I looked for months at various Tri-Fish shapes (that’s what I call them anyway) and really liked the look of the Rusty Piranah. Now, I know what you are thinking: There goes Fairmont again, sticking his foot in his mouth. Yep. That’s me. I am the world’s biggest hypocrit at times. I really never wanted to buy a Rusty because he seems to have an issue with the local, small-time shaper, and I’ve vented many times about it on this BB. So, I looked at many other shapers and boards to see what they offered. Eberly is making some great looking boards, along with Lost, Merrick and, of course, Rusty. I tried to avoid the big time guys. The last time I bought a shortboard off the rack was when Reagan was in his first term. However, I was just stopping into Encinitas Surfboards yesterday and noticed three Piranahs by Rusty. A 6,6 6,4 and a 6,8. I wasn’t sure what to do, but since I ride a 6,9 Linden, I figured I should get the 6,6. But something in me said, “get the 6,8.” Anyway, to make a long story longer, I bought the darn thing. I don’t want to complain about the price because that will get that old argument started up again. Let’s just say it was about 100-125 more than the local shapers would charge, which is fine because I think shapers should try to get rich off what they do. (wrong thread here). Like I said, I bought it and took it out today (my 35th birthday) to WindanSea in La Jolla. The waves were about four to five foot and wedging up against the rocks (not ideal for a first run on a new board that cost a pretty penny). But, holy crap! The board rips. It is, by far the best shortboard I have ever ridden. I am speechless (yeah right) about it. Okay, I am speechful. Regardless of what I have said before, I now endorse the dude (Rusty) even if I still disagree with his philosophy on small time shapers. That board is insane. It is 6,8, has a triple wing swallow tail, tri fin. 2.6 inches thick, 15.3 at the tail, 14.5 in the nose, and 21.3 wide. The swallow tips are 4.5 inches apart. It has a 6+4 ounce deck and a 4 ounce bottom. It’s very light. I was surprised by the lack of volume as soon as I paddled out and was very glad that 1. I lost 15 pounds and 2. I grabbed the 6,8 instead of the 6,4 or 6,6. But, back to the ride: It was so fast. I had no idea what wings and a wide, swallow tail could do. The nose is wide for paddling purposes, but doesn’t get in the way at all. I am flabberghasted. Wow! Okay, call me a hypocrit now. I know, I know. I suck! But I have no regrets about that board and am more than ever committed to shortboarding forever (and longboarding too). I also have a new 8,2 semi-longboard, pintail made by Jim Phillips. That thing rides insane too. Finally I am getting dialed in on the right boards. I promised my wife I would slow down on getting new boards for at least a year. YEAH RIGHT!
…Rusty has some great shapes…$$$$$$$$$ ,If you got it to spend,what the heck,it’s only money. …Bet I could show you not one but several boards built by others including myself that will ride as well as that Rusty…some “dog-out-of-the-box” better. …Enjoy,it’s what you want out of your equipment,and what you get back, that really counts.Herb
Well, the money I spent on the Rusty hurt, and I hope it holds together. The quality isn’t perfect. There are a couple light sandthroughs on the bottom of the board exposing a couple pinholes here and there, and exposing a little of the weave. They should know better, but I have yet to ever get a new board that didn’t have imperfections in it. I forgot to mention. The tri-fish (that’s what I call it) has a light double concave nose, going to flat in the middle, and light v in the tail. Thought I should add that, because it makes a huge difference when I catch the wave. The tail is wide, over 15.5, and it shows in the late drops. It slides a little sidways. I am glad I have a 6,9 Linden for those hollower days. I actually bought this Rusty for mushier surf, but WindanSea today had some pitching waves and I decided to paddle out anyway. It was very fun. Let’s just hope this board doesn’t snap anytime soon.
A good board is stoke period… Regardless of the shaper. sounds like your havin fun fairmont. And at windansea no less! Cooooool!
Howzit Fairmont, seal the pin holes and sand thrus, it’ll last a lot longer. Aloha, Kokua
damn I also have a pihrana, mine is 6’3 and it’s WICKED!!! I’m never gonna sell that board, it’s shaped by Mick Button, West Oz, althogh a bit big for me, this design is so good i reckon you can ride it at any size, and most wave types… I take waves from longboarders on .5foot days, and sit at the peak when it’s 5 foot in winter… too bad it’s got a thin glassing, it almost snapped last winter, but heck it’s so worth it.
bless you my son, perform seven head dips, three roller coasters, two fin first take offs,five round house cutbacks , hoot encouragement for seventeen diffrent kids under 9 years old of any gender or creed and you will be given absolution…and of course send $3.75 to the Vatican c/o surfboard transgressions acct / california 2003 then and only then can you expect your life to continue to proceed smoothly… Friar Ambrose, benevolent order of surf board guilt and unexplainable flatspells Nouvelle Geneve Guatemala
all the young kids love those rustys. kind of funny how they go for that big name, when really they can’t even tell the difference between a squash and a swallow. i can’t believe that you admitted that on this forum. thats a slap in the face for some of us. i’m sure rusty has a forum where you and all the other 10 year olds can boast about your new stick. enjoy your commputer generated board. hope all the plugs fall out on a take off.
cool, those things sound fun. anyone know what the approximate rocker numbers are on those ? i’m curious if they favor more “fishy” rockers, or use a more “standard shortboard” rockers. thanks, brian
to the over weight(who lost 15lbs), dude, hypocrit,30 something, guy with too much money. I’m glad your happy but? What does this really have to do with anything important?
The last couple chaps aren’t very friendly, are they? Oh well. They must suffer from shorboard envy. They can’t get dialed into the right design and they are in agony over it. I think they probably also suffer from Hopkins disease. That’s the disease where they hop, hop, hop over the flat spots until they finally find the pocket again. They cannot generate their own speed because they ride skinny, narrow thrusters that only people like Kelly Slater can shine on. Pity the poor fools, especially the ones who don’t identify themselves. They forgot who they are (as I have done myself at times). Oh, by the way, I am not ten. I didn’t buy the Rusty for the name. I bought it because it was available, I wanted the board and it had a great shape. I was going to get it custom made from Eberly, but he is in Nicaragua for three weeks. Then I was going to get Jim Phillips to shape it, but he is swamped with work and I don’t want to bother him (he just made me a board and did a fantastic job,unreal!, but I need to give him time). So, I was impatient and bought what I found that fit my needs. But here’s the real kicker (as I am about to put my foot in my mouth again). I perform better on the board than I ever have on a shortboard in my life. It is the fastest thing I have ever ridden. Anyway, I’m done with this now. Time to go on to other things. My whole point was that I opened my mind (and wallet) a bit more, and I am glad I did. That’s all.
I was wondering is that Pirahna A c-5 and what fin set up was installed? I have had several c-5s and they fly. if it is a FCS try the KS 123 fins they are looser than the G5s (which felt stiff turning on my Pirahna)that it probobly came with (if FCS). If it is Future fins which fins did you use? I will be ordering some of Herbs Superchargers soon to try but I have been loving my C-5 Hipster lately. By the way my pirahna was not that good for beachbreak pockets but really shined at down the line overhead Santa Cruz point surf, but then most shapes work in that type of surf.
It had a regular tri-fin setup, Future Fin Systems. I like that better. I was intrigued by the C-5 setup, but I don’t care for FCS fins, especially during big turns. They get weird. You must be a really good surfer if you are noticing a large difference in fins. I never seem to notice. I just slap something in and go for it. I am glad I can see clearly past the simple squash tail tri fin design. I completely forgot how insane a swallow tail feels, especially with wings. It makes everything easier: drops, turns, snaps, stalls…everything. Great design.
well thanks for the love story there faifmont. maybe you could tell ol rusty your story and he’ll give you a free sticker. you are supporting someone who wants guys like us to go away and if that happens, guess what, no more swaylocks. then where would you go to tell everyone about your problems. you’ll be buying that 1100 dollar tudor before to long. the big timers just love guys like you. did the plugs fall out yet
Well Hell…Ever wonder why all the Clark blanks have an “R” after the size??? We just gotta live with it. Bettern’ no blanks! MLC
…I have to admit you’re a funny guy…"did your plugs fall out yet?"LOL…and there is truth to your words,I have been told by several people close to Rusty that he’d like nothing better than to see the backyarders vanish all together.Herb
In response to the chap who signs his name as “why.” Yes, the plugs fell out, and they landed on your fat head. How could they miss? Well, on a friendlier note. Maybe Rusty wants small time shapers to go away, but that isn’t his decision, now is it? That’s entirely up to the blank manufacturers, of which I am only aware of two: Clark and Walker. So, as long as those dudes keep selling to the local shapers, then all is well. But, hey, even if they didn’t, I know how to make blanks, and I bet you do too. You know that stuff you spray under your sinks in those holes? You know, that expanding foam that keeps the bugs out? That’s polyurethane foam. The same stuff used to make surfboards. Starts out as a liquid, ends up a solid. The backyard and small time shaper will never go away. Oh, and don’t compare Rusty and Merrick to guys like Randy French who are making boards in China, Ethiopia, Mars, etc. It isn’t the same thing. Computer generated shapes? Well, you would be surprised to know, then, that many guys are using computers. Lots of guys, and they love it. Imagine finding that perfect board and forever more you can duplicate it. That’s great. I mean, it’s just another tool, much like a door planer can be used to make surfboards as well. Heck, if it weren’t for doors, I’m not sure Home Depot would even sell planers. Only people in coastal areas buy them for shaping foam. By the way, I heavily support local, small time shapers. Like I mentioned (before the plugs hit you in the head): This is the first time I bought a shortboard off the rack since I was about 14 and now I’m 35. And I have easily bought over twenty shortboards alone in that time, let alone longboards and other in betweens. Most of my shortboards came from Rod Sorenson of Agua Surfboards. He’s retired now, but he is one of the best in my opinion. He still makes boards for friends (like me), and he makes arguably the lightest shortboards out there. Feather light. He was also out of town. Every shaper I talked to (about eight local shapers) was either too busy or out of town, and I didn’t really want to wait six to eight weeks for a board, so I bought off the rack. But some of the local shapers who have made boards for me are: Jim Phillips, Tom Eberly, Rod Sorenson, Craig Hollingsworth, Channin, John Kies, Gary Linden, and myself. I really thought I was done with this, and I don’t understand why I am explaining this to you, but my whole point was that I am stoked on a new shape. I had never ridden a board with wings, but once had a swallow tail. And when I think back on it, the best shortboard I ever had (before this one) was an eighties tri fin, swallow tail Lightning Bolt, made by Tom Eberly of Encinitas. His shapes are outstanding. That board worked insane, much better than a squash tail. Not to put down on squash tails. They work great for big turns. I just don’t think they are as good for small surf as a wide, swallow tail. And the wings, as Walden said a while back, are like tail feathers on an arrow. They soften the landing on the drop and make it much more responsive. So, my point wasn’t to get a new argument going about mainstream shapers like Rusty. My point was that I am stoked on designs I really didn’t pay much attention to before. Now I am wondering what bottom channels would do. So, Why. Do me a favor and stick your head up your…wait, I mean, pull it out. Ah, what’s the difference. I consistently put my foot in my mouth andyou consistently put your head up your arse. Have fun.
Time bandit wrote: “to the over weight(who lost 15lbs), dude, hypocrit,30 something, guy with too much money. I’m glad your happy but? What does this really have to do with anything important?” Are there really anything more important than happiness? regards, Håvard
hey bro, your the one who is supporting the big guy who does’nt want us around. that’s my only issue. as for your other comments…your an idiot. you don’t even know me, much less know what kinds of shapes i ride. if you talk to rusty,he might just give you a job. and since you obviously don’t shape or build boards of any kind, maybe you can sweep the shop. nose between cheeks and you’ll be chief sweeper in no time.
I use a shop vac.