Single Fin Mafia

Fall 1964
Hollister & Bixby Ranches
Skip Frye - Mike Hynson - Ken Joesting - Denny Tompkins - Ron Stoner
📸 Late great Ron Stoner

Finally tracked one of the skateboards with my mural on it. Stoked!
Thanks Terry for hooking me up 🙌🏼

Martyn Worthington in his element.
Genius.

My 6’8 HB Pin from the skilled hands of Terry Fitzgerald w/ mural by Martyn Worthington. This was designed for my 50th a couple of yrs ago - brings me a lot of joy 🙌🏼

This board was then used in HB advertising for a while and the artwork put onto a sk8bd in the US - today I finally got one to match👌🏼

RENO
DICK
GERRY
Oahu 1969



📷 David Darling
WE CAN BE HEROES

One of the gems that’s been tucked away for safe keeping.
Original HAYDEN SURFBOARDS mid 60’s custom order form.
Printed on a vinyl like paper stock.

6’3” HB Pin c.’75/‘76
Designed by Terry Fitzgerald
Shaped by Frank Williams
It’s lived a life & I’m sure had some good waves. Not a museum piece but pretty good overall.
Will be ridden.

SFM T-Shirts are finally in!
If you’re keen, hit me up as they’re a small run in sizes M, L & XL - mostly White but a few in
each size in Yellow 💥
*AS Colour Staple T
*Four colour printed.
DM for enquiries of sizing & postage 🤙🏼

Thankyou 🙏🏼
Mark Charlie &

R.I.P. RICK NEILSEN

Sad news for the Australian surfing community.

Tribute to Queensland Surfing Legend Rick Neilsen. 1948 – 2023.

On behalf of the Neilsen Family, it is with great sadness to convey the passing of one of Queensland’s greatest surfing legends, Rick Neilsen.
Born on the Gold Coast 20th July 1948, Roderick James Neilsen, better known as Rick or Ricky was a fun-loving colourful character, admired by the surfing community. He learned how to surf at Broadbeach in 1960/61 on his local beach break where a Council Park has been dedicated to the famous Family name opposite Britannia Ave., Broadbeach.
The third oldest of six brothers Len, Kevin, Paul, Jon & Gary, Rick attended Broadbeach State School before following in his father's footsteps, William Arthur Neilsen affectionately called “Ganger” in the building trade. Ganger was a builder boss (hence the nickname) and the first professionally paid Surfers Paradise lifeguard sponsored by a group of businessmen led by Jim Cavill prior to Council funding.
Following in the success of fellow Broadbeach two times National Junior champion Peter Drouyn, Rick & Paul joined Drouyn’s lead to carve out a career path in competitive surfing. They were invited members of the prestigious Gold Coast Windansea Surf Club based at Paula & Bev Stafford’s flats at Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise. Bev & Ganger were great mates and Surfers Paradise Surf Club champions. Their mother Betty was an adept seamstress who designed tailor-made beach baggies, boardshorts, then called okanuies. Rick was a trendsetter, a fancy dresser who liked wearing stylish fashionable clothes. By 1967 Rick began surfboard shaping at Lawrie Hohensee’s as a sought-after shaper while designing boards for himself and Paul. From 1967 – 72, Rick represented Qld in consecutive National titles. He registered a win in 1970 Noosa Open amongst some of the best surfers in the Country including Hawaiian champions Gerry Lopez & Jimmy Blears.
In 1971 Paul won the Australian Open Mens title on a board Rick had especially shaped that would help them successfully launch Brothers Neilsen Surfboards and the Australian Championship board.
Rick was runner-up in the finals at the 71 Bells Nationals and together with Paul was selected into the Australian Team for the 1972 World Surfing Championships at San Diego, California.
Later that year, Paul won the Smirnoff Pro on an 8/2 gun that Ricky had shaped in Honolulu glassed by Paul. At the same event, Ricky registered his best international result with an impressive performance to make the semi-finals at Haleiwa, North Shore, Oahu. His tall frame of 6/2 and lanky legs were perfectly suited to the Hawaiian surf, especially at Sunset Beach where he continued to revisit through the seventies.
He persuaded “Ganger” into paddling out in the channel at Sunset to watch him surf and to say the old man had surfed Sunset. Ganger and Eddie Aikau’s father Sol were good friends. Rick embraced the Aloha spirit and the 1976 Hawaiian surfboard stingers, shaping his own version to be a super popular model in the Brothers Neilsen stores and further enhance his shaping reputation.
Rick was one of Queensland’s all-time surfing greats, transitioning from longboards to shortboards and shaping champion-winning surfboards throughout.
Rest in Peace Rick.

Pic courtesy of Steve Wilkings

Innovator. Influencer. Individual. Designer. Visionary. Craftsman. Eccentric.
The genius that is
George Hamilton Perkins Greenough.
Be like George.