Mark Neustadter
Mark Neustadter began competing in the ESA in the Boy’s Division. As a long- time member of the Reef Surf Shop Surf Team in Margate, he worked at the shop as well. He placed 2nd two years in a row at the ESA Championship at Cape Hatteras in the Juniors Division and at the US Championship in Huntington Beach in 1972 and 1973, where he took 3rd place. As a youngster, Neustadter was also a factory team sponsored rider with Challenger East Surfboards, and later on met Jim Jenks, the founder of Op, and Bill Yerkes, who owned Sundek, introductions which pointed him towards his future career.
After graduating Stockton State College in NJ and Orange Coast Community College in Orange County, CA, he was introduced to the Rip Curl founders by Surfing Magazine’s Bob Mignogna. In his first action sports job, Neustadter established, developed and pioneered Rip Curl USA, where he managed Sales, Marketing and Advertising working with team riders and future World Champs Tom Carroll, Rabbit Bartholomew and Tom Curren. In the mid 80’s he started his own sales agency representing Jimmy’Z, Rip Curl, Rainbow Sandals, Sanuk Sandals, Rusty Surfboards and Apparel, Surftech Surfboards, Electric Eyewear and Cobian Sandals in NY, NJ, PA, MD and DE. Neustadter is a dedicated waterman and action sports athlete since the age of 10 and today lives and surfs year round in his home town, Margate. He was inducted into the New Jersey Surfing Hall Of Fame in 2017.
Photos by Michael Baytoff, Ray Hallgreen, John Ker, and Courtesy Mark Neustadter
