|
|
|
Richie Collins (March 31, 1969- ) |
 The Largest Surfing EncyclopediaA-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Advertisement
|
|
|
Few 14-year-olds are serious about anything, but Richie Collins wasn't your typical teenager. Before he could drive himself to the beach, Collins was a professional surfer and surfboard shaper, a boy living in an adult world. Bold and outspoken, he railed against the establishment with the things he said, the way he looked, and the way he surfed. At a time when competition was of great importance, he was more competitive than anyone. In fact, he once said, it was the only reason he surfed.
William Richard Collins was born in Newport Beach, where he has resided his entire life. His father Lance was already a recognized surfer and shaper and wasted no time in getting Richie in the game. The toddler was on a board before he could walk, soon following dad to the beach and back to work. "I've been sitting in a shaping room since I was five watching Dad and Bob Hurley," recalls Richie. At age 11, he tackled windsurfing with his characteristic single-mindedness, leaving his surfing career to gather dust. In a local event, he competed against Robbie Naish and was winning until a busted sail took him out of the running. Finally, a botched landing resulted in a back injury that convinced him to return to surfing. A West Coast champion in the 12-and-under against fellow tiny terrors David Eggers and Doug Silva, Collins longed to prove himself against older surfers. Since the NSSA wouldn't allow him to surf beyond his age level, he decided to turn pro. 14-year-old domestic pros weren't in great demand, so Richie continued to work on his shaping. "I had my own team guys at 15," he says. "I'd call them up, 'Hey, come pick me up and I'll shape you a board.'" His riders got their boards, and Richie got his ride to the beach. After competing in random pro events, the PSAA formed in 1985 and offered Collins an opportunity to shine. Mentored by Greg Mungall, Jim Hogan, and Ken Bradshaw, he learned the intricacies of competition and surfing big waves. After a rough first year on the U.S. tour, Collins' resolve only strengthened. "That's it," he told himself, "I'm never gonna lose in one of these things again." The following season, he made nearly every final, but burnt out from having to surf from the first round, he rarely finished the job. Nevertheless, he landed fourth in the ratings and could have dominated domestically had he not decided to once again test his limits by pursuing the ASP tour. In his first full ASP season, Collins finished 30th and secured the final seed on tour, but his real coming out came early in 1988. Something of a loner on tour, he went out of his way to appear different. Floaters and aerials were nothing new to freesurfing, but Collins found a way to incorporate the cutting edge moves into his competitive arsenal, separating himself from the norm. At the inaugural O'Neill Coldwater Classic at Steamer Lane, he shocked everyone by showing up with a Mohawk on the final day and winning the event. At the peak of his abilities, a recurring injury from his windsurfing days threatened to end his career in its tracks. "I was paralyzed in France," he remembers, "had to be carried out of the water. I made it home and went to the doctor, who couldn't believe I could even walk, let alone surf. I had broken my back when I was younger and it healed all screwed up." Collins overcame the injury but did equal damage to his reputation by spouting off to the media. He spoke openly about masturbation, suggested his professional status granted him special privileges in the surf, and claimed to surf solely for the sake of competition. Consequently, much of his career was spent sponsorless in a constant effort to make ends meet. Despite his reckless remarks, his talent and determination were undeniable. He won numerous PSAA events, spent three seasons in the ASP top 10, and triumphed in momentous battles against the giants of the sport. In 1989, he stopped Tom Curren in the finals of the Op Pro, and in 1992 Martin Potter to win the Bells Beach Classic despite leaving the water 10 minutes early with a pinched nerve. After shaping under his own labels -- Contra and California Hot Shapes -- Richie is back working under his dad's Wave Tools logo. He lives close to the factory in Costa Mesa with wife Caroline and daughter Meah and continues to push his surfing, even threatening a full-fledged attack on the tour. As for the "new" style permeating through the sport, he responds, "Tricks are for kids. We did all those tricks they're doing now and they wrote us off. We switched to power surfing carves. I did air 360's and you never heard about it. I refuse to do a tail-slide. If I do one now, it's an accident." -- Jason Borte, April 2001
|
|
