Rusty

Interview from Surfing Magazine By Matt Skenazy

Nate Yeomans is one of four California rookies entering the 2010 WCT. We caught up with him between west coast rain squalls to talk about Al Borlin, World Titles, and getting mental.

What’s it been like back home, waiting for the WCT to start?
It’s been nice, I actually got stitches in my foot like a week ago, so I haven’t been surfing. The nose of my board nailed me in the outside of my foot while I was surfing at Creek. It’s been kind of non-stop waves though.

We’ve had a lot of waves, and I’ve been working a lot with Rusty on my equipment and tuning that stuff in. I’ve been training and working out, getting myself prepared for that top league of competition. It’s been nice kind of charging the batteries because I leave for ten weeks straight pretty soon.

What have you been doing to train?
I’ve been seeing a sports psychologist guy, working on the more mental stuff. And I’ve been going to DSC up in Huntington with Kevyn Dean, and a place here in San Clemente called Finish Strong. Been trying to get fit as a fiddle.

Which contest are you most excited to surf in?
All of them in different waves, but probably Snapper, just because it’s the first event and the place it’s at, and how the wave quality usually is. Teahupoo too, since it’s such a perfect wave, and as everyone knows it scares the shit out of ya. To surf a heat out there would be insane.

Who are you most excited to surf against?
It would be cool to surf a man on man heat with one of the Gudauskas boys.

Who is the last person that you want to draw in your first heat at Snapper?
Fanning or Parko would probably suck since it’s their spot, and they’re freaks of nature.

What are your predictions for yourself and the other California rookies on tour?
I think with the changes in store, it kind of works in our favor. We’re kind of new to the whole thing as is, so one more new rule isn’t going to effect us as much. Maybe some of the other guys are getting more caught up by it. I think it gives us more reason to really push ourselves and put it all on the line. It’s hard enough as is with that drastic cut. I think we’re really gonna have to step up and go big or go home.

Who is going to win the World Title next year?
Parko.

Who will be the next Californian to win the World Title?
Bobby [Martinez] would be sick. It’s been a while since a goofy footer has won it. He’s been on the tour for a couple of years, and he wins events.

Do you have any other plans for the upcoming year, or are you just going to focus on the WCT?
It’s pretty stupid not to do the ‘QS and secure a spot if you’re not doing well on the ‘CT. So I’m gonna be doing some of them, not all of them, but a few. I’m really gonna work on filming as well. I’m doing a boat trip this spring and I’m going early over to OZ to stay with [Josh] Kerr for like ten days and just work with the Rusty guys and film a bunch to try and nail down a good part.

What have you been doing this past week as California has been brutalized by this string of storms?
I’ve been painting my house, I’m just about done. I’ve been Al Borlin over here. We bought a house over here a couple months ago, but it was a foreclosure so it has got all of these odds and ends that need to be fixed.

ENTER TO WIN

If you can tell us what age Nate Yeomans starting competing you could win a Rusty WIRED SERIES jacket that doesn’t hit stores till May 2010.

Just email your answer to SURFING@SORC.COM

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 and 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 discernible impact on the US surfboard market that winter. It opened the doors for more imported boards. 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 even legislatively unwelcome 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, and 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 team rider feedback to you?

Feedback is and always will be super important. Team riders 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 crew ventured down to Del Mar yesterday to protest the dreaded toll road. Of course we went for an early morning surf beforehand, but showing up has never been more important. Here's what went down.

The yay-sayers and the nay-sayers on the 241 Foothill-South toll road extension came together Monday in another heated round of case-making. Hold on, didn't we kill this thing months ago? Well, yes and no. After a decisive 8-2 vote by the California Coastal Commission (CCC) in February halting the planned development, which would send an I-5 alternative through the heart of San Onofre State Park, a crew of Transportation Corridor Agency sore losers brought Frankenstein back to life with an appeal to the Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, under the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act. As early as October (or as late as January 7), Gutierrez will have to decide whether to overturn the CCC's decision based on the testimony delivered yesterday in Del Mar. So Monday was game on with toll road proponents (clad in bright orange t-shirts and puppy blood) squaring off against Truth, Justice and the American way (that's us). With National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) General Counsel Jane Luxton and an army of security guards moderating the proceedings, it was some tense, gnarly, edge-of-your-seat stuff from the opening remarks to the final salvo.

Hahaha. No, no, it was a f--king golf match. Chip-chip-putt through 18 holes of redundant facts and arguments. The day consisted of 4-minute sound bites from every two-bit politician and his cousin on why the toll road will end world hunger or why it's the worst idea since domesticating cats. Showing uncanny passion and stamina, representatives from both sides spent the day and early evening giving the conventional thumbs up to their own speakers and thumbs down to the enemy scum (seriously, that's how they do it). Still, if it was like golf, it was more Happy Gilmore than Augusta National. With lawyers, politicians, surfers, kids, hippies, teamsters, and one large ape in attendance (even the primates are on our side), there was slightly more color to the proceedings than, say a Rancho Santa Fe noise ordinance hearing. The boos and cheers from the opponents' side were loud and unapologetic, despite security guard threats and Luxton's persistent pleas for quiet. At one point, as a testament to the diversity of the Save Trestles crew, a 92 year-old woman was followed directly by a high school junior as they and other citizens spoke their minds to the panel. Even the apparently-real Association for Nude Recreation had a rep arguing no on 241. Fortunately, he came fully clothed.

Of course, there's no punchline to this story yet. The Feds were just gathering info and from here it's to backrooms and dark alleys where the fate of "the Yosemite of surfing" will be decided. Takeaways at this juncture: they made the right decision the first time, but this is a whole new level of governmental bureaucracy and money talks. If the Secretary of Commerce does in fact overturn the CCC's original decision, the TCA will still need to obtain a building permit from the CCC for the coastal portion of the road putting us back where we started in February. Man, another set of these hearings?

Story courtesy Surfing Magazine. Photos: Steve Reiley

Click here for your chance to win!

16 year old Blake Kuney was the first lucky winner of Surfing Magazine's online surfboard giveaway. Blake, from Vista, Ca, was picked out of more than 5000 entries. His new Rusty Redline was delivered to Surfing headquarters where he was given his new stick by big wave hellman and Surfing Editor Evan Slater.