All jokes and myths aside, Rusty recently caught up with its official "Team Rider/Model" Karlee Mackie who was in town from Sydney, Australia. While in town Karlee and the Rusty crew ventured down to San Diego to shoot our Fall 2009 catalog. If anyone has met Karlee you'd know she is pleasant to work with and always makes you laugh. Unfortunately, the waves were flat her entire stay so we were unable to get in the water.
A long hike from the surf...
A few weeks back, Rusty caught me drooling over some bizarre, yet strangely attractive surfboards in the factory racks and he stopped me and asked, "What size board you riding these days?" I replied with the short version of the answer, "5-9." He lifted an eye brow and smiled, "Perfect, I have something I want you to try..." I followed Rusty across the parking lot to the adjacent factory building and he grabbed me a freshly-sanded, slick looking Custom Composite- decked out with a gun metal grey bottom and accented by a pastel green deck. With it's unique airbrush, this board looked like no other board I had ever seen, but the real difference is in the construction and durability. When he picked it up, Rusty explained to me that this board, which has no stringer and is obviously way stronger than EPS to the feel, is fully customizable - everything from exact dimensions to rails, tails, rocker, bottoms, and so on. With a harsh series of solid knocks on the board's deck with Rusty's large fist he handed it over to me and challenged, "Try to break it."
Feeling equally honored and excited (it had been a long time since I rode a brand new board, let alone a prototype handed to me by Rusty) I vowed, as any good employee should, to try and break the board. After surfing the board a handful of times at the beaches and reefs around San Diego the board proved to be strong and I did not feel like I was holding up to my end of the bargain. So I decided to test the board in the harshest of conditions... The Middle East during war time!
Jerusalem
Shortly there after, I headed off to Israel with my new Rusty Custom Composite...
I was presented with the amazing opportunity to see Israel for free (Taglit) and so I merged that unbelievable experience with an excuse to check out the surf culture and the waves in Israel. As far as the media was concerned, the timing of my trip could not have been worse and everyone I know, including my parents, friends, and Rusty himself were recommending that I think twice about this trip. I was given a connection to Ultra Wave Surfboards in Israel and I exchanged a few emails with young up and coming shaper and factory manager, Perry Jarom, who insisted I would be fine.
So it was decided, I would have an adventure to Israel despite the recommendations of the news and the requests of my loved ones. My trip would consist of half cultural and historical experiences via the tourist bus route and the second half of my trip would be lived day to day- off the bus and at the beach, in search of Israeli surf culture and waves in the Mediterranean Sea...
For the first half of my trip I was on a bus with a group of students from California and we went all over the country with a very strict time line and a very short leash; my board was crammed (very) securely under the bus and went with us to every cultural site and historical vantage point. Every time we switched hotels and I found myself negotiating the crowds with my surfboard I could not help and laugh about being told that I was the only one who had ever inquired about bringing a surfboard on this type of trip. I am used to traveling solo or maybe with one other person and the whole group travel experience with the itineraries and the name tags (which I conveniently lost the first day) was a bit much for me. Granted, I did learn a lot and experience a lot of activities that I would definitely not have done if I had cruised to Israel solo. For example, I hiked historical cliffs like Mt. Masada at sunrise, I rode a camel in the desert and slept in a giant Bedouin tent (on my birthday- very memorable), and I even floated in the Dead Sea!
The Dead Sea, no swell, but endless points...
Despite the lack of swell, or life for that matter, the Dead Sea has the most insane coastline littered with could-be point breaks and would be rock slabs! The water is turquoise and the natural coves are inviting, but don't let that fool you... if all variables provided and there were epic waves in the Dead Sea it would be a very painful experience. The Dead Sea is famous for its absurd amounts of salt, providing for ultimate buoyancy, and it is recommended to only float on the surface. I learned the hard way- I was feeling a bit like a fish out of water and could not refrain myself from going for a swim. The minute I put my head under I immediately regretted it... It was as if I had snorted wasabi and rubbed it in my eyes! I seriously could not see for a good portion of the afternoon. The Dead Sea is beautiful... from what I can remember.
One of the other historical sites I visited when I was with my group was the Western Wall, which is considered the most holy place in the world for the Jewish people. It is customary to write down something you wish for on a piece of paper and to fold it up and to insert your wish into a crack in the wall for eternity and it is believed that your wish will come true. Seeing as though I missed out on the whole Santa Claus thing growing up, I figured this was my big chance... so as any respectable surfer would do, I wished for good surf.
Wishing for good surf at the Western Wall...
The following day I went down to one of the beaches of Tel Aviv with my group and sure enough, there was surf. I would not call it "good surf," but there were waves nonetheless. However, I was forbidden to go in the water at that point in time by the group leaders (which came really close to being a problem for me) and instead I participated in a group discussion, which was equally as fun as surfing. Before the discussion, we had a few minutes of free time and I wandered off and made some friends at the local surf school, Galim Surf (which would become my home base for my remaining days in Tel Aviv), and I was welcomed with open arms and hot tea. My group members sketchily navigated the rocks on the jetty, even though I was not allowed to surf the knee high beach break because it might be too dangerous. Not to mention, I had already been permitted to blind myself swimming in the Dead Sea. I checked the swell report and it did not look promising for the next few days. All I could do was hope that I would have another chance to surf the Mediterranean before I had to fly back to California...
The countless activities I did with my group were irreplaceable, but all good things must come to an end. I parted ways with the group, stayed with friend for a night (thanks Tomer), and found my way to the beach town of Tel Aviv the next day. Although, like clockwork, the surf had gone completely flat, I made my way back down to Galim Surf and again I was greeted with hospitality. Apparently my reputation preceded me and as soon as I was within ear shot Shlomy, shop owner and local hero, appeared and shouted out, "You are the photographer for Rusty from California! Where is this crazy board?! I want to see it!" We chatted for a few minutes and he lent me and a friend a few bicycles to try and scout out a better hostel than the one we were at (Momo's in Tel Aviv - Don't go there). Half out of laziness, we returned with the decision that we would stay where we were at and we opted to go grab our board shorts and come back. The beach set up in Tel Aviv is awesome, with restaurants and speakers set up on the beach begging the summer crowds to come in. Despite the fact it was mid winter it was very California-esque in that it hovered around a magnificent 75 degrees the whole time. Shlomy let us borrow a few stand up paddle boards for the sheet glass conditions and we made the best of it. I left the Custom Composite for him to take a look at and the moment he saw it, he began to conjure a plan to try and keep it...
Several days past and the Mediterranean Sea left me pondering the possibilities, aqua blue water that sat perfectly calm - except for the perfect six inch peelers that riffled along sand bank on the inside. What if there was swell? This wave would be like perfect Trestles, just tapering along all the way up the beach. It was hard to explain to the friends I made who do not surf. "Look at this one!" I would exclaim practically to myself.
My last night in Tel Aviv, knowing I would be getting on a plane and heading for home the following night, I became very disappointed that I had missed my opportunity to surf in Israel and that I had lugged my board around for the last several weeks. I wanted to blame the group leaders who did not let me get in my thirty minutes of glory that day at the beach, but I could not really justify it. Plus I had one more day to get waves before I began typing strongly worded emails. Just kidding, but seriously.
I figured the odds of me meeting the next Natalie Portman out on the town that night were better than my odds of scoring surf the next morning, so I decided to rally with some other crazy crew I met and go out for a last hoorah! Somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning it became clear that I had not found the international bride I was looking for and I started to feel guilty about abandoning my hope for a surf in the morning. With the re-kindled thought of foreign surf in my brain I threw down my last ten shekel piece for my beer and stumbled out towards my hostel. I didn't make if too far though, as I found myself three stores down buying an individual humus serving at the mini market and paying with a credit card. I finally found my way back to room to retire into a hazy slumber, praying for surf (I'm not religious, by the way).
I woke up early to the smell of salt on the air, and this could only mean one thing, waves! I was wrong, it wasn't salt at all, it was zatar - a Mediterranean spice served on everything, so I bought a pizza bagel and staggered towards the beach with my fingers crossed. The weather and wind had come up, which was a good sign, but still no sign of waves. Disgruntled, I made my way back to my room and drifted off back to sleep. I woke up in a cold sweat! I was having a nightmare about the waves coming up and me missing out! With my crazy intuition I made my way back to the water's edge and walked up the beach. Sure enough, there were full on waves!
There's no surf in Israel, tell that to the unidentified ripper laying down a hack...
The wind was a huge factor in the swell, creating quite stormy conditions, but the jetty set-up (similar to the jetties that litter Southern California's coastline) sheltered the waves from the wind. There were actually sets in the head high range and racy sections, comparable to our beach breaks at home. I take it this was not the best day Tel Aviv has seen, with the "shoulda been here yesterday" stories floating around, but I was stoked to get a few waves under my belt in the Mediterranean Sea and to test the Custom Composite board abroad! The locals claimed the board would be too small to catch waves in the current swell with rapid intervals, but the little 5-9 provides great buoyancy and paddle power for it size. The board worked great for the given conditions, allowing for two or three stroke wave entries and rapid response for on-a-dime rail turns. I was able to pick off a few fun corners and even scored a few waves with multiple sections. Better than I anticipated. I would have been stoked with a close out. It appears my little folded wish for good surf, that I crammed into the Western Wall, came true.
So I did not get epic, world class waves in Israel, but I did find epic, world-class surf culture. The dedication to surfing as a lifestyle in the beach towns of Israel is as alive and well as any other surf town I have been to in the world. Sure, their economy does not thrive on surfing and there is not consistent waves or ample spots to surf when there is swell, but people love to be in the water and associate themselves with the ocean and surfers world wide. Galim Surf is just a surf school to the untrained eye, but after spending some time there it is very apparent that it is much more... In addition to being the surfing epicenter of Tel Aviv, Galim Surf, is a safe place for groms to come after school, waves or not, and hang out with positive influences who share their love for the ocean.
Shlomy, Tal, and the groms of Tel Aviv, at Galim Surf, checking out the Rusty Custom Composite...
As I took out the fins and packed the Rusty Custom Composite into the board bag one final time, I still felt a bit defeated - I could not break the board (sorry Rusty), not even in an active war zone!
Upon my return to California, the first question every one asks me is always in regards to the conflict... To be honest, you do not feel threatened when you are out there. When I paddle out in San Diego, I am not worried about terrorists and planes flying into buildings; it is the same in Israel, when surfers paddle out in Tel Aviv they are not worrying about suicide bombers and mortars, they are just going surfing...
Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible and for the unforgettable hospitality in Israel:
Galim Surf
Ultra Wave Israel
Taglit
Text and Photos: Brody
Shayne's Little Rusty Stick from On Surfari on Vimeo.
Fuel TV's "On Surfari," features the travel adventures of Shayne, Shannon, and their kids as they criss-cross the globe in the name of surf exploration and cultural immersion...
We have supplied Shayne and company with some boards to surf along the way and they have expressed their gratitude by proclaiming, "There are so many factors and things to worry about when filming "On Surfari" on the road... and one thing I don't have to worry about anymore is boards. Shannon and I's surfing is improving with Rusty Surfboards underfoot, and it's helping make our our show better. Thank you."
After surfing a plethora of Rusty Surfboards in a variety of waves, it seems Shayne may have found a favorite; check out the following video clip and watch him shred his go-to 5'8" Quad...
Rusty would like to welcome Pamela to the surf team! It's been a long time coming and we are all very pleased to have her on boards. While most company's are making cutbacks, Rusty is signing celebrities. She'll be on tour this year as well helping out around the office filing and making copies.
P.S. Pamela get me some coffee!!!
Ecostretch boardshorts are made from recycled plastic (PET) bottles. In the past these bottles would have either filled up landfills or washed up on our beaches. The Ecostretch boardshorts in our Global Cooling collection are our example of how you can help change the world....one plastic bottle at a time! Absolutely performance based...
North Shore finally cleans up and goes off with new swell. Jamie O'Brien and Kalani Chapman score sick tubes, check it out on Surfline.
In the most recent NSSA Southwestern Conference Contest, held at pumping Ocean Beach pier, San Diego, Jake Halstead took 1st Place in the Explorer Boys Division. Rick Takahashi, once again, took 1st in the Seniors Division as well as the Masters Division. Both the amping rookie and the unstoppable veteran seem to be on a clear path to victory...
Click here to see the full contest results from the NSSA!
Rusty team rider Tayler Brothers shreds his home town located on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Fun waves...
Several months ago Rusty issued the "Finless Craft Challenge" to his shapers to see who could come up with the best board to be surfed with or without fins. The original idea was to have the boards shipped to Jamie O'Brien and Dave Rastovich to create a tangent "Hip Hop vs. Hippie Challenge," however somewhere along the lines Josh Kerr snagged a board...
Kerr was recently in San Diego and stopped by the factory to grab a few boards, one of which was the "Vortex Converter," a.k.a. "the board from Hell" (according to the glasser). We lined up the next day at a local beach break and here is what took place...
Click here to see the rest of the gallery!
Text and Photos: Sean Brody