"You can change your name but you can't change your spots," Chris Jordan told the Otago Daily Times when contacted in England yesterday, responding to the news Mad Dog was changing its name to The River Boarding Co, effective today.
Mad Dog owner Brad McLeod insists the rebranding has nothing to do with the tragedy and is purely about marketing.
"Ultimately, the name change is something I've been toying with ever since I bought Mad Dog in 2006," he said.
"Out of respect for Emily and her family, I didn't think changing the name after the court case last year was appropriate timing," Mr McLeod said.
But Mr Jordan said it was clear Mr McLeod was distancing himself from the tragedy with the name change.
"It's interesting to hear about the name change - he [Mr McLeod] hasn't been in touch with us and hasn't apologised apart from 15 seconds in court. We've had no contact apart from that. You can change your name but you can't change your spots," he said.
Mr McLeod rejected Mr Jordan's claim there had been no contact and scant apology.
"I'm not prepared to discuss that through the media - that is a discussion for Chris and I directly - but what I will say is that it is incorrect," Mr McLeod said.
The case was brought by Maritime New Zealand against Mad Dog's parent company, Black Sheep Adventures, which was fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparations to Miss Jordan's family after admitting two charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.
Miss Jordan drowned in the Kawarau River in April 2008 after being submerged and pinned by a rock for 20 minutes while on a Mad Dog river boarding trip near the Roaring Meg power station.
Soon after the company was dealt with by the courts, Mr Jordan wrote to Prime Minister John Key seeking a review of the adventure tourism sector, the report of which was released in August.
The review sparked significant changes in the sector, meaning tourism operators are now required to undergo compulsory registration and will face more in-depth supervision under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.
In the press release, Mr McLeod said the name change marked a "fresh start" for the company, which employs 15 people.
"Our new branding represents the maturity of our product and how seriously we take the activity of river boarding.
"The team at The River Boarding Co is fully prepared for the coming season and very much looking forward to pulling on our wetsuits, jumping on our boards and showing people the joy of our river environment," he said.
