Morey vs Morey!
Three weeks ago, the free-thinking inventor of the boogie board and surfing hall-of-famer Tom Morey died, aged eighty-eight.
Ol Tom wasn’t in the best shape. He was blind and broke, pretty much, despite the outrageous success of the boogie board, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary this July.
Now, with Morey dead, InterSport Corp, owners of the Morey trademark, which Tom sold in 1977 before the design took off, is taking pre-orders for a limited edition re-release of his classic MACH 7, priced at a surprisingly reasonable one hundred and ninety-nine dollars.
From the promo,
“This board is one of a kind in the Morey family. The MACH 7 Commemorative Edition is the only Morey Boogieboard that has Tom’s signature.”
All pretty nice, money to the fam etc.
But fans of Tom, as well as the family, have slammed it as a cash grab.
From Tom’s FB page,
“This is the Morey Family and WE DO NOT APPRECIATE THIS THIEF IN THE NIGHT ACTION OF THIS CORPORATE MOVE. THERE IS NO CONTRACTURAL AGREEMENT HERE TO MOREY FAMILY FOR THIS TYPE OF CORPORATE FINANCIAL GAIN IN THE MIDST OF OUT LOSS. TOM’S grieving wife and family are in shock. Why would someone post at midnight a pre-order for a board that Tom had no contractural agreement. Our hearts are broken as we continue to work on arraignments for him to Rest in Peace.”
A few choice cuts from the comments, mostly from high-level bodyboard pro’s, all with a penchant for caps lock, so high rides the emotion, I suppose.
“BE WARNED! Morey family do not want this sale to occur. AT VBC (Vintage Bodyboard Collectors) we respect their wishes and recommend no one buy this board.”
“No, FUCK YOU GUYS. NO WAY WILL I BUY THIS OR ANY PRODUCT FROM YOU, EVER, YOU FUCKING SOULLESS PARASITES.”
“Just disgusting.”
“FUCK MOREY!!! Other than the name, this company no connection not the great man, our sport or to the community. Support the companies that give back and have true connection and relevance.”
“Grubs.”
And,
Well put!
But do you have a head full of acid, some amyls and the nitrous?
Thanks for the tip Chas! Just bought 200 or these. They will be on my eBay feed shortly for triple retail. Free markets are the best.
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The love of Morey is the root of all evil.
If Tom Morey sold the intellectual property including the “Morey Boogie” name and the right to use his signature on bodyboards, then this company isn’t doing anything wrong by marketing a signature model.without any input or commission owed to the family
Immoral, yes – illegal, no.
SPOT ON! Not unlike the cretins selling Hunter S. Thompson’s likeness after his self imposed death and incredible funeral…they can profit off of him!
That gives me another valid reason to run over these dick draggers…
That always makes me think of using my MK25 for some reason.
Please!…No More..Hey!..
Has anyone asked Morey about their POV? Just because the family doesn’t know doesn’t mean that there isn’t a contract in place. I mean, why would such a big company make a board and be that blatant? Seems to me that there’s miscommunication somewhere and NOBODY got to the bottom of this except to just believe one side…
I just bought a 6,10 Bear in mint condition for 300 bucks. Why would I ever pay 190 bucks for a boogie board
At heart of it is a grieving family, a lovely old guy who died pretty broke, and the company who bought rights to his eponymous product trying to cash in on his death by using his signature and image. It’s super crass. Not Billabong-ongoing-sale-of-Andy’s-remains in scale, but also giving nothing to the family and with no agreement from the family, 3 weeks after his death.
If you do still think its ok, I wouldn’t hurry. They’ll be in the $29 bin at Costco fairly soon. I do resent the ‘High level body board pro’ descriptor though Derek. I go by ‘aging sponge kook’ nowadays.
someone collects vintage bodyboards? what the fucken fuck
I feel like a guy with a collection of vintage bodyboards would be the equivalent of a women having multiple cats.
High level body board pros are a thing?
‘Pros’ may be a flimsy word choice there….
Put a lid on it.
Did billabong get this kinda backlash after marketing Andy’s passing?
Quite a different scenario by the looks.
Morey had sold his board design and construction techniques over 40 yrs ago, although perhaps he hadn’t sold his actual signature to be used on them. However if he did also sell them the rights to use his signature then the registered company that owns Morey boards will still be able to legally use it. But their timing of this release is obviously too close to his passing and upsetting for his family.
Whereas, it appears that Billabong carried on paying the family and they all tried to cover up the truth about his drug use, that perhaps hadn’t been discouraged by any of them due to his ability to make them all large sums of money.
The wOsl also continued in that vein to pay the family with their promotion of the ‘Andy prize’ in Tahiti and the ‘Pipe comp in memory of’.
Hopefully we’ve seen the end of all that now though. Surely it’s been long enough for them to quietly sweep it under the carpet.
But hey, I’m no lawyer…
P.S.
I actually did start law school but took time off after the first year in the mid 1980’s to go surfing and build surfboards, and never went back, much to the annoyance of my family haha
So im confused are we or for morey?
Also have you noticed that there no real surf ads (ala ripcurl, quicksilver, machine x Florence and the machine) here in BG?
Coincidence or a Confluence?
No opinion forwarded re: Morey v Morey brouhaha. You decide which way you want to swing! As for surf ads, apart from the noted Newcastle writer, they ain’t bidding high enough for the space, although Project Blank enjoyed a run in the sun for a month a few weeks back.
You are all more fence sitters than writers
Well, yes and no
Too be fair, you were the one who divided us into sheep and cattle.
I’m very fair.
Well, I should have included Beef and Beer if I was going to be really fair. I’ll give you that one.