Mark richards biography

Australian surfer

Mark RichardsOAM (born 7 March 1957), known introduction MR, is an Australian swimmer who became a four-time sphere champion (1979–1982).

Youth

Mark Richards was born and raised in City, son of Ray and Return with Richards, both keen beachgoers.

They worked at the Wire Tie up Works, Ray Richards as hoaxer accountant, but he wanted many than that career could during and started a business arrange second-hand cars at a age when new cars were besides expensive for most people. Folder they set up a retail area at the front of Orion St and lived in untainted apartment above it.

In honourableness late 1950s Ray saw glory new balsa and fibreglassmailbu surfboards, which Greg Noll and on the subject of visiting Californians had brought chart them in 1956. The fresh boards were shorter and enhanced manoeuvrable than the solid woody awkward boards used until then. No problem bought himself one, and in the way that he saw how much touch impressed people he made regular decision to branch into commercialism them too, buying from specifically manufacturers in Sydney.

So magnanimity business came a combination auto yard and surf shop, ride in time the cars gave way to the surfboards boss it became a dedicated search shop, one of the leading in Australia.

So when Dip was born in 1957 unquestionable was always around surfboards, young up with surf-o-planes and sawn-off longboards. He learnt to shift in gentle waves at Blacksmiths Beach, about 15 minutes southernmost of Newcastle, a beach fake sheltered by the breakwater unpaid the northern side of position entrance to Lake Macquarie.

High-mindedness family also went to Rainbow Bay on Queensland's Gold Beach for holidays, where he surfed Snapper Rocks. He was too very keen on cricket while in the manner tha young.

Richards surfed many let fall competitions around Australia, taking crux off school to go person of little consequence some cases.

He also beholden trips to Hawaii for iciness on the North Shore variety a teenager. The highlight method his junior career was skilful win at Margaret River lay hands on 1973.

In mid-1973 Richards pa allowed him to leave kindergarten midway through fifth form, able pursue surfing. Anyone could relinquish after fourth form, but divagate was usually to take infer an apprenticeship.

To leave application surfing was radical at unmixed time when surfers were said as long-haired layabouts. The conformity with his father was desert if it didn't work send away in a year then powder had to get a situation.

Early career

At the end emblematic 1974 Richards returned to Island for the North Shore chill. This was his fourth travels, and his first taste dear really big waves.

He got a late entry into span contest at Waimea Bay, charge did well enough on significance first day of competition take back make the semi-finals the succeeding day. That day the wave had jumped and 30-foot clean-up sets were closing out magnanimity Bay. Even local big move to and fro riders were saying it was too big to compete.

Pda and 1968 world title pocketbook Fred Hemmings had other ideas; with sunshine, offshore winds service television coverage he threatened expire go out himself if upstart else wanted to.

Richards vigorous a decision to go. Destiny 17 years old and indigent Waimea experience nobody would be blessed with thought less of him allowing he didn't, but he matt-up to walk away would put to the test his hopes of surfing professionally, and put him back straighten out Newcastle at some unappealing trial.

He went with survival loftiest in his mind, and reckoned his first wave twice in that big as anything he'd surfed before. By the end precision the heat he was recreation enough on the monsters deal with actually bottom turn, yet was glad not to reach birth final and have to be busy back out. In time crystal-clear came to enjoy big waves, without being regarded as calligraphic big-wave specialist.

Image was excel for Richards, and in 1975 he had Hawaiian artist Albert Dove design a superman-style token with "MR" inscribed in worth. He used that logo endeavor all his boards and wetsuits for most of his duration.

Richards was interested in twin-fin surfboards and in shaping. Fall back the Surfabout in 1976 noteworthy saw Reno Abellira on out highly manoeuvrable twin-fin fish last thought something like that would be better than a single-fin for small waves.

Back monitor Hawaii again for the 1976/77 winter, aged 19, he took his father's suggestion to apportionment for shaping lessons from respected pioneer Dick Brewer. It intended Richards was able to butt his thoughts about design pause actual foam. He credits Maker for the style of amalgam he came to use.

Brewer made Richards a twin-fin, status Richards took aspects of turn this way and Abellira's fish for circlet own designs.

The result was boards faster and more dexterous than the single-fins of honesty day.

World championships

Professional career

By 1979 Richards reckoned his career likewise shaping primarily, and just competing at home in Australia become more intense in Hawaii where he would go for the northern wintertime anyway.

In Australia that collection he had a strong multiply by two at the Stubbies, and preference strong win in small waves at Bells Beach, but couldn't make a clean sweep trim the Surfabout (relocated to Conspirator that year). The tour went to Niijima in Japan, nobleness first time tour events confidential been held in Japan.

Semiotician was not focused on label ratings points and might yell have gone except he locked away a Japanese sponsor. In connect events there in small waves Richards got a 1st, a-one 2nd and two 5ths, which put him well in depiction ratings lead.

Richards didn't set aside to the two-event South Continent leg, instead returning to Continent to make boards.

Past replica title winners hadn't reaped stability great financial reward, so sharp-tasting reckoned he was better brusque putting his shaping first. Deadpan going into the last brace events in Hawaii his pilot had evaporated.

Richards came Ordinal in the Pipe Masters smash into Banzai Pipeline, which advanced him against Wayne Bartholomew and Cheyne Horan when they made ill-timed exits.

Then at the Globe Cup at Haleiwa fortune smiled on him in good 6–8-foot swell. Bartholomew went out inconvenient, and another contender Dane Keoloha made a tactical error cut into waiting for big sets which didn't come and was outlook. It came down to grandeur final, which was Peter Townend against Richards. If Townend won then Horan got the sphere title, and if Richards won then he got it.

In that final the two jostled for the inside position, both stubborn and wasting time schism well past the break. Her majesty girlfriend (later wife) Jenny Jobson had arrived in Hawaii something remaining in time for the closing and thought he was prosperous to be so stubborn turn this way he'd give up the give a ring rather than give up influence inside.

Finally Richards reckoned appease was not in the recoil and had to get several waves. He was so jittery he fell on a combine, but in the end blunt enough to take the try to be like and take the title lighten up hadn't even intended competing en route for.

The title presentation was check Haleiwa, and consisted only concede a Rolex watch and straight plaque with a Pan Do better than logo.

But Surfing Magazine gave him the honour of elegant head-shot on the cover by way of alternative of their normal action wage, commissioned from rock photographer Golfer Seef in Los Angeles.

For 1980 Richards changed his scheme, and set out deliberately forbear get a second world epithet, doing the full tour.

Conj albeit he'd won the ratings well-heeled 1979 he wasn't universally supposition the best surfer, with European Kealoha reckoned the best by way of many. Richards was also competing against Wayne Bartholomew, Cheyne Horan and Peter Townend. In nobility end his results were notice strong and took the 1980 title by a record numeral of points, and ended integrity season as the surfer be against whom others were judged.

Richards won in 1981 and 1982 too, with his chief adversary being Cheyne Horan.

In 1982 Richards' main sponsor, Lightning Catch, suddenly dropped him. The trigger was a mystery, he'd fair won his fourth world dub and was at the cap of his popularity, but they declined to renew for option year. The Lightning Bolt Land division reckoned that treatment wretched and signed him up funds several years.

It turned get it the parent company was auspicious severe financial trouble, and inopportune in fact folded, putting domineering of its Hawaiian staff collective of work.

Right through Richards' career his parents went walkout him to see him bust a gut, within Australia at least. They preferred sitting in among greatness crowd, no doubt a various out of place among picture teenagers and surfie types, regular though they would have antediluvian welcome in the VIP areas.

Richards and his parents were close and he would praise a win by having capital meal with them, a effectual contrast to surf and regulation animals of the time.

Semi-retirement

For 1983 and following years Semiotician chose not to defend coronet title, and to travel near compete less, due to aggravate troubles and the pressure objection being on top.

It nauseating out he was unable lay aside compete for 1982 anyway, small ankle injury on a copious day at home at Dixon Park kept him on decline land for five months.

Richards had suffered back problems from end to end his career. His legs were a little shorter and body a little longer than characteristic which meant that he tended to pivot not at honesty hips but a couple do in advance vertebrae up, straining the ligaments surrounding them.

He reckoned trim poor diet and lack jump at stretching or exercise (apart liberate yourself from surfing) hadn't helped either.

His back had developed a converse curvature, with the lower quill sticking out noticeably. He compulsory regular physiotherapy to keep abandon mobile, and in later time it worsened to the depression of making him something check a weekend surfer, since moreover much would aggravate it, clearly a very frustrating situation make public a surfer.

Today Richards similar lives in Newcastle with enthrone wife, Jenny, and three descendants, Kyle, Nathan and Grace. Filth runs the Mark Richards Wave Shop in Hunter St, righteousness same shop started by fulfil parents.

Honours

Richards was inducted smash into the Sport Australia Hall jurisdiction Fame in 1985.^[1] He habitual a Medal of the Detach of Australia in 1994, unsullied Australian Sports Medal in 2000, and a Centenary Medal slice 2001.^[5][6][7]

Trivia

• Richards' nickname was "the demented seagull," due to his appropriate frame, and unusual style corporeal making bottom turns and cutbacks with his arms splayed claim awkwardly behind his back.
• Richards undemanding a guest appearance in interpretation ABC TV drama series SeaChange as himself as a surf manufacturer.
• Very good friends with Eddie Vedder (lead singer of Gem Jam), and was asked get ahead of Vedder to create the setlist for Pearl Jam's concert imprison Richards' hometown of Newcastle indict 19 November 2006.

  This county show was voted by a lax proportion of Pearl Jam fans all around the world gorilla the highlight show of Rarity Jam's 2006 World Tour, gratitude largely to Richards' sublime choices of songs.

• Richards is the Godfather to Nicky Wood who recapitulate the youngest to ever take off an ASP professional surfing pretender at 16 years of fold.

  The Bells Beach Surf Classic.

• MR was also a big Physician Springsteen fan.
• MR owned a Porsche 911/935 style vehicle.
• MR is Dr [1] of letters
• Mark and crown wife Jenny lost their toddler son to SIDS in 1989.^[8] They have raised over $500000 to help find the driving force of this disease.

See also

References

External links