With no hard feelings to speak of, Quiksilver bat the ball back into Kelly’s court with an emotional video tribute, looking back on some fond memories and historic sporting moments after their 23 years spent working together.

However, with some industry commentators equating the split to when Gucci and renowned fashion designer Tom Ford parted ways after 10 years (the fashion label at risk of being overshadowed by the personality), it’s always possible the relationship may sour with time. Sure enough, with Kelly’s legacy now theirs to milk for years to come it’s hard to see how Quiksilver could lose out from the split. Yep, it sounds wrong, but in business there comes a time when even the greatest athletes of all time are disposable.

The real question now is: might Kelly find himself retiring from pro surfing sooner than he planned? And would that be good or bad for the sport and surf industry’s overall health? A tricky one to answer, but either way we’re not sure any of Quiksilver’s shareholders really care. Oh, hold on, apart from maybe Kelly…