Soon to be one of the top surfers in the world (and soon to be one of the hottest), Carissa Moore made a surprising announcement over the weekend. Moore has left her longtime sponsor, Roxy, and signed a new mega-deal with both Nike 6.0 and Red Bull.

It remains to be seen whether Roxy, who is the female division of Quiksilver, was forced to let Carissa go because of Quiksilver’s financial difficulties. Athletes usually leave their sponsors when they find “greener” pastures elsewhere, and this is probably not an exception. Not to mention Nike 6.0 is starting to become a major player in the action sports industry, and Red Bull remains one of the most financially profitable companies associated with action sports.

"I think it's always kinda hard when you've been with someone for so long and they've been like family," said Carissa. "I was with Roxy for seven or eight years but I'm looking forward to the next couple of years." Once Moore is finished with her schooling, she’ll be concentrating her efforts full-time to surfing.

Congratulations to Carissa Moore. She’s a fast-rising star in surfing, and it won’t surprise anyone when she starts winning world titles.