![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0P4EibB6dIj5hpU-lJDOJE5VHqiP1khicIkkx-zhWdpt1Y0tahYNlrc-GoKkfdH2P7PD4UEUN44T4hRoQH9vNa-6dxRIdaNvs41MJzUVSwoRML9OhnDGzaEjik1QiT1f9c0aYnIZAj6P/s320/Flame-1.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJv_XoomZcOgKMAQW34K_xSxi1o_yzuEcCGK-9xBmyFf-enouyErlfS9ySTy1hfSLObHW2qJL8-oTWcGNh7TBwq38pKEjy1usSmSeuvFZuxcYKLP1oLJdGko2grY0Ffj1pUDUMmF0vm7Y/s320/Flame-2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipahYVGx_yJcwRXY0Km0rVjmeXWlPfqNQgo4Lj0MDozD8MnhhaYBC_8viYGro7ledG6GTBmus74RejxUujHljgPnHuT7jWMfegEqSbSasZ8xH61RySIMxmmiGEeQpLfB7PK2kNoVYSSjRY/s320/MR-Quiver.jpg)
So one day I'm walking home from having a surf at Bondi. I'm walking up the stairs out the front of the Pavilion and I hear 'CLUNK' 'CLUNK' 'CLUNK' and I look over and this kid is dragging this Mark Richards stinger down the concrete steps by the tail. 'CLUNK' 'CLUNK' 'CLUNK'. I do a double take cause it looks immediately to me like one of the most famous boards in the world. Mark Richards 'Old Faithful/Flame' 6 ft 8" Ben Apia shaped stinger that he rode at the-
1976 Rip Curl / Mordy Bells Beach Easter Classic (second to Jeff Hackman);
1976 2SM / Coke Surfabout, Sydney (1st);
1977 (the first) Stubbies Contest, Burleigh Heads (Second to Michael Peterson).
I freaked out and caught the nose before it hit the concrete again.
A long story short, the kid went home from the beach in a taxi with his mates and I saved an important piece of surf history.
This board is not the one Ben Apia shaped for MR of course but a March Richards design made in Newcastle in about 1977 or 78.
Its main difference in design is the addition of the second fly or stinger, down near the tail.
I actually took this board up to Newcastle and offered it to MR as a gift. But true to his reputation as kind hearted soul he insisted that I keep it. What a great man.
Hello I have a board that I was wandering if you could tell me anything about it
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