Rusty

Josh Kerr is #6 in the world!
Surfing Magazine has put out a three part "Lightbox" series on their site called "Best of Three" focusing on the Kelly/Owen drama with the three finals in a row. However, at each event Kerr's surfing has been so progressive it would be hard not to feature him...

Kerr in Tahit

photo: Domenic Mosqueria

Kerr in New York

photo: Jimmicane

photo: Jimmicane

Kerr at Trestles

photo: Jimmicane

Over the weekend at the annual Wildcoast Dempsey/Holder Memorial held at Imperial Beach, young gun Jay Christenson took what was his... First Place. Congrats to the grom! Add another trophy to the mantle.

The Annual Surf Liberia Contest is an event hosted by Robertsport Community Works in partnership with Surf Resource Network and this was the third year running the event. The event took place a few weeks ago in Liberia, West Africa and Rusty Del Mar stepped up to the plate and donated prizes for the winners, which goes a long way in a developing community. This year's event was quite groundbreaking and very exciting. There were 14 surfers in the Mens Division (16 years and up), 9 surfers in the all new Juniors Division (15 and under), and 6 local women competed in the Womens Division; this is the first time local women have competed and the first year the Juniors have had their own division!
Plus the competition drew a crowd of over 150 spectators, including local friends and families, ex-patriots from Monrovia, and even the Mayor showed up!

The competition was fierce... two time defending Liberian champion, Alfred Lomax, was present and looking for a hat trick. However, other Liberian surfers were hungry too. Stand outs from the day include Benjamin McCrumuda, Philip Banini, and Alphanso Appleton. But at the end of the day it was Monrovia's Peter Swen who took home the first place trophy in the Mens Division. Morris Gross claimed victory as the first ever Liberian Junior Champion and Irene Armstrong stood proud as the Liberian Womens Champion. Exciting times in West Africa.

Two Time Liberian Champion Alfred Lomax.  Photo: Fanzi ("Fanzi" is the nick name of Liberian photographer in training, Alphanso Appleton; he is involved with the Surf Resource Network Photography Project).

2011 Liberian Champion, Peter Swen, puts it on rail.  Photo: Brody

Armstrong Johnson picks his line.  Photo: Brody

The beach was packed with surfers and spectators.  Photo: Fanzi

Irene Armstrong charging on behalf of Liberian women.  Photo: Fanzi

Adama, George, and Elijah.  Photo: Brody

The event brought over 150 spectators to the beach!  Photo: Brody

Philip "Occhilupo" Banini.  Photo: Brody

Momo throwing it down in the Juniors Division.  Photo: Brody

Peter Swen chaired up the beach.  Photo: Fanzi

Text: Brody

Our friends over at Surfing Magazine recently featured Marlon and his big win in their "You Are Here" section on their website.... Photos and Words by Nathan Myers

Marlon Gerber doesn’t have time to celebrate. It’s 8 a.m. Monday morning in Kuta and there’s just enough time for one victory beer before he heads to the airport. Breakfast of champions.

He’s just secured the 2011 Indonesian Surfing Championship on Rote Island, but he’s bailing his own award ceremony for Thailand, where he’ll compete for the Asian Surfing Championships. Just one quick Bintang before it’s back to the heat.

All this rushing around and jersey-wearing stuff is very un-Marlon. Here’s a man who appreciates his beauty sleep, chilling for hours on The Balcony veranda, and walk-able afternoon sessions at Kuta Beach. Marlon likes to cruise.

He does it well, too. And with a style that’s every photographer’s wet dream, Marlon’s become one of Indo’s best-known photo pros, with cover shots, Taylor Steele video parts and more coverage in the international mags than most of the local boys. This is the good life…and he’s passed up modeling and acting offers to keep it that way. Simple. Pure. Cruise-y.

But winning contests? Not so much.

Until the end of last year, Marlon had never really won anything. Then this year, he pretty much gutted the tour wide open…winning the ISC title before the season was even over.

So what changed? It’s clearly not a dietary thing…

SURFING: The press release from Rote said you were “taking it one heat at a time” — did you read line that off a cue card or what?

MARLON GERBER: You know, I don’t think I even said that. I think they just pick those quotes from a list sometimes.

Yeah, I’ve got that list in my wallet. So how did it really go down?

Well, that’s pretty much how I approached it. That’s how you’ve got to do it. Not get too far ahead of yourself.

After you won the first event this year you told me you were planning on winning the title this year.

Did I say that?

You did. But after that, it was like, “Let’s never speak of it again.”

Totally. There’s always that fear of jinxing it. But I really felt like I could win it this year.

What changed to make you start winning?

Just believing in myself. I always knew I had the ability. I just didn’t have the confidence to win.

Simple as that?

Rizal [Tanjung] was also a big part of my winning. He’s been kind of like a coach to me this year. Right before my heat he texted me and said, “Just surf. Don’t think about anything else. Just surf.” I remembered that in the water and it helped.

Riz has a lot of experience. He’s a former Indo champ himself, right?

Yeah. He’s a really smart competitor. So much experience. And he’s my brother.

A lot of top surfers are using coaches these days.

Yeah, Taj, Parko…lotta guys. There are so many good surfers around now that’s it’s almost more of a mental game. Anyone can win on the right day, but to put it all together in a heat for 25 minutes with the pressure on…it’s not easy.

How did it go down in Rote?

I almost lost my first heat because it was four-man and not many waves came through. I was just really nervous, too. Even the head judge came up and said, “Man, you were sucking out there.” I appreciated his honesty. The next day was a totally different story. I feel more comfortable in the man-on-man heats.

How was the final?

The final was with Cabul [Raditya Rondi]. He’s really good in any conditions. I pretty much won it in the last ten seconds. I needed an 8 and I got the score.

With an air?

Couple turns, an air, then two more turns.

That’s what it takes to get an 8 on the ISC, right? Full-on combo waves.

Oh yeah. It’s harder than the WCT. Lee [Wilson] was boosting something on every single wave. One wave he did a turn, a straight air, then an air reverse and scored a 9.5.

If you took the bottom 15 guys from the WCT and put ‘em on the Indo Tour, you think they’d get smoked?

Yeah, probably. For sure we’d have a good chance of beating them. The surfing on this tour is really good.

Do you watch the WCT events?

Not really. I watched some of New York to study how guys were winning heats, but I didn’t really learn anything. I already knew what I had to do. I just keep it simple. Try to get two good waves.

Did you realize that winning this event would secure the title for you?

No. I hadn’t done any calculations. I didn’t even want to think about it like that.

Just taking it one heat a time?

Exactly.

We’ve barely started the breakfast victory party and it’s already time to go. “People keep asking how it feels to be champ,” says Marlon, sliding the Money Maker board into his boardbag, “but I haven’t even had time to think about it. I don’t feel anything, really.”

For some people, it just takes a while to set it. For others, being champ isn’t really a defining experience. For Marlon, it’s never been a matter of points or fame or titles…it’s just the best life in world. Traveling. Surfing. Chilling.

It’s nice to know you’ve left a mark somewhere, but my suspicion is that in a few months you’ll have to remind Marlon that he was ever Indonesian Champion at all. He’ll be cruising up at The Balcony or chasing peaks down on Kuta Beach and someone will be like, “Hey, remember when you were The Champ?”

Marlon will pause for a second, think about it, then smile that easy-going, money-maker grin and say, “Oh yeah, that was pretty cool.”

And then he’ll go back to cruising. —Nathan Myers

 

Congratulations, Marlon. Check out www.isctour.com for photos, video and made-up press release quotes from the event.

For more "You Are Here" features from Surfing Magazine click HERE.

Josh Kerr has hacked and spun his way into the Quarter Finals, where he is surfing against Kelly Slater, be sure to tune in...

photo: ASP/Kirstin

Watch the event live by clicking HERE

Josh Kerr is at it again! He is climbing the ranks in the Trestles competition and, at this pace, he is heading for the podium... Keep your eyes peeled on the WCT Trestles competition and watch Kerr stick it to the best surfers in the world. Click the image below to check out Kerr's nail-biting performance against Gabriel Medina in Round 3 Heat 5, where he sealed the deal in the closing moments of the heat:

Congratulations to Rusty Surfboards team rider, Jay Christenson, for claiming first place in the WSA season opener, held at Trails in San Onofre. Jay edged out over 60 competitors in the 16 and Under division in fun 2-3 foot surf, provided by Hurricane Eugene, on his way to the podium that day. Jay surfed the entire event on his all new Rusty "Misfit" model and it proved to be the contest board he has been looking for...

Each month the crew at Surfline.com weed through the surplus of footage they receive to find the stand out "Punt of the Month", presented by Rusty.  This month the coveted title goes to Sebastian "Seabass" Zietz for his silky smooth superman he recently threw down in Indo- he didn't even lose any speed either, as he went straight into his next turn.  Congrats Seabass!  Click to have a look and remember to keep going above the lip because next month, the "Punt of the Month" prize pack could go to you!

Filmed by: Lachie McKinnon and Matt Wybenga

The waves were going off! Thalia rarely breaks but when it does it is so much fun. The event was held over memorial weekend. The waves were about chest to head high and perfect conditions. The water was glassy, and the sun was out. It was a perfect day to have the Thalia St. Surf competition. This event means so much to the city of Laguna Beach. No joke the entire town comes and watches the event. This year I decided to surf in the Professional division. I would have to compete against my all time heroes like Jeff Booth, Hans Hagen, Erik “Frogger” Nelson, Jason “Wado” Watson, and Tristrum Miller. I have looked up to these guys ever since I could surf. Each heat I kept the same strategy, which was just to go for broke. The only way I was going to beat these guys was bring out some big moves and get the best waves. Oddly this strategy worked. I ended up taking 2nd loosing to my idol Hans Hagen. It was a great final and I am so stoked I got to be apart of the event.

This clip features a montage of the crew at Rusty Surfboards and Sector Nine Skateboards building their respective crafts, plus Avalon Presiendorfer is featured getting creative and providing artwork for the give away board.