Mark Rabbidge has been a leader in surf craft design since the 1970s , he shaped his first board in 1966 when his own shaper questioned the rails he wanted on his new board. "He wouldn't do it so I did said Mark. The thing is it worked and ideas about surfboard design grew from then on."

Mark shaped and worked for many of Brookvale's iconic surfboard manufacturers of the day most notably at Hot Buttered and saw first hand the many changes in surfboard design through that period. After many years of being a shaper for hire Mark focussed more on building his own brands and ideas about surfboard design. Rabbidge Shapes and Designs have been out there for many years and the "Retro Longboards" brand was born in 1990.

Mark was an instumental player in the resurgence of longboarding with his own designs a natural development from him wanting to get back in the water after too much time working a regular job. Too big for a standard shortboard of the day, Mark made some throwback designs that saw him improve his level of stoke and turn heads in the water at North Narrabeen. A few other guys were on the same path and some fun longboard events were held at Avalon and the longboard thing started to get a roll on.

A professional tour was born with legends like Nat Young heading the field. mark finished in a heartbreaker close runner up for the world title in 1987 and had a top five showing over the next five years winning world rated events against the world's best longboard surfers. Mark does not think of himself as a longboarder however, just a surfer who rides equipment to suit the conditions. With this open mind to design Mark has a long history with alternative boards. Fish, Fatboys and micro mals have all been in development in Mark's life through his own surfing and the wide variety of surfers who love his shapes. Fish in 94, Fatboys before that have been refined into models that are proven through lots of feedback and testing.

Married to former world champion surfer Pam Burridge and spending many years on tour with Pam or with the professional longboard tour gave Mark a close look at the highest surfing of the 80's and early 90's with lots of pro surfers riding Mark's shapes over that period. The most famous ride was captured when Tom Curren took his virgin 6'6" Rabbidge to J Bay and took the place apart with some of the best surfing seen at the time.

Not touring now but living in the relative quiet of Bendalong on the New South Wales South Coast Mark still sees the highest level of surfing through local team riders and other surfers who rip at wolrd class standard in the Ulladulla area. 

 

Rabbidge surf design has all your surfboard needs and we make them here in Ulladulla australia. Not China, not Taiwan or some other third world country (sorry, developing country). Don't sell out our heritage, there will be no more local shapers soon. Only mass produced souless hard sell that the bankers who own these companies want you to buy. Don't be a sucker! Use your head buy from an Aussie (us or someone else will do) and keep your freedom of choice alive. Custom orders will be no more and the dream of the perfect board just that, a dream