Rusty

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Hello from the other side of the globe! Things have been insane down here the past couple of weeks. We have had solid swell for the past two weeks and all the points have been turning on! I have been surfing Snapper through Kirra almost everyday. Kirra is coming back and doing its thing! There are the heaviest right hand barrels that dredge from Greenmount all the way down to Kirra- where the best barrels have been... Today the waves were pretty big and stormy- too big for the Superbank to be working, but we are cracking it tomorrow morning to get some shacks!

I got some sick barrel video filming with my Go Pro out at Kirra; I made it out of some drainers! Kirra is actually breaking really heavy over shallow sand at the moment! I'll keep you posted...

Cheers From Down Under,
Hunta

Speed and maneuverability are what this board is about. With it's narrower nose and hard wing swallow tail, The Hustler is the next step after a fish and just might be the missing link in your quiver...

The combination of the venturi bottom and the quad fin set-up accompanied with enhanced volume gives this board contemporary capabilities in most wave conditions you encounter...

Head over to the board page for more info!

Jamie shows Surfline.com viewers how to bust a rodeo flip, click here!

The Dwart was created to be the board for 90% of the waves we surf. It's been successfully surfed on aves from 1 - 10 ft and this thing rips! Its high volume design allows it to be ridden much shorter and it is fast, skatie, and highly maneuverable. Also, The Dwart is available with a 5 fin configuration that gives it even more range, being surfed as a quad or tri.

Recommended Sizes:
5'4" X 20" X 2.5"
5'6" X 20.25" X 2 5/6"
5'8" X 20.5" X 2 6/2"
5'10" X 20.75" X 2.7"
6'0" X 21.25" X 2 8/7"
6'2" X 21.5" X 2 8/7"

The DWART can be ordered with any dimensions

For more info head over to the boards page for more info!

As part of our Ask the Expert department, I recently had the chance to talk with the legendary shaper Rusty Preisendorfer about ordering a custom board. Mr. Preisendorfer, always an endless well of surfboard knowledge, left me with twice the amount of solid material that we had room to print in the magazine. Thankfully, we have the internet! So here's the extended version. Enjoy and order away.

Also, if you think of any more tips, post them in the comments section below.

How to Order a Custom Board:

1. Provide basic information: your weight, height, age, foot size (believe it or not this a real consideration), and your experience level (be honest and realistic)?

2. How often do you surf? Where do you surf? What is your style? Give your shaper some background on what you've been riding, your last few boards - things you liked and didn't like. Go back a few boards if you have the history.

3. Where do you want to take your surfing (figuratively)? Where do you want to take this board (literally)? Is this board for a trip? If so, it's always good if your shaper has first hand experience with your intended destination, or at least has some history with surfers that have taken his/her designs there and has had feedback to work of off.

4. If you're getting a board for a specific purpose, commit to it. I have people that come to me and say, "I'm going to Indo, or whatever, I want a board geared for those types of waves, but I'd really like to be able to ride it when I get back (to my cold, marginal, everyday surf at home)." Get a board that will maximize your travel experience and if financial considerations dictate, sell it when you get back.

5. Are you still growing? When ordering a new board I find a lot of times a younger surfer tends to err on the small side of things. If you are still growing, be open to your shaper's recommendations on length, width, and thickness. A slightly bigger board may take a little adjustment but more often than not I find the customer will grow into the board and get more enjoyment out of their surfing.

6. Ironically, some surfers that are hitting their late 20s/ early 30s still try to hang on to the past and tend to order under volume as well. If you are experiencing life changes such as work, metabolism shift, gaining a few pounds, etc., a slight bump in board length and volume will probably bump up your wave count with less effort. That alone will make it a lot more fun. You'll probably end up surfing more and those 10 pounds will melt away.

7. Talk to your shaper. If it's your first visit to "The Factory," be respectful of his time. 15 or 20 minutes should be enough to cover most of it. If you order a board through a shop it's important to convey as much information about you and your needs as possible. Put it in writing and ask that a hard copy or email make it to the shaper with the shop's order form so nothing is omitted or lost in translation. Put your personal contact info, email, phone, down on the order so if the shaper has questions they can reach you. I do this from time to time on shop orders. A 5 or 10-minute phone conversation can make a world of difference.

8. Don't go overboard. From time to time, I get customers that are very specific and have their next board mapped out in detail. While it's good to try and know your numbers, shaping still has an art element. Be flexible and trust your shaper to put the curves together based on his experience.

9. Don't ask for a deal. In fact, if you are working directly with someone, when you pick up your board, consider giving your shaper some additional token of your appreciation. People automatically tip a waiter/waitress they don't know and may never see again. Why not take care of the person capable of bringing you great surf happiness? This will go a long way towards expediting future boards.

10. Follow up with honest feedback and make any criticism constructive. Sometimes something as simple as changing your fins can make a significant improvement in performance. No matter how long a shaper has been doing his craft, a pat on the back always goes a long way. Sometimes the magic doesn't always happen on the first board. If the board didn't meet your expectations, most shapers would like the opportunity to try and make the next one closer to what you are after.

Rusty Europe signs and welcomes back 3 x Skateboarding World Champion Bastien Salabanzi to the team. Bastien, at the age of 23, has decided to come out of semi retirement and is now ready to take on the skate world once again. In late 2008 Bastien won the Copenhagen World Cup and the Globe Metz Masters and with these two victories under his belt he has found his fire and passion to take skating to the next level.

Bastien is currently shooting for an interview with Transworld Skate and is also filming for his board sponsors upcoming movie project, so keep your eyes peeled...

The 2009 Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Image Awards are just around the corner and the GTR has been nominated for the prestigious title Surfboard Model of the Year! The goal of the SIMA Image Awards is to identify the surf industry's most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year. The Surfboard Model of the Year award will be given to the board with the most exciting design, appeal or innovation and the Rusty GTR has been a definite stand out...

Nate stopped by the factory to give us a step by step on how to be your own air brusher...

Step 1: Mask Off Your Design with Tape

Step 2: Pick Your Poison

Step 3: Spray Your Board From About 6-8" Away

Step 4: Peel the Tape Away

Step 5: Check Your Masterpiece

Step 6: Stand Back and Admire

So there you have it... start making art and then put art in motion!

Thanks for your artistic insight Nate!

Photos: Brody