ABOUT

Mark’s shaping career began at age 13, when he got an electric planer for Christmas.
He had been a keen competitor since working his way through Schoolboy, Amateur, Cadet and Junior events. He came second to Terry Fitzgerald in the Australian Titles Open division while still a Junior in 1973. The International Professional Surfers (IPS) Tour kicked off in 1976.
Mark competed selectively up until 1980, mainly in Japan, Hawaii, and Australia and only surfing in a few of the World Tour events gave him time to honer his shaping skills.
The seed for the idea of the reborn twin fin came from these shaping sessions. When he shaped the original Free Ride Twin fin during the winter of 1977 in Newcastle it became a ground-breaking surfboard, lifting performance surfing to new levels.
The speed and maneuverability of this board gave Mark a ‘secret weapon’ for competitive surfing during 1978 and 1979, and was directly responsible for him securing his first World championship in 1979, and subsequently in 1980, 1981 and 1982.
Winning the World Championship was an incredible buzz for Mark, and the highlight of his career.
Mark still based in Newcastle, Australia, where he was born, and still has his surfboard manufacturing business.
He is onstantly refining and developing his designs, based on the feedback he receive from others and from his own experience riding his designs in conditions from perfect Indo waves to hometown Merewether beach breaks.

At Surfection we are proud to offer custom made Mark Richard’s surfboards and also surfboards in collaboration with Mark Richard’s Surfboards and San Juan Surfboards.