like in his day: "We used to camp in people’s back yards and sleep where we could. Guys used to sleep under the scaffolding of the event site. When I first first started I didn’t have a car, so I used to have to catch a coach up to Queensland and do the $30 overnight trip. Stay in the caravan park and just try to battle through the trials. I considered myself quite fortunate because I had a working background. For about seven years after I left school, I had all sorts of shit jobs. I was trying to escpae a life i didn’t want to live, working in factories, getting on the drink with the boys on the weekend."
On the pro surfing bubble: "It’s easy for anyone to get comfortable in their surroundings. Surfing is essentially a bubble, and you become part of that bubble even if you like it or not. A lot of times you find the guys who perform best are the guys who end up with a bit of adversity. They lose their major sponsor and all of a sudden they have that challenge that they’re not going to live the dream any more. If you’ve really got to achieve to keep that dream going or put food on the tabe, you just do it. Hopefully we can teach the guys we are sponsoring to do it for the right reasons. It’s easy to get caught up in the glamour and the glitz of the whole thing."
On Tim Reyes: "He’s a little adventurer. Timmy might struggle a bit with the tour because all he wants to do is surf. He wants to adventure and he wants to ride big waves. Timmy will jump into a 4x4 and take off down to Mexico or northern California and hunt out waves by himself. We won’t even know where he is. Most of the time he (takes photographers) but we’ve got to stay close to him as well because he will just take off."
16. Tom Whitaker
Oakley, $170k
Whits on being asked about his income: "It wouldn’t be like Stab to pry into people’s lives, would it?"
On what he gets paid to do: "There’s performance, which is self-driven. But all the rest is part of the job, which you owe back to the company. We do quite little, compared to other sports. So anything they want me to do, I’m happy to. Travel interstate or overseas. Surf trips are a given. It’s too easy. You have the best time of your life while you’re working. In-store appearances and signings – it’s all pretty mundane and easy. Do it with a smile on your face and it’s happy days. I went to the Oakley contest at North Straddie for a week, and all I had to do was go up there and surf and hang out. I got no qualms about going up there and surfing. The top guys have to do a fair bit more and sit there for a few extra hours because they’re more popular. I can’t really comment on how torturous that would be, but it could be worse, they could be out there fighting fires or laying bricks instead."
17. Kieren Perrow
$100k, increasing slightly each year, over three years from Rhythm Clothing.
Rhythm sales and marketing manager Ryan Grey on Kieren’s value: "His contract doesn’t vary if he’s not on tour. Sometimes it seems like someone’s more valuable when they’re off tour. Someone like Kieren can get a lot of exposure as a freesurfer or a big-wave guy."
18. Dayyan Neve
Mambo $180k. Incentive for a world title: about $200k
Dayyan is in his second year with Mambo, and is not due to re-sign till March 3, 2011, by which time the financial crisis will be over, for which he considers himself "extremely lucky". He's grateful to have a sponsor at all, in fact. "I went through all of 07 without a sponsor, and I know what it's like to compete without one. It cost me about $100k to compete that year. I won about $70k, and ended the year $40k in debt, partly on my credit card and partly to my parents."
Dayyan on being dropped by Cult in December 2006: "I had just qualified for the WCT. The day after I got home from Hawaii, Cult sent out a group email, saying we were all dropped. I had no idea it was coming. I felt like shit. I went out and looked for sponsors, but there was nobody who wanted to pay me near enough money. I did both tours on 2007 without a sponsor. It cost me $70k to $80k. I was about $25k down at the end of it. There were a few moments when it got me down. Just after Otto beat me at Trestles, and I got a 33rd. It all came to a head, it was all too much. I wanted to fly home, but I just got on a flight and went over to Europe and did all right."
On agents: "After I got rid of my management company, I went round to all the companies, and there were a couple that were interested. They didn’t want to deal with managers. They didn’t tell me that, I just assumed that because the moment I went out looking I got hits straight away. They were happy to have meetings and get things going."
On past contracts: "Cult still owe me about 20k. There’s no point (chasing it). I’ve chased it a few times."
19. Mikael Picon
About $450k from Quiksilver and Orange. Is also starting his own signature underwear label.
In February, Mikey announced he was starting up an underwear label with fellow Euros Jeremy Flores and Patrick Bevan, called Muskova. Quiksilver will bankroll the business. The gear is designed to stop ball rash under boardies, and make changing in and out of wetsuits in the car park a more modest exercise. It's all about comfort. "No stitching, and really good quality," Mikey told Stab. "There are some places where you have to walk a long way (to get to), and you get rash. It's important to use this (underwear)." The best thing about the deal so far is that neither the three surfers who came up with the idea nor Quiksilver knows how the profits will be shared. "We don't know yet how it's going to work. It's all new. When it starts working we'll figure it out. We don't need contracts. It (Quiksilver) is the family, you know. We are super close. It's not bullshit." Mikey said he was starting the business so he had something to turn to when his time on the tour is up, in four or five years.
20. Dane Reynolds
$600k - $800k from Quiksilver, nominal royalties from Channel Islands, $300k from Monster.
Dane signed with Quiksilver two years ago, when he was still a young kid with loads of potential. Quiksilver is sitting on a bargain for now.
CI spokesman Travis Lee on how much his team riders get: "For each Proton (Dane's signature board) we sell, Dane could probably go out and buy a slice of pizza and Coke, maybe even a side of ranch dressing to go with it. I feel the (money) is secondary. Our riders are just concerned with getting good boards under their feet. Even guys who aren't on the team have seen the importance of this. During Andy Irons' first world title, he ordered a bunch of boards from us and ended up winning something like three contests on one board. 'I did the math and he paid like $US10k for Merricks that year but made $US90k in prize money,' he said. That's a great investment."
NOTABLE OTHERS
24. Jordy Smith
Estimated $1.7 million from O’Neill. Incentive for a title: about $1.7 million.
Loses half his salary if he drops out of the 45.
O’Neill global ambassador Rob Bain on how his company snared Jordy: "We’d made a pitch at a few athletes over the years and lost the bidding war against other people. So when Jordy was coming up to be available we jumped in like everyone else. Jordy and his dad come from a very hard-core surf background. They wanted to sign with a true surf company, and I think one of the reason they stayed with us is because of the people in the organisation. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. It’s a gut feel when it gets to that stage, when everyone’s throwing down a similar amount of money. It’s a big deal for him to sign for his life, for his whole career; it was a very stressful time for a young guy. It came down to all the little things. (O’Neill rep) Garth Tarlow in the US spent a lot of time with Jordy, made him feel welcome, got to know him and tried to help him on a level that really counts. You just can’t throw money at shit like that, that’s just about relating to another human being, and that’s what makes your gut feeling in the end."
35. Josh Kerr
Rusty $200k. Incentive for a world title: $1 million.
Josh on his world title incentive: "They were pretty confident when they singed that that they didn't have much to worry about."
Josh's manager, former rugby league player Chris Orr, recently signed him up for a new Sea-Doo jetski and, unusually for a surfer, a car, with Ssangyong, which is emblazoned with surf pics and Josh's name. Both are rotated every three to six months, and the deals are for one year. No money changes hands, it's a straight trade of Josh's endorsement for free use of the sponsor's gear. Josh has also set up his own production company, which is employing a filmer to follow him around all year. What's the objective? "It could be an opportunity to make a movie about himself, it could be an opportunity to do something for Fuel TV, it could be to provide our sponsors, who look after us so well, to provide them with some footage," Chris says. "The sponsors are always chasing footage and sometimes they can't get it. Kerrsy is just being more professional. He's got some good ideas. He's very creative in his own head."
42 Phillip MacDonald
O&E, Byrne, Cool Shoes, around $200k Phil on choosing the right sponsor:
You’ve really got to look at your career, and go all right, realistically, if you’re not going to be a world champion, where will you fit in? Unless you’re one of the top-rated guys I really don’t think it’s worth your while to be with a Quiksilver or a Billabong. At the end of the day, you’re always gonna be a number three or number five, and when the budget’s cut they’re gonna be looking down the line to see who to cut first. (Whereas) in a small company, you might not get the big bucks at the start, but over a long time you have a relationship that can grow, and you’ll be number one. It works a lot better, that’s what I’ve found.
44. Marlon Lipke
Germany, $250k from Hurley, Vans, Oakley, Nixon and Deutsche Bank.
Deutsche Bank? Three years ago, a German executive from the bank booked a holiday in the south of Portugal, where Marlon's family live, and did a few surf lessons there. Not only did he become passionate about his newfound hobby, but decided to sponsor Marlon on the world tour as well. Signed him up for €20k a year. In return, every time Marlon appears in the German media (which is increasingly often, Germany is now as big as the UK in surfwear sales) he's wearing a Deutsche Bank cap. Also, the bank's in-house magazine, which doesn't have quite as many naked women or sybaritic features in it as this dear publication, regularly runs updates on Marlon's escapades at the lower end of the world tour.
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Reply #28 on : Sun November 29, 2009, 09:15:09