After two days, after searching all morning again, CROSS, the French Navy, called off the search for Quiksilver CEO Pierre Agnes. The industry mogul and longtime surfer and fisherman left the Capbreton harbor at 7:30am yesterday morning. According to a report by Surfline, seas were “rough and visibility was less-than-ideal.” Agnes had sent a message to port authorities indicating that “he was delaying his return because of thick fog,” yet, after a few hours, his boat washed ashore near Biarritz around 9:30am.
Immediately, a search was launched. Yet, with water temps around 53 Fahrenheit, rescuers knew they only had two-to-three hours before hypothermia set in. Despite the grim forecast, searchers continued. According to Sudoest, “The two scouts and jet ski of the SNSM and the ship of the Maritime Gendarmerie, deployed since 7:45am, have returned to the port.” The loss of Agnes has been felt by the surfing and freeride world over the past 24 hours, with many turning to social media to voice their grief.
Kelly Slater, arguably one of the world’s greatest surfers, wrote: “I love this man…it’s just starting to hit me what a profound effect this man had on my life and the surf community at large. He loved his morning fishing trips, family, Quiksilver, surfing, friends, motorbikes, Capbreton…I’m not even sure how to let it sink in.” Agnes joined Quiksilver in 1988 as team manager, then “worked in various capacities throughout the company’s European marketing operations. He served as Managing Director of Quiksilver Europe beginning in 2003, and President of Europe in 2005, according to company documents. He became Global Head of Apparel in 2013, and Company President in 2014. He has been CEO since 2015.”
