'Praying for a miracle': Kelly Slater leads tributes as search is called off for Quicksilver boss missing at sea

The speedboat belonging to Quiksilver CEO Pierre Agnes lays ashore on the beach of Hossegor, southwestern France. Photo / AP

Surfing icon Kelly Slater has described his despair after the search was called off for the multi-millionaire boss of Quiksilver, who has been missing at sea since Tuesday.

Pierre Agnes, 54, chief executive of the American surfing brand, was last seen venturing out at around 7.30am on Tuesday for a routine fishing trip before contacting the local harbour master to say he was delaying his return because of fog, a source close to the rescue team told AFP.

His empty boat washed up shortly after 9.15am at Hossegor, a famed surfing spot about 30km (20 miles) north of Biarritz, local authorities said in a statement.

The area is known for intense, sometimes dangerous waves that are prized by surfers.

Three helicopters and two boats were used to search for Agnes after dark but searches on land were suspended.

Kelly Slater posted a n emotional tribute to missing Agnes. Photo / Photosport

Rough seas were reported in the search area, though wind was light and visibility good.

However, a number of media outlets were reporting on Thursday (NZT) that France's coast guard had called off searches for Agnes.

Quiksilver, an iconic Australian surfwear company now based in the United States, recently changed its name to Boardriders, regrouping its other brands including DC Shoes and the Roxy clothing brand.

Agnes, who joined the company nearly 30 years ago, had long been based at Quiksilver's European headquarters in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, just south of Biarritz.

Earlier this month Boardriders said it was preparing to buy its Australian rival Billabong, creating a group that would have a combined 630 stores in 28 countries.

An American investment group, Oaktree Capital, controls Boardriders and already owns 19 per cent of Billabong.

Slater took to Instagram on Thursday to post a tribute to the CEO, saying he was "praying for a miracle".

View this post on Instagram

I love this man. @pierre_agnes went missing in Hossegor today when his boat washed ashore in the cold, early morning fog. I’m praying for a miracle but it’s just starting to hit me what a profound effect this man had on my life and the surf community at large. He loved his morning fishing trips, family, @quiksilver, surfing, friends, motorbikes, Capbreton...I’m not even sure how to let it sink in. 😢

A post shared by Kelly Slater (@kellyslater) on Jan 30, 2018 at 12:29pm PST