"Still trying to slither into John John's camp, eh?"
Three years ago, amid the bark of money guns, the former world number two Luke Egan, and his former partner at Electric, Bruce Beach, introduced a clothing label called Depactus.
Depending on your source of Latin definitions, the term variously meant: fastened down, to make an agreement or deeply driven. But what sounded good in the brainstorming session came out awful when it met the people.
De-packed-ass and so on.
Depactus had a very good tagline (Where the Land meets Sea) and team riders were called Men of Extraordinary Pursuits. Millions of dollars was spent on the launch and marketing. Trade show booths were lavish; Mark Healey, Matt Meola and Ry Craike were all signed prior to takeoff; and generous editorial was sought or bought depending how you frame these things.
“Depactus is the surf industry’s not so odd future.”
“Luke Egan Introduces Depactus”
And so on.
Until it crashed a year and a half ago
Of course, a business rarely dives without wounds.
And, on Christmas Day, a sweet comment on the commentator-turned-surf-coach Ross Williams’ Instagram by Luke Egan was jumped on by his former Extraordinary Pursuit Man Mark Healey.
Luke wrote: Merry Christmas and congratulations on a Stella year coaching John John.
Healey retorted: @lukeegan still trying to slither into the John John camp eh? The way you burned me @mattmeola and @rycraike_fishoutofwater didn’t go unnoticed. Can’t outrun your deeds in this small world….
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdHGhQth421/?hl=en&taken-by=rosswilliamshawaii
What happened?
Healey says he and Meola and Craike didn’t receive “hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay” when Depactus folded.
“Got pennies on the dollar,” Healey told me. “Had to pursue legally… I had to get him served his papers at the Honolua women’s event last year.”
And?
“Case is done. Had to notify them that it was time to step into court. Such a headache.”
Depactus settled before the case went to court and Healey says he’s unsure whether he can reveal the pay-out for legal reasons.
But the wounds still hurt, he says.
“This kinda shit happens in business but the way they handled it was… inexcusable. Can’t sweep that under the rug. Gotta be accountable.”
Regular readers will know the twist in the Depactus tale. Last month, online retailer SurfStitch, a company with a keen eye for a bargain, bought the defunct brand.
Buy Depactus pants, anoraks and so forth here in all their moody colours here.
(BeachGrit would like to point out that there is no implication that Luke Egan was involved in any wrongdoing in the wrapping up of the biz, ie. don’t sue the messenger, only that business can be a hell of a thing on friendships.)
healey is jealous of john john because
A)he was never the “loveable toe-headed, good natured haole” that jjf was.
B)healey was an arrogant prick from the first time i ever met him. yes, hes a fucking mad man in the juice,
C) HE COULDNT WIN A GOD DAMN HEAT AT PIPE TO SAVE HIS LIFE
Even if you don’t agree or realize it, when you enter into a business deal you are in a partnership. If the venture fails you will not get paid. You have to weigh the credibility of the people you are dealing with and realize that there will always be risk. I have been burned in deals that should have been rock solid, you just have to keep moving forward.
pro uses money from previous sponsors clothing brand to start competing clothing brand which sponsors pro who uses money to start competing clothing brand
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
It was an opportunity missed by not naming him Puke Vegan, would have also saved the lengthy summary.
Healy, speaks in sound bites? Always?
Egan was my favourite surfer from the first moment I saw photos of him in mags when I was a kid in the late 80s, before he had long hair flapping in the breeze which preceded his shaved head, serious WCT contest phase. Must have watched Bunyip Dreaming a million times. Hands down easily my favourite. And then he built komune and suddenly my favourite surf spot in the whole world had gone from crowded to completely unsurfable. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for that.
You know what else is inexcusable. People taking themselves too seriously.
yea and believing in your own hype
Seems like some good natured ribbing – might as well keep it going and not be a bunch of sissies and apologize to each other – i miss the Hawaii Australia tension
The Marshalls off Lomas Santa Fe has Depactus stuff on the clearance rack. I picked up a sick inflatable vest, a camo wetsuit, some black dress socks, and a sick flat brimmed lid.
That’s a Ross Dress For Less is it not?
Awesome now your the coolest kid at seaside!
well played….
i picked up a depactus speargun at the nearby home goods.
Interesting topic! Chas get your baby’s mama to right a tell all on current value of pro surfer to his or her sponsor with examples ie. tween pro, WQS slogger, CT not in top ten… even aging stalwart travel big wave vanguard party boy..
do you know what basis points are?
Would JJ value be 1 basis point or 100? We can easily start evaluation there..
he’s one of the few guys who’s value can be measured in “regular” points i’d hope
Whats Healey up to these days, seems to have disappeared.
Did he get a real job?
https://healey-waterops.squ…
I listened to a podcast with him on it somewhere, just not sure where. Self-employed by the looks.
Surfsplendor. Pitching the extraordinary pursuits thing. Like a travel agent type of deal. He uses I have been there hookups, and I’m sure the Google, to arrange your dream adventure.
Story below lists Healey as a co-fouder.
http://www.shop-eat-surf.co…
So Healy took the high road? If I follow, Healy got paid, then pounced on Christmas day? Can’t sweep being a douche under the rug either, it’s inexcusable. That’s my penny on that dollar.
…and didn’t know if he could could comment, after commenting, online.
Typical goat herder logic.
He does have pet goats. Must be a fad on da islands, as Ian Walsh has some too. Pretend for a moment that you are a well respected public figure like Healy, atleast by appearances that seems the case, I wouldn’t open my mouth at all. Unless it’s positive publicity, no thanks. Healy is a gifted athlete, I personally love the guy. Just seems ill timed to me.
well, it sounds like getting paid wasn’t exactly hassle-free for him
It does makes me wonder with these public figure endorsement deals I bet getting paid is harder than anyone really knows. I find it hard to pickup my sheckles from time to time, imagine adding zeros makes it that much harder.
i imagine so, and with the industry being so small, i’m sure there’s a lot of guys being told “don’t make a fuss” unless they’re a JJ or Julian or Jordy
Not hassle free or very rewarding. There is getting paid what you are owed and then there is a “take it or leave it” settlement deal. I am guessing it was the latter.
hmm bitter guy. Are you Healey? or just another homebrew?
Who would have thought that Deep-packed-ass would leave somebody butt hurt?
Ha!
Only one way to settle this, maxed out mammoth Cloudbreak and let the lads duke it out, deepest, longest, largest barrel takes all