Richard has lived through the heart of the evolution of surfing in Australia. He started learning about the ocean and its power as a boy on holidays at Manly in the 50s and 60s and later when his family moved to Mona Vale on Sydney’s northern beaches. In his early teens Richard joined the local surfriders club and began his competitive surfing career. He competed in events across the country and in 1973 went on to win the Australian Open title. This led to surfing competitions in Hawaii like the Pipeline Masters and the Duke Kahanamoku Hawaiian Surfing Classic. The Surfboard Shapers Workshop has now been running for over four years and in that time he has not only taught many the art of surfboard shaping but shares the handcrafted skills and knowledge of how surfboard designs work in all sorts of waves.