Photo: Cestari
Josh Kerr and his dog, Jedda, talk about the progression of his surfing, pushing the limits, and where pro surfing is going. This clip will be featured on Skuff TV, Fuel TV, and on various action sports websites- so keep your eyes peeled for Kerr…
Rusty team rider, Sean Murphy, is like a bleep on the radar screen- he is there one minute and gone the next…
From Mainland Mexico to Costa Rica to Hawaii to who knows where, Murphy is always on the move! In order to catch up with him we had to lure him to the factory, tempting him with brand new shred sticks. He took the bait like a kid in a candy store and I was able to corner him in the parking lot for a quick interview; here’s what the globe trotter had to say:
Name: Sean Murphy
Age: 27
How long have you been riding Rusty Surfboards? I have been getting Rusty’s for about five years now.
Would you say you are pretty well traveled? I would like to think so, but not compared to everyone else… I’ve got some stamps on the passport and have a few pages left to fill, then time for a new one.
Where have you been? Most recently got back from Mainland and El Salvador, a lot of Central America. I spent about a month camping on my property down in Costa Rica.
So you have some property down there? Yeah, I bought five acres about six years ago with a little bit of money I had saved up.
Any other travel plans? Well, I have two more weeks of school left until the end of the semester then I am going to Hawaii for a few weeks. After the new year I will be heading back to Costa to do a little work on my property. Then, at the end of January I am trying to go to Morocco.
What is your board of choice? It totally depends what the waves are like…
What is your favorite board for around here? I got a couple fun boards; that new composite board I got from them is my fastest shortboard ever! It is the same size as my other boards, but it paddles like a champ! I’m psyched!
What are your go to short board dimensions? 5′11″-6′1″ x 18″ x 2.25″
Where are you from? I grew up in Oceanside, learned to surf there the last 12 years or so. I just try and not stay in one spot too long, keep moving around…
Other hobbies? I love fishing, hiking, traveling, studying a bit, gaining more knowledge…
What is your degree in? I got my AA in Spanish and I have two more semesters to get my BA in Spanish. In the meantime I am finishing my BA in landscape architecture.
What is the five year plan? Stay outside, keep healthy. Slowly develop my property and build my house there (Costa Rica). Hopefully in five years I’ll have it finished…
At this point of the interview, I glanced down for a split second to check the blinking battery icon on my digital voice recorder and when I snapped my head back up, like a nomadic ninja, Murphy was gone… He could be any where on the map at this point? But don’t worry, he’s got to come back for new boards sooner or later.
Text, Portrait, and Interview: Brody
Photo: Heff/FreeSurf
Pipeline comes to life and, once again, Rusty team riders anxiously greet the new swell! Click on the photo of Jamie to see some video highlights from this week on the North Shore (provided by Surfline.com)…
Skuff.TV chat & go surfing with pro free surfer, Jay Davies, as he shreds South Africa, The Mentawais & his home of West Oz. Checkout all the Action from Jay & his fellow Rusty compadres in the new Rusty surf flick, Changes… Available now!
Surfing Magazine is in the middle of their “Month of the Shaper,” where each day they feature an interview with a different world renowned board builder. Read the full interview with 2008 Shaper of the Year, Rusty Preisendorfer…
Name: Rusty Preisendorfer
Zone: Twilight
Years Shaping: almost 40
Boards Per Week: then…handshape 20 plus; now…program 30 to 40 finish 15 to 20
Specialty: none really…I pride myself in being very versatile
Is your business better or worse since the Clark Foam shutdown?
Overall numbers are down. There is a lot more to it than Clark’s closure. Short supply of good foam immediately following Black Monday had a discernable impact on the US surfboard market that winter. It opened the doors for more imported boards…not just from Asia. Consumer confusion on what construction was really a positive step forward slowed sales. General economic concerns have taken over as probably the number one reason why many people are trying to get a few more miles out of old faithful. Better or worse? We are all having to make adjustments but I feel it’s better in the sense that it is more challenging which is more stimulating. I think we are all being forced out of our comfort zones, for better or worse, into the next big chapter in surfboard construction.
Do you feel polyurethane foam/polyester resin will always be the dominant surfboard construction?
Not always. I don’t see too many wood tennis racquets around anymore…collector’s items mainly. Persimmon drivers, steel bikes, wood airplanes and so on. For the most part, things keep moving along. At some point superior materials and construction techniques will replace most of the PU/PE in the marketplace except for art’s sake. Some folks like driving old cars around because they are cool and have some good memories attached. For the most part, the average consumer is concerned with value: good mileage, safety and comfort. Same thing with surfboards: something that has good performance characteristics is durable, and affordable. Short term, there are some riding characteristics of PU/PE that still appeal to some surfers in certain conditions. Classic longboards, big-wave paddle-in equipment. At some point sturdier materials with the “right” feel will take over more of the traditional market. Also, as the years tick by, isocyanate urethane foam along with polyester resins will become increasingly problematic from environmental standards and legislatively unwelcome…even in other countries.
Do you think there’s an increasing or decreasing appreciation for a custom surfboard?
Our custom orders are up. Most surfers with a bit of experience are realizing the benefits of a real custom board…not just pre-machined foam inventory that happens to match a narrow set of criteria and easy to customize with “your name here”. People trip out when I call them or email about a custom. I don’t do it with every order but if I see something that requires a little more information for me to feel comfortable about the end product, I’ll go after it. Shortened turn around time is a by-product of the times…so this should also be a little incentive for the surfer considering a custom.
Are quads declining or increasing in popularity?
We seem to be building quite a few. Some people are just getting around to trying them. Fin positioning is critical. There isn’t any magic formula. It’s more of a decision on how the rider wants the board to feel: more like a tri or more like a twin…or something in between. I made an asymmetrical (thank-you Carl Ekstrom) quad for a long hollow left I like to surf.
If it hasn’t already, will your surfboard production ever have to go overseas?
I respond to my customer’s feedback. The feedback is becoming louder and louder: “we need well designed, affordable product, with good margin, and we would prefer it to be a brand, not a label.” This does not mean we will stop making boards here. On the contrary, we will be able to spend more time and energy on real custom boards, creative projects, research and development.
What kind of music do you like to listen to when you shape?
I have very eclectic tastes…I have about 16,000 songs on my iPod. In addition I have XM and Pandora.com all hooked up in the room and my office.
How much time do you spend on a single board now?
As much as it takes to get it right.
Do you spend more time on the computer screen or in the shaping bay?
Computer, but I program at home and on trips as well. I still spend a fair amount of time in the room too. I use DSD, APS, and Shape 3D so it’s critical to see how all the different apps translate into cut foam.
How important is teamrider feedback to you?
Feedback is and always will be super important. Teamriders are an important part of product development. Shaun Tomson recently asked me this question: “is your best-selling model teamrider based? For that matter, any does any major manufacturer have a best-seller that is team rider based?” I think the answer points to the average surfer: a design that is user friendly for the everyday surfer. So feedback from the bros is just as important as the feedback from the pros.
What kind of board do you enjoy shaping most right now?
I enjoy my time in the room. The challenges…the stimulating stuff changes all the time.
How often do you get to surf?
Pretty much everyday.
Are you actively pursuing “greener” avenues in your surfboard production?
I’m a big fan of EPS/Epoxy. Is it greener? Compared to PU/PE, I’ve been told it is. We are developing a custom composite program. The process is probably a little greener still. I’ll be honest….my primary focus is on performance and value to the end consumer. If I can achieve that with “greener” materials and methods that it is a win-win.
BIG THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS AT SURFING MAGAZINE!
The Rusty team is all over Australia’s Waves Magazine this month! In addition to Jay Davies splitting the cover with Slater, this issue also features the Rusty trip to the Menatwais where the team got some serious work done for the new Rusty surf flick, “Changes.” Jamie O’brien, Kalani Chapman, Merlon Gerber, Josh Kerr, Jayke Sharpe, and Jay Davies all have full page features! Find out more about the mag HERE!
Date of Birth: 12-23-58
Home Town: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Years Surfing: 38
Years Shaping: 30
Years with Rusty: 18
Approx. # of Boards Shaped: 40,000+
Best Surf Trip: San Carlos to go sailboarding, but there was no wind and the surf was going off!
Previous Labels: My own, “Hot Stick”
Hobbies: Jiu-jitsu
Favorite Type of Board to Shape: High performance shortboards
Least Favorite Board to Shape: Longboards
Favorite Boards from the Past: Twin Fins
Favorite Local Wave: Wind’n'Sea
Favorite Wave in the World: Tavarua
Travels: Peru, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Mexico, South Africa
Indonesia, Fiji, Australia, Mentawais
Future Travel Plans: Europe, Maldives, Galapagos
How did you get into Shaping?: In Australia I started as a helper for Emerald
Surfboards in Cronulla, Sydney
If I Wasn’t a Shaper: I would be teaching jiu-jitsu
Ten Year Plan: A farm in Costa Rica Beach Front
Photo: Brody
Nate Yeomans is up for the “Orange County Reader’s Choice Surfer of the Year Award.” Nate is up against Micah Byrne, Patrick and Tanner Gudauskas, Greg Long, Mike Parsons, Brett Simpson, and Shaun Ward for the local title. Check out the FULL STORY on the OC Register website and vote for Nate!
That’s right folks… Rusty’s very own, Johnny “Monster” Maher and Jamie O’Brien, have entries in the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards! (Check out the VIDEO!)
Maher has been pushing the envelope at insane waves like Cloudbreak, Fiji when it is bombing and maxing out Puerto Escondido, Mexico! The particular wave that Maher entered, under the category of “Ride of the Year,” was an enormous set wave at Puerto that he PADDLED INTO and pulled an unbelievable disappearing act, only to be spat out way down the line, causing the entire crowd on the beach to go nuts! Plus J.O.B. has entered a crazy drainer at Teahupoo for “Monster Tube of the Year”!
“Monster” Maher spent some time shooting some self portraits with a nose cam
The Billabong XXL Challenge is reserved only for true hellmen and Maher has definitely forced his way into that category. The contest is high stakes, but also has high rewards:
Billabong XXL Ride of the Year Award:
The Billabong XXL Ride of the Year Award will be won by the individual surfer who — based on review of available video images by a panel of experts — demonstrates the most advanced and committed level of big wave surfing performance during a single successful ride during the annual event period. Judging criteria is purely SUBJECTIVE and will calculated from the votes of a large panel of surfers, photographers and surf magazine editors and writers. The first prize will be awarded in the amount of $50,000. Second prize will be awarded in the amount of $5000. The XXL Ride of the Year finalists finishing third through fifth will receive $1500 each. The videographer who captures the definitive video clip of the winning ride will be awarded $5,000. (billabong.xxl.com)
Charging Backside!
Maher’s wave has a solid chance at taking home the prestigious title of “Ride of the Year”. So, let’s all root him on as he continues to boggle minds!
Text: Brody
Rusty’s aussie JAYKE SHARP places 2nd at the Oakley jr.pro in santa cruz . Sharpe flew 20 hours surfed 8 heats and placed 1st all the the way to the final. Look for Sharp on the WQS next year ,YEWWW SHARPE !!!!!! Check here for photos
