Behind The Curtain - Mark Richards

Mark Richard is considered surfing royalty, not only for achieving 4 consecutive World Titles but for also pioneering a radical approach to wave riding made possible by his famous twin-fin designs. But there’s a backstory here…
In this mySURFtv episode of FCS Behind The Curtain, MR explains how a simple idea produced one of the most fun and rippable board and fin combinations in surfing history that still holds relevance today.
You see, as a young aspiring shaper and red hot surfer, Mark’s performance aspirations were well ahead of his equipment. And frustrated with the somewhat clunky and restrictive single fin boards of the era, he set about designing a board that would allow him to access more critical parts of the wave, perform a higher repetition of acute turns, and ultimately unlock his full potential.
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[@JBOsurf]

The greatest ever. Humble, skilled, rips and shapes. 4 titles. A pioneer. The end.

[@Dragon-Slay3r]

Being humble comes from the heart if your not connected to the heart one can never be humble

[@dtimsey9711]

MR was my hero when I was a teenager learning how to surf. Now more than 40 years later with both of us in our 60's I see he is still at it, shaping boards and refining fins...I love to see passion like that!! Age is just a number Mark, surf on brother!

[@malcatron]

I met Mark when he came to the UK several years ago as part of the Quicksilver shaper's tour and spent pretty much a whole evening chatting with him. He talked to us as fellow surfers, as if we were peers, but every now and then I'd have to remind myself "this guys got 4 world titles!". What a super humble guy and an absolute legend. Great to see his stoke is as strong as ever and he's still ripping too, long may he continue!!

[@trevorleggo1777]

I got a custom 4 years ago last month. Had an MR Twin in 79. Now riding the Flying Fish, about to turn 60. It has the tiny stabilizer and as MR says, fast and free...even if it's my imagination, it is like a Magic Carpet ride... catches waves like a champion..he is such a low key authentic dude, gotta love him.

[@cp4christo]

Rode my first twin fin at Bells in about 73 and was blown away at the stability and ease of transferring from one rail to the other. It was my friends board so I had to give it back . I should have kept it , it was sublime

[@craigkaschan4822]

I used to see Mark at his dads shop Ray Richards in Newcastle back when it was a better town. I got my first board from him a single fin Dick Brewer. After learning to surf I bought several twin fins over the years. It was sad to see his shop close. Good to see you are still shaping and making fins. I’m in my 50’s and still have a MR twin. Thanks Mark it was such a buzz seeing you in surf magazines then meeting you in person.

[@Dragon-Slay3r]

New enemy? 🤣

[@TechnikMeister2]

Absolute total effing legend. My vintage, owned one of his twin fins in the late 70s in Sydney. I used to watch him in Hawaii on the big waves. He was fearless and so smooth. He made it look so easy. Every one of his boards looks a work of art.

[@davidcramer4173]

MR, thanks. You were my favorite surfer back in the 70’s. Even had a G&S MR twin back in 1979.

[@badbeatbilly8997]

MR was my surf idol growing up and surfing in the 70s and 80s. Twinnies were the bomb at our local breaks back then.

[@fosdikejames]

Absolute gentleman and a total legend!!!!

[@BigZ_4i20]

This footage of Felipe and Griffing surfing his boards is sooo legendary... much respect for this guy and surfing history in general

[@paulwayland2374]

Bring back all your movies! Love watching MR Sûrf, all about the feeling, thanks MR

[@paulwayland2374]

I grew up watching Mark surfing Pearl Beach point in solid swell I was in 2nd grade he must’ve been 20 maybe? What a legend and great ambassador, go MR !

[@joshbarrett2212]

A true legend in the surf community! Much props.

[@jamestom2510]

the MR boards always resonated in my memory as the best looking eye catching burst of bright colors with that fantastic MR logo.....just love the boards

[@zenpiggy7802]

What an influence Mark has been, 90'/. of what I ride and handshape are twin fin, they are just so fast!

[@FUZ2706]

Just got a 5'9" MR twin fin softboard, gonna be my first shorter board, very excited to take it out on the weekend!

[@catinthehat8412]

he came to my primary school in 83 and talked to my class he's a nice man

[@Phaidrus]

Top shaper, top bloke. I have FCS MRs on my ...Lost RNF redux.

[@Nicolai697]

great surfer/shaper and evidently a great bloke.

[@jimjones6657]

I had a 5'6" winged swallow tail that was badass. The wings had this little turn down to them. That board was so quick off the bottom and didn't slip. That board was so much fun

[@stevelindahl8839]

Those early days with M.R. on the twin fin he was the wounded gull and he ripped, I remember going to the movies and watching free ride and watching him was so amazing on the twin fins he was by far the best surfer out there, Shaun Thompson was giving him a little competition like the double tube ride at off the wall was unbelievable at that time, I can go on forever writing about those days it was the beginning of pro modern day surfing, it was just so awesome to have been surfing back then long live the twin fin

[@hounddog7256]

Great video... A true surfing legend with a great story...

[@jamesgarcia9123]

thanks fcs', took more than a few sessions to surf off my front foot again', this vid shows very good twin fin driving fast through turns! mick o! thanks mark', for the board ' skills', . peace😎

[@jiblet6567]

thanks Mark! being a Floridian surfer I learned on a Tabeling single fin then got into the twin fin thing. lost my way with the tri-fin movement but had a shaper hand me the MR twin carbon fins in the 90s. I've since upgraded to the honeycomb version and love them. funny you called your board a secret weapon because that's the name of the model I ride now. the fins are great in FL surf and when we do get swell I pair them with the Nexus quads and that's a great combo.

[@noonespecial4171]

I'm stoked.

[@a.lame.username.]

Respect!🙏

[@joeblow1942]

Bought a pair of MR 78 Originals years ago and never got around to using. A couple years ago I put them on a board that I couldn't get the fins right and those MR's made the board come alive. Still using them today.

[@cosmoganic]

Total Legend! I love my MR Twin Fin Set (with stabiliser), crazy cool combination in a Firewire Evo believe it or not!

[@austinartist0608]

My favorite surfer back in the day. Mark you're the man! MR. How can I get your autograph? I'm in Austin, TX.

[@blackfishgaming7145]

I've been using MR's fins with a the small trailer for the last 2 years. They work really well

[@creature_of_the_undergroun261]

MR is the man.

[@fernandopadilha7540]

O estilo se define pelo amor ao surf, obrigado pela inspiração .

[@Dragferret]

Got heaps of 8mm film of Mark and others from the old Surfabout days. Should get it digitised one day.

[@topdeckdog]

"Should get it digitised one day" - Hate to say it Brett White but that's the exact opposite attitude that MR had, which is why he became a surf icon. Coulda shoulda woulda...

[@Dragferret]

@@topdeckdog Yeah, but I still enjoy projecting movies onto a wall in a darkened room.

[@cjones5332]

@@topdeckdog What are you going on about bro ???

[@pearlyshells2430]

get them up on the tube

[@mathewjardini315]

loved this.

[@stephengrapinet]

MR has the best style on the board.

[@joedirt8625]

FCS 78 MR's on My Rusty Flying Disc. Legend.

[@marciomiranda9212]

Mark Richards à Gaivota do Surf 🏄‍♂️ lendas sua marca está gravada na história do Surf como tantos outros de sua época. Grande Grande Mark Richards.

[@xyzct]

Forty years ago when I was a young chap at UCBerkeley I saved up money for eons and got Doug Haut in Santa Cruz to shape an 8'0" single fin gun like Mark rode on the most epic giant Honolua swell. I loved that board! I rode it at big Ocean Beach for years.

[@hbviceroy7274]

Mark you would never hood winked.......you absolutely ripped!!...

[@markdearlove8634]

My favorite surfer ever. Surf those rainbow fins on my Nigel Semmens. Awesome

[@adambamf9365]

mark was smart i wonder if he knew at the time learning how to shape his boardfs then later useing his own designs on his tour campain gave his boards mad exposure and set his later life up as a shaper/free surfer pretty smart

[@willnzsurf]

Froth Mode!!💯good dude

[@henrymorgan3982]

Legend.

[@stainless7191]

Scored one of my first Boards from Mark's Ex-wife when they split back in the 80's Thanks Jenny and Mark! it was super fast.

[@Rip-Tear-Lacerate64]

The Mark Richard, Shawn Thompson, Buttons, Rabbit, etc. Days. Surf Movies in Encinitas. Surfing lifestyle was so much different. The lifestyle, etc. Miss those days.

[@hayleygordon7969]

These fins are so fun

[@jonmorgan1987]

Fedinkem mate! Aloha from Hawaii!

[@THEBIGKUSH420]

RENO told me you paid in advance and the boards were waiting all cured , MR had his shit together.

[@hughmckendrick3018]

Does anybody have anything negative to say about MR? Any content I have seen, he's always professional and upbeat. One of my favorite surfers and twin fins my favorite boards.

[@samdecasas6920]

Fuk yea love the twinnie/trailer setup especially at punchy beachbreak. Gets you in quick, plenty of speed, stability and turning.

[@michaelreddington2127]

Looking at the clips the twinnies seem to accelerate from turns and move quickly, in '78 I switched from 5'10 single fins to 5'10 twinnies, my surfing experience catapulted, caught waves I used to miss and smashed the lip, it could skip out at the bottom.....

[@eduardopinheiro2546]

Lenda!!!🤙🤙🤙🤙

[@nikol3258]

I wish surfboards weren’t so expensive

[@bretloyd8097]

The real deal. Awesome!

[@AlWilson2103]

X4 champ is so humble

[@hbviceroy7274]

No Mark you didn’t think you were going faster you were going faster!

[@callasurf]

Still got one of the first MR’s twinny shaped by Spider Murphy, 1980 model.........real magic carpet ride.

[@17th_Street_Preacher]

The Wounded Gul

[@ericmeechglobalnetwork2273]

So cool... so cool!

[@oldnslow8232]

Stoked Had to be said

[@cjones5332]

MEREWETHER !!!

[@crunchers9]

I found several FCS fins while snorkeling. If a side fin has the graphics on one side of it, do you call it the right side fin or the left side fin, when describing it. Is it the right side, like the passenger side of a car, when you are above the board, riding it? Or is it the left when you are inserting the fins with the board bottom side up?

[@jimmydabriou2482]

I wonder what Futures fins would work good on those MR twin fin surfboards... 🤔

[@jimmydabriou2482]

When that board will be up for sale??

[@Adza2323]

When MR speaks you listen

[@surf6473]

Twin spins don't work in Hawaii never have. Twin fins are not used today in competition. But they so work in 2ft slop.

[@thesurfingprospector6345]

Onya Mark nice mate total LEGEND Say Gaday to Mick Adams for me thanks Crouch

[@vaderleidesouza1955]

Baita homem do mar!!!

[@BrandenLanfeld14]

Trin fin twin fin twin fin.

[@surfdetective]

Long live the twin fin

[@jbeastist]

one of the greatest ever the wounded gull

[@ocean4lifem8]

where abouts in Newcastle is the fcs factory? cheers

[@Dragon-Slay3r]

Right turn block so they can't see the top eyes

[@littlerubster]

What's the blues tune starting at 2:12?

[@xisotopex]

I think Felipe Toledo has the best style of all the brazzos on tour.

[@itempany]

Had a MR double flyer swallow tail with single fin…. Was a great board till it got stolen