Hubbry Logo
Rick StonerRick StonerMain
Open search
Rick Stoner
Community hub
Rick Stoner
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Rick Stoner
Rick Stoner
Rick Stoner
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia
Rick Stoner
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceFury #1 (May 1994)
Created byBarry Dutter
M.C. Wyman
In-story information
Full nameRichard "Rick" Andrew Stoner[1]
Team affiliationsS.H.I.E.L.D.
United States Army
Central Intelligence Agency
Notable aliasesFallen Angel

Colonel Richard Stoner is a fictional secret agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Barry Dutter and M.C. Wyman, first appeared in Fury #1 (May 1994).

Rick Stoner was played by Patrick Warburton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fifth and seventh seasons.

Fictional character biography

[edit]

Rick Stoner was a hard man who always stuck to the rules and showed much disdain towards his fellow World War II soldiers, specifically Nick Fury whom he had a love-hate relationship of sorts with. He along with James "Logan" Howlett worked at the C.I.A. and fought Hydra. Stoner was eventually offered the director's seat of the then newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. Upon looking at the Howling Commandos' dossiers, he told himself that "these jokers will never become S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as long as I'm director". His director status is short lived as he's shot and killed by Hydra while trying to uncover a traitor within S.H.I.E.L.D.[2]

This turned out to be a cover up with Stoner actually having been disavowed and abandoned by S.H.I.E.L.D., plotting revenge against Fury for taking his job. Now under the Fallen Angel codename, he plots to use a project to manipulate reality. Stoner and Fury have a battle over the project, ending up trapped in a pocket universe. Fury ultimately prevails while Stoner is killed.[3]

In other media

[edit]

Rick Stoner appears in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., portrayed by Patrick Warburton. This version is a military general from the 1970s. Additionally, according to Daniel Sousa, he was also known as "Little Ricky", a junior agent who "couldn't tell the difference between a clip and a mag." A prerecorded holographic message of Stoner for a then-uninhabited S.H.I.E.L.D. base called the Lighthouse appears in the season five episodes "All the Comforts of Home" and "Option Two"[4][5] before an alternate timeline version of Stoner appears in the season seven episodes "A Trout in the Milk" and "Adapt or Die".[6][7]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Rick Stoner

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Rick Stoner is an American lifeguard, surfer, and surfboard shaper known for pioneering foam surfboard construction in New Zealand and founding the influential Rick Surfboards brand during the sport's mid-century growth. Born in 1937 in San Diego, California, and raised in Hermosa Beach, he built a multifaceted career blending ocean safety, competitive surfing, and innovative board design, leaving a lasting mark on California and international surfing communities before his early death in 1977. Stoner began surfing and lifeguarding in Southern California, where he was mentored by renowned shaper Dale Velzy and formed a close partnership with Bing Copeland. He traveled to Hawaii in 1955, served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1956 to 1957 aboard a cutter in Honolulu, and in 1958 sailed to New Zealand, where he constructed some of the first Styrofoam-and-epoxy surfboards for the Piha Surf Club using improvised tools. Returning to California, he co-founded Bing and Rick Surfboards in Hermosa Beach in 1959, though he sold his stake shortly after to prioritize lifeguarding and family stability. In 1961, Stoner launched Rick Surfboards independently while continuing as a Los Angeles County lifeguard, eventually rising to lieutenant. His company gained recognition for signature models like the Dru Harrison Improvisor and Barry Kanaiaupuni in 1966, expanded to the East Coast and Hawaii, and became the first major brand to export surfboards on a large scale to Peru. Despite challenges in the late 1960s, the business remained viable until Stoner sold it in 1974. He died in 1977 at age 40 from a brain tumor.

Early life

Birth and upbringing

Rick Stoner was born in San Diego, California in 1937. He grew up in Hermosa Beach, California, a coastal town in Southern California. His upbringing in Hermosa Beach immersed him in the region's prominent beach culture and ocean activities from an early age, shaping his early environment amid the Southern California coastline.

Introduction to surfing

Rick Stoner was introduced to surfing during his early teens while growing up in Hermosa Beach, California, where the South Bay's proximity to the ocean fostered a vibrant local surf culture. He began riding waves at the Manhattan Beach Pier around 1949 alongside his friend Bing Copeland, marking the start of his active involvement in the sport. Stoner and Copeland developed a close friendship rooted in their shared enthusiasm for surfing and lifeguarding, which became a defining influence during this formative period. Their early experiences centered on the beaches of Southern California, particularly the breaks around Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, where they honed their skills amid the region's emerging postwar surf scene. In the early 1950s, Stoner received mentorship from pioneering surfboard shaper Dale Velzy, an experience that deepened his engagement with the sport. This occurred alongside other young surfers including Copeland, who was similarly influenced during this era.

Military service and early travels

U.S. Coast Guard enlistment

Rick Stoner enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in early 1956 after running out of money during his first extended stay in Hawaii. Along with his friend Bing Copeland, he signed up for a two-year stint and was assigned to serve aboard the cutter Bering Strait, stationed out of Honolulu. The two surfers served together on the vessel, which allowed them to remain in Hawaii during their military commitment. Stoner was discharged in late 1957.

First trip to Hawaii

In September 1955, Rick Stoner traveled to Hawaii for the first time with fellow surfers Bing Copeland, Sonny Vardeman, Mike Bright, and Steve Vorhees. This trip built upon his earlier friendship with Bing Copeland, which had developed through shared surfing experiences in California. The group settled in a small Quonset hut near Makaha Point and immersed themselves in the islands' waves, but their savings quickly dwindled to nothing due to the extended surfing and living expenses. This financial depletion prompted Stoner to enlist in the military.

International contributions

Voyage to New Zealand

Following his discharge from the U.S. Coast Guard in late 1957, Rick Stoner set out on a voyage to the South Pacific with Bing Copeland aboard a 42-foot sailboat. The pair arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, on November 27, 1958. Upon arrival, they quickly befriended members of the Piha Surf Club and spent several months surfing and paddle-boarding with the group. This period allowed Stoner to engage directly with the local surfing scene at Piha, contributing to his broader experiences in international surf culture during that era.

Building early foam surfboards

During their stay with the Piha Surf Club in New Zealand, Rick Stoner and Bing Copeland built approximately six Styrofoam and epoxy surfboards. These boards were constructed by sandwiching a plywood stringer between Styrofoam panels to form each blank, which was then shaped and glassed using epoxy resin. Lacking conventional shaping tools, they relied on makeshift implements such as a cheese grater and sandpaper to form the Styrofoam blanks on the beach and in the clubhouse. These boards represented the first foam surfboards built in New Zealand, replacing the heavy wooden paddleboards that club members had previously ridden. The significantly lighter foam designs caused a sensation locally and were used by Piha members, including two built specifically for the 1959 national surf life saving championships. This effort introduced modern lightweight foam construction to the region, drawing on Stoner's prior experience in California board factories.

Lifeguard career

Joining Los Angeles County Lifeguards

Upon returning to California from New Zealand in February 1959, Rick Stoner resumed his lifeguard duties with the Los Angeles County Lifeguards alongside his friend Bing Copeland. He took up lifeguarding full-time in Southern California as his primary occupation following the international travels that had interrupted his earlier service. Stoner continued working as a Los Angeles County lifeguard while he began his surfboard business, balancing the demands of public safety with his emerging work in surfboard shaping and sales. This period marked a continuation of his established role within the organization as he pursued additional professional interests in the surf industry.

Career progression and rank

After returning from New Zealand in February 1959, Rick Stoner resumed his full-time role with the Los Angeles County Lifeguards. He advanced through the ranks of the organization over the subsequent years, ultimately attaining the rank of lieutenant. Throughout his tenure, Stoner balanced these demanding lifeguarding responsibilities with the concurrent demands of founding and operating his surfboard shaping business, Rick Surfboards, which he established in 1961. This dual commitment allowed him to maintain a long-term professional presence in both fields until his death in 1977.

Surfboard shaping and business

Partnership in Bing and Rick Surfboards

Rick Stoner co-founded Bing and Rick Surfboards with Bing Copeland in October 1959 in Hermosa Beach, California. The partnership emerged from their shared background in surfing and prior acquaintance through the U.S. Coast Guard. The business operated on the strand in Hermosa Beach, where they shaped and sold surfboards directly to the local surfing community. This location on the beachfront allowed them to engage closely with surfers and test designs in nearby waves, establishing an early foothold in the growing Southern California surfboard industry.

Founding Rick Surfboards

Following his departure from the Bing and Rick Surfboards partnership in 1960, after Bing Copeland bought out his interest due to Stoner's upcoming marriage and his view that surfboard manufacturing was not a reliable livelihood, Rick Stoner returned to board building within a short time. In 1961, while continuing his full-time position as a Los Angeles County lifeguard, Stoner founded Rick Surfboards as his independent venture in Hermosa Beach. Around 1963, Phil Becker joined the company and soon became its primary shaper, a position he held through most of Rick Surfboards' existence until about 1980.

Signature models and expansions

Rick Surfboards, founded in 1961, achieved significant product development and market growth in the mid-1960s through the release of signature models and strategic expansions. In 1966, the company introduced the Dru Harrison Improvisor model, named after professional surfer Dru Harrison in recognition of his contest successes, including a win at the Swami’s Pro-Am and an eighth-place finish at the World Championships. That same year, Rick Surfboards launched the Barry Kanaiaupuni model, crafted to accommodate Kanaiaupuni's powerful and aggressive surfing style while aligning with the emerging trend toward shorter, narrower "pocket rocket" boards. The business further expanded by opening operations in Hawaii and on the East Coast. Rick Surfboards also became the first brand to export surfboards on a large scale to Peru.

Sale of the company

In 1974, Rick Stoner sold Rick Surfboards to the Hamilton brothers. At the time, the company remained financially sound despite widespread failures among other California surfboard manufacturers in the late 1960s. Under the new ownership, the business quickly faced challenges due to the Hamilton brothers' limited experience in surfboard manufacturing. In 1980, Phil Becker, Dave Hollander, and Steve Mangiagli acquired the struggling company and relaunched it as Becker Surfboards. Phil Becker had previously served as Rick Stoner's primary shaper from approximately 1963 onward.

Media appearance

Appearance as himself in Blue Surfari (1967)

According to his IMDb profile, Rick Stoner appeared as himself in the 1967 surfing documentary Blue Surfari. The film, directed by Milton Blair, showcases the sport through footage of various waves and locations, narrated by Hal Buckley and centered around prominent surfers including Ricky Grigg, the 1967 World Champion. It features other surfers such as Donald Takayama and John Cormack. Blue Surfari has an IMDb user rating of 6.5 out of 10. This is Stoner's sole known appearance in film or television, reflecting his standing in the 1960s surfing scene.

Death and legacy

Illness and passing

Rick Stoner was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the period following the 1974 sale of his surfboard company. The illness proved fatal, and he died on July 15, 1977, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 40. His life was tragically cut short by the brain tumor, as noted in accounts from those who knew him, including former partner Bing Copeland who described him as exceptionally generous and caring.

Influence on surfing industry

Rick Stoner left a lasting imprint on the surfing industry as a pioneer in foam surfboard construction and an early advocate for its global dissemination. In late 1958 and early 1959, while in New Zealand with Bing Copeland, he constructed eight Styrofoam-and-epoxy surfboards for the Piha Surf Club using makeshift tools such as a cheese grater, creating the first foam surfboards ever built in the country and introducing modern materials and techniques to replace traditional wooden designs. His lifelong service as a Los Angeles County lifeguard, during which he advanced to the rank of lieutenant, supported surf safety and fostered the growth of surf culture through his dedicated presence and community involvement. Stoner was widely regarded for his generous nature within the surfing world, with fellow shaper Bing Copeland describing him as “the most generous and caring person I’ve had the pleasure to be associated with.” Through founding Rick Surfboards in 1961, Stoner extended his influence by expanding operations to the East Coast and Hawaii and becoming the first surfboard company to export boards on a large scale to Peru, helping broaden international access to American surfboard innovation. His contributions as a foam pioneer and exporter endure in the industry's historical narrative, even after his death from a brain tumor in 1977.
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.