.jpg "Dan Ross, unsponsored WQS champion and donor of $US 2900 to the cause of Kehau Sullivan")
Aloha, karma, mana
When Australian surfer, Dan Ross was presented with his check from a semi final finish at the O’Neill world cup of surfing, he refused to sign his name. He seized the marshall’s pen and scribbled in the name of Pancho Sullivan.
Having spent the year chasing the WQS sans a major sponsor, Dan could be forgiven for skipping shouts and bringing two longnecks (tallies, big boys, 40 oz) to a house party. And yet after placing fourth in his Sunset semi final he donated all his winnings, some $US 2900, to the cause of Hawaiian surfer Pancho Sullivan's daughter, Kehau, whose impending heart operations are expected to send the North Shore legend bankrupt. More astonishing is he doesn’t even know the guy that well. We asked him what prompted his decision and what sort of financial situation it has left him in.
Stab: How much has this year on the WQS set you back, Dan?
Dan Ross: I’m without a major sponsor so there is a fair bit of cost involved with the WQS. I did win a fair bit of prize money so that cancelled some of the cost out. After I won Margaret River it set me up to do the rest. I was also working with Red bull [coaching their female team] and they were covering the cost of the girl’s events that I was working at and I was linking that with flights to contests.
How would you describe your financial situation?
Stable. I had that bit of prize money there to help but I’m not rolling in it that’s for sure. I don’t have a major sponsor and I’m trying to figure out a few things now but I don’t have one for next year either, yet.
And what did you do with your money from the Sunset competition?
I gave my check from Sunset to Pancho’s daughter’s cause. Mark Mathews and I were chatting with Pancho up on the hill at Sunset before the contest and he gave us the rundown on what was going on. I hadn’t surfed a heat in the event but right there I thought whatever prize money I win I will give to his daughter. I know him fairly well but I wouldn’t say we are close. She [Kehau] just needed the money more than me.
What sort of financial situation is your surfing career going to leave you in?
I’ve bought a house in Yamba and paid a good chunk of that off. For the time being, all that matters to me is I’m living comfortably and can afford to eat the way I want to eat and pay off my house. – Jed Smith
Inspired by Dan's generosity, the scruge in our accounts dept. has set aside a nominal amount for Stab to donate to Kehau Sullivan's fund. You too can donate by clicking here.
Posts: 28
Reply #28 on : Sat December 26, 2009, 07:40:51