CEO Brodie Carr Resigns from ASP International
One of the many initiatives Brodie Carr is credited with is the instrumental role he played in bringing Fiji back to the ASP Dream Tour in 2012, where the world’s best surfers will contest the Volcom Fiji Pro.
SAN FRANCISCO, California/USA (Wednesday, November 9, 2011) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) announced today that it has accepted the resignation of CEO Brodie Carr, effective December 31 of this year.
Mr. Carr has tendered his resignation as CEO on the heels of the premature crowning of Kelly Slater as the 2011 ASP World Champion last week in San Francisco.
“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.”
Slater, who officially confirmed his 2011 ASP World Title on Sunday at Ocean Beach, will join the remainder of the ASP Top 34 at the 11th and final event of the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Billabong Pipe Masters, from December 8 – 20, 2011.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
Comments
Category: All ASP News, ASP Editorial News, ASP World Tour News
I think it’s fine Brodie left — the “Dream” tour has lost it’s way.
Changing the rankings halfway through the season stinks – nobody wants to see yet another no-name surfer added to the list. If someone is THAT good, they’ll make it next year.
Knocking out the bottom 4 or 6, fine, but let’s see what the Tour surfers can do through ALL the events before they get cut.
2 events in Cali but 1 in Hawaii? Sorry, that’s stupid. I know there are thorny politics involved in surfing in Hawaii, but the ASP needs to get another event on the schedule there – it’s the epicenter of surfing for freaks sake!?!?
The Kelly thing, whatever … the question is why is it so freaking complicated to crown the champ? Brodie ok’ed/oversaw the rules being written, I have a much bigger problem with WHY it is all so complicated. It needs to be more accessable to everyday surfers not just math majors.
That’s the bottom line. The ASP should be appealing to the average and casual surfer, not just the industry types. Having a few events in waves like “all of us” surf is fine, but I want to watch the best, or at least best known (yeah, I said it), surfers surfing the best, most perfect waves. THAT’S the whole appeal!
Personally, if we are going to model this sport after another, any want to excite fans, hype events, and have more exposure, we should be looking at the UFC. Their title fight last Saturday was broadcast on network television to millions of Americans, featuring two powerhouse and noted fighter going head to head in consecutive rounds.
I think we would see more people tune in for a ‘title fight’ between Kelly and Owen/Gabriel/Dane going head to head for several rounds of battle throughout thr. We already have the main sponsors setting up the events, and they would get behind the opportunity to hype their most powerful team members. Not to mention, it offers a venue for the young blood to face off against their counterparts before the main event
Everybody wants to see the contenders in action and a champion crowned, but under the current system we don’t even know when (or if, apparently) a new champion will or can be crowned. Not to mention sitting through endless heats prevents major network coverage of any event, regardless of hoe popular the sport becomes.
There probably is more behind it, but someone has to take the blame for shitty locations chosen for this year and the judging being all over the shop! whoever watched the brazil comp would have to agree with me!! im happy he got fiji back, but what about other perfect waves such as g-land, reunion island, ragland or mexico (la jolla or puerto escondido)? there is so many other perfect places that the “dream tour” has forgotten about. but i spose they have greater revenue in the u.s. so who is to blame for the “sellout tour”?
he definitly hasn’t resigned due a calculative error, there is more to this. Brodie Carr had a balanced approach and certainly tried to bring the world tour into the mainsteam, fairplay he did a very good job. However as previously mentioned some of the world tour stops are seriously questionable, if the tour needs to progress then fans of the tour need to see the best surfers in the world competing in the best waves in the world.
Good for Brodie. Six years is eternity dealing with a crew without true biz mgmt experience or education!!
Seeing the ASP stop in my local break this year was pretty unreal. Mostly because its unrealistic that Long Beach is a world class break. It gets good, but ASP, really? and for 2 more years?! Why, because you grossed over $500k in one week?
ASP, stop looking at the dollar signs. NY, SF, world class??? Maybe world class credit cards to spend on shitty tshirts and trucker hats.
Point scoring… its awesome you can pull a no hander rodeo, but if you cant paddle out into the lineup you should not be in the event.
ASP – Dream tour, it’s turned into the sellout Weak tour.
Tennis is nothing like surfing, stop using a point system like it.
Sure appreciate all you’ve done Brodie! It’s impossible to please everyone. I feel like you went above and beyond the mark to do the right things for the long term benefit and growth of the sport. Among other things, there was a window here to maximize positive press before Slater retires, which set(s) the groundwork for more opportunity for everyone in the future. Thanks!
It does indeed appear to be a hidden agenda within the ASP for him to resign, I bet Kelly isn’t too bothered about the error, as he quite rightly said – we’re all human and everybody makes mistakes. However, the ‘Dream Tour’ is not what it’s billed up to be these days. As someone rightly pointed out – 6 beach break events with average surf. Some days I would’ve just drove past. Whatever you think of him, Jamie O’Brien hit the nail on the head in his Carve Magazine interview recently ‘the best surfing in the worldis not done on the ASP Tour’. Just take a look at the ‘Who is J.O.B’ dvd or watch Bruce Irons etc freesurf.
As controversies go this is just as weak and contrived as that Neco Padaratz doping thing several years back that seemed conveniently timed with all the baseball players using steroids stuff that was all over the news.
probably true but whoever they bring in next is probably gonna jus do the same with changes that dont really make too much difference as the whole scoring system needs to change its silly and old the surfing is great changes r great but the scoring system needs to change but then i suppose how can kelly justify all the wins and scores his been given jus give him the job so he will finally retire
You’re not making a lot of sense. You are obviously not watching Kelly surf, and until he does retire, he will win plenty more heats. His surfing, if anything, has gotten better and I don’t really see anyone matching it.
I think this was an excuse for Brodie Carr to leave the ASP. I’m sure there is plenty of politics involved with the job and he did a pretty good job while he was there. But we need Rabbit back to make it a Dream Tour once again. Crappy beachbreaks are not really considered dream waves and they favour the hippity hop flyboys. They are surfing pretty good but we need a better balance of surf spots that showcase more power etc. I’m all for aerials but it seems some of the guys are wasting the best part of a wave to set up for the air.
All the best Brodie
I met Brodie when he 1st started with the ASP super nice guy & Rabbit could not of found a better guy to bring the ASP up to where it is today! in 04 05 Andy & Kelly got there ASP world champion rings as did the girls champs!! Brodie signed off on that job & it was super exciting for us to make & deliver them to Rabbit & Brodie…Good Luck Mate your the Champ
when you are in the top job there is nowhere else to go but down.
every one thinks they can do it better but the facts up are they usually cant, the big 3 wanted him gone because they are selfish.
surfers should be getting massive prize purses for putting their lives on the line at places like pipe and chopes.
when’s the last time a pro golfer or tennis player thought they might die in an event<he was chasing the money they deserved.
best of luck to him.
I agreed with you, when happens and you put your life in the line.
Do you no any other sports as dangerous as surfing.
Don t tell me the football is dangerous compare with surf.
I think they should pay better.
Can’t wait to see the Fiji surf contest, should be a good show!
Sorry to see him go. He has done a great job building and promoting the dream tour!
I have very little doubt we should be nick naming Robert Kelly Slater as “Mark”. Good on him, though, for pushing his brand. As for the ASP, I suck at maths and I knew that they had the same points. Blaming IT is a typical low of many ruthless corporations. I do wish they could raise the bar and show that corporate can be correct. One can only hope.
i am the biggest fan of kelly slater but really wish that he goes back on “mark” comment
I’m bummed. Brodie seemed really likable, and personable. I do respect his action, however. It is classy, and shows his respect for his position and the tour. Moreover, I hope that the ASP is very selective in replacing him. The successor has to be very knowledgeable about the needs of professional surfers, the problems of competition, and marketing. It would help if he/she has a longstanding history with pro surfing, and the surf industry, as both sides need to be balanced. The tour rests on individual talent, as well as the support of surf companies.
i think yr wrong to bring sumone who has been with the pro surfing seen for a long time noone of these nice guys know how to make it better get sumone outside of the pro surfing seen who has a futuristic mind coz the whole system is silly and the scoring system is silly and kelly jus gets handed so many heats and wins or maybe jus giv slater the job so finally he can retire and not be handed so many scores and wins its all a silly system old and boring except for the surfing
Well that’s just about the silliest post I’ve ever read. When are you auditioning for X Factorr mensa man?
Pick me! Pick me!!
No need to resign. Stick with it and keep up the good work.
The image they have chosen to represent this story looks more like Brodie’s retiring and heading on a holiday for a while… I’d want a holiday after six years of dealing with uneducated surf company honchos.
WOOOWW..! LUCY LU…PUT IT DOWN…..!
Can’t say I blame him, the amount of trash he has to put up with from deamonscreams etc.
haha I’ll say.. and @Rottmouth – I wouldn’t be surprised if Brodie went into hiding!
There is no way you would martyr a CEO over an employee’s “miscalculation”. Something sinister is going on behind the scenes at ASP.
Sounds like he was looking for an out. I wish Rabbit would come back & run the show.
If Brodies resignation is due to the World Champ issue only, I think Kelly & the rest of the CT surfers should have unified & insisted he stay on. Kelly was never not going to win the Title & Brodie is well respected within the ASP.
Sounds like there may be a power struggle witin the ASP hirarchy.
The surfers in the ASP have no loyalty to anyone but themselves. Kelly is the most self absorbed of them all, he couldn’t give a shit about Brodie.
Who is Brodie, what is his background in surfing?
Skills in Business management, not how good a surfer he is would be more important. Surfers are flat-out organising themselves into a straight line.
I still don’t think anyone should be fired or resign.
Reason #1:
The nature of the mistake: clerical. Who among us in power can enforce that no clerical mistakes are made?
Reason #2:
When getting rid of someone, you need to wheigh in the pros and cons of having such a person doing their job. I think the ASP has done a wonderful job in the past 6 years.
Pros: – better surfers on tour
– the round 4 is my favorite one to watch, except for round 5 where so much pride is at stake (2 losses is in a row!)
– I got to take my son to see Kelly Slater and company here in San Francisco, after watching him online for 20 years!
Cons: – a resounding error that is by nature self-correcting. Whether Brodie Carr is replaced or not, this mistake will never be repeated. Period!
Chin Up Brodie Carr! You have nothing to be ashamed of! Sorry I don’t have a job to offer you. Good luck!
Well said Stu!!
Hate to see Brodie go. I wish he would give it another chance but, Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Sad news. Good luck in your future career Brodie.
I hear Penn State is hiring.
No, in all seriousness what happened was effed up but he didn’t have to quit or be fired, whatever really happened.
it was more that just the calculation error. we want more balance of contestable conditions and locations than the heavy emphasis on 3′ to 5′ beach breaks favoring air reverses.
Thank god the Hawaiian winter surf season (aka the Triple crown) is right around the corner.
I’d been enjoying his work so far. I can’t say much about the past, but for the past 4, 5 years ASP has been doing a great job.
Can we please have some more DREAM waves on the “Dream Tour” now? If I wanted to watch 6 sh*tty beachbreaks in a single season, I’d follow the air show tour. Do they still have that? They don’t really need it; the current WCT is pretty much the same thing.
the tour is now about airs & barrels…and an incomprehensilbe points/ranking system. there was airs and barrels at ob san fran…and everywhere else on tour so far this year. viva la dream
No way is this the sole reason he resigned.
Everybody makes mistakes. I wish Brodie would stay on board. He deserves a second chance like we all do. The ASP is awesome.
or not…
Whats Bobby think about this?
well said. well said…