History
Mark Richards developed his performance twin-fins through the combined demands of shaping and competition. In interviews, he describes learning shaping basics around Geoff McCoy's factory and trying to reconcile the looseness of early twins with the hold of a single-fin. He recalls Reno Abellira's fish at Narrabeen in 1976 prompting further experiments, followed by time observing Dick Brewer shape in Hawaii. That exchange led toward his Free Ride twin-fin outline. Richards credits his 1978 Bells Beach win with helping other surfers accept the design as a serious contest board. His account emphasizes adjustments to outline, bottom shape and fin placement, building on earlier twin-fins rather than creating the two-fin concept from scratch. It connects his competitive success to a sustained process of designing and riding his own boards.