Mark Richards Australia’s Most Influential Surfer
NAMED
I
1963–2013
t is ironic that the surfer voted the most influential in Australian surfing history is also the surfer least likely to blow his own trumpet or draw attention to his stellar achievements. Not that Mark Richards doesn’t have an ego – his fierce competitiveness and his absolute conviction to be the best is what drove him through his career. It’s just that MR doesn’t need to do any of that, because three generations of surfers already know that this quiet achiever revolutionised his sport.
Dubbed “the wounded seagull” by the surf media due to his six-foot frame and flamboyant and unorthodox arm-flapping style, shy, unassuming Mark Richards was the first surfer to utterly dominate the world pro tour for an extended period, decimating the aspirations of his rivals. He was the first professional surfer to win multiple world titles, taking the ratings crown over four consecutive years from 1979 to 1982, and moreover, he was the first surfboard designer to market his innovations at the highest level of achievement.
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