“I didn’t agree (to stepping down) – not at all … It wasn’t amicable,” Clark said.
Mavericks Surf Ventures CEO Keir Beadling declined to elaborate on Clark’s separation from the position last week, saying it’s important for contest organizers “to be democratizing the contest process.”
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“(The) organizers of the contest and I, as the CEO, remain steadfastly committed to our core values of authenticity, courage, respect and integrity,” he added.
In a cryptically worded response, Clark said he has felt pressure to call the contest against his better judgment.
“I’d just like to get it out there and let people know the real truth behind what happened last week,” Clark said.
“Their vision and my vision are very different,” he added. “I hold true to the surfers and the spot … I don’t want to compromise the contest for money, that’s all.”
(Due to a reporting error, a point in an earlier version of this story was incorrectly stated. Clark did not feel pressure from the Mavericks Surf Ventures board of directors to call the contest, specifically, but general pressure to call the contest.)
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