Frother of the Month – Rich Beckett

By Franck Gazzola - www.frothers.com.au on November 18, 2014 in People

Name: Rich Beckett
Occupation: Web guy by day; one half of Anchor Shapes on the side
Age: Still a grommet
Local Break: Bondi Beach
Favourite board: My 5’6” Sweet Potato and an Anchor Shapes 10’6” SUP for cruising and when the surf is small
Goofy or Natural: Natural

Where are you from?
I was born in the UK, grew up in NZ, and now I’ve been in NSW for a while.

What brought you to the Eastern Suburbs?
I lived in Cronulla for a few of years, then after a working holiday/surf trip around the UK and Europe, I was back in Sydney crashing in my best mate’s spare room in Dulwich Hill. I couldn’t handle only surfing weekends and after going to Bondi a few times and seeing how amazing it is, it wasn’t long until I was the next Bondi local. Almost eight years later and still love it here!

How long ago did you start surfing?
I started in the summer of ’97, after pouring over my mate’s surf mags and hearing his stories of perfect waves. He and his big bro finally took me surfing on an old Mark Richards Zappa in the freezing waters of Lyall Bay.

Did you think at the time that you’d end up trying to make a career out of it?
No, I had no idea when I began surfing that I would eventually start a board company. Anchor Shapes is still young and growing. We have had heaps of fun learning about the intricacies of business in the surf industry and seeing what works over the past few years. It’s been a great experience and I’ve met some really cool people along the way.

Have you got any exciting projects in the pipeline with Anchor Shapes?
We’re frothing on our leopard print model that we got in a couple of months ago. You can check them out at Surf World (the old Dripping Wet surf shop) on Campbell Parade. We are also working on a race SUP and developing a new paddleboard with Harries from Bondi Recue, which is in the early days of planning.

Where are your top two favourite surfing spots in the world?
I’ve surfed too many good places to only name two, but the south coast of Lombok and the far north of NZ are up there. My favourite spots in Australia would be around Lennox Head and on the South Coast near Ulladulla. My favourite place for paddleboarding is from Rose Bay out to Shark Island on the harbour, and at Rarotonga with local legends Charlotte Piho and Sean Carroll.

How many times per week do you manage to get in the surf?
I’ve been getting out before work most days since it’s been light super early. I catch the sunrise and share waves with the before work crew. Normally I go up or down the coast on the weekends too, and when the waves aren’t on I get out on the paddleboard.

Do you complement surfing with any other sports?
I used to snowboard and skate heaps, and now I’ve got a carve board to go and get milk from the IGA and check the surf.

Where is your next holiday destination?
I’ve got a surf trip to Bali with a group of mates for two weeks next April – pretty standard. I’m also planning to fly to Melbourne, hire a camper and surf my way back up to Sydney – that’s going to happen next year.

Any last words?
Get in the ocean as much as possible – it’s good for the soul!