I am up in ohio for the holiday’s and my brother in law found a old school rusty, that has his signature, with the numbers 111. The 111 is followed by three bars that look like a 3 but not quite. It is yellow, says canyon, and is about a 6’4. Full rails, and is a twin fin, fish tail. The board is in killer condition, and I will have some pics soon. Let me know if you guys have some info, on it’s approx, date. What a funny thing it find in a garage in ohio. Thanks all.
Well, I found my first surfboard (a Harbour Transitional) floating in Klinger Lake, Michigan back in the early eighties. I found a Bing Glass Slipper in some bushes at Ball State University, Muncie, IN. I also found a Tim Nolte short board at Red’s Pawn Shop, Twin Branch / Osceola, Indiana… my point… boards are definitely spread around out in the midwest, and people have been surfing the great lakes for years (me being one of those people). It’s always cool to find an old board stash like that. Imagine being one of those people in Wisconsin or Michigan who found some of Tom Blakes original paddleboards!
Dave
I’m sure there are more expert Rusty-daters, but I can help a little. Rusty made a name for himself production shaping
at Canyon in the early 80’s, then started his own label in '84 (or was it '87?). He was judging pro contests and got to
shaping for a lot of world tour guys. One of them, Wes Laine, I know pretty well and as Wes almost never sells or trades
in his boards he has a veritable museum in his garage. We were talking recently about some of the Canyon/Rusty’s he
used to ride, probably very similar to what you found. Good score.
Mike
“then started his own label in '84 (or was it '87?)”
- '84.
1975 - Rusty comes back from Australia stoked on the progression of his shaping skills and decides to split from G&S and begin his own, new label. He decides on Music! Surfboards. While working on his own and freelance shaping for other labels, he figures he should get back into school, so he returns to UCSD and pursues an Art degree.
1977/78 - San Diego’s Canyon Glassing, who does all of the glassing for his Music! Boards, hires Rusty to shape Canyon Surfboards. The Music! Label ceases. Randy Laine and his little brother Wes join the Canyon team. Wes quickly blazes into the Top 16 and puts Canyon on the map.
1979 - The first Stubbies Trials is held at Blacks Beach and Canyon rider Richard Kenvin takes down many of California’s top riders, including Dave Parmenter, Dan Flecky, Matt and Sam George. That spring, Rusty travels to Hawaii to shape with Bill Barnfield. Rusty’s popularity spreads and he is invited to judge several IPS/ASP and California events including the Pipe Masters and the last two Duke events. Rusty’s buddy PT, who had since been crowned surfing’s first World Champion in '76, begins getting boards from him along with another hot Australian surfer by the name of Ian Cairns. That same year Laguna Niguel, California’s 18-year-old and leading surfboard blank producer Clark Foam works with Rusty on designing and building dozens of master plugs for mass production. They could be recognized by the “R” stamped on the raw blank.
1981 - The Canyon team is becoming more successful and continues to take on more talent, including South African phenomenon Shaun Tomson.
1982 - Rusty continues experimenting with materials. Canyon includes custom eps/epoxy boards in their production.
1983 - Shaper and pro surfer Dave Parmenter joins Canyon and commences to win six straight Californina events on his first board shaped by Rusty. More pros begin taking notice of Rusty’s work. He then goes to West Oz to shape “Rusty” models for Santosha Surfboards. Later that year, Australian ripper Mitch Thorson gets the cover of Surfing Magazine on one of Rusty’s shapes.
1984 - A fiery goofyfoot niknamed “Occy” becomes Pro Junior champion and begins taking competitive surfing by storm. Soon after, he is riding Rusty’s boards. Rusty decides to include his own logo along with the Canyon label on all of his shapes. By the end of '84 more than half of the Top 16 is getting boards from Rusty.
1985 - In July, Huntington Beach’s Op Pro sees a fierce rivalry mature between Occy and young Californian Tom Curren–and beneath the surface a quiet, respectful rivalry develops out of the famed Occy/Curren duels, one between their shapers Rusty and Al Merrick. That year Occy finally takes out Curren to capture his first Op Pro victory. The publicity helps Rusty’s popularity soar and he decides to leave Canyon and start his own surfboard company. Old friend and Surfing Magazine advertising director Peter Townend helps Rusty develop his new logo. PT suggests simply “Rusty” and the R-dot is born.
(from Rusty website)
no mention of david eggers in all that? kinda odd…
Quote:
1975 - Rusty comes back from Australia stoked on the progression of his shaping skills and decides to split from G&S and begin his own, new label. He decides on Music! Surfboards.
That answers a question I’ve had, for years. About 20 years ago, a co-worker told me had a board that needed repair. He asked if I’d take care of it. When he dropped it off, I was surprised to see the logo and signature. I guesstimated it was a mid 70s vintage, by the shape. So, I fixed it and took some photos. Well, about ten years ago I met a guy who told me about an old “Rusty” he used to own. He kept it at his aunt’s house near the beach, and one Winter it just disappeared. After he described it to me, I dug out the photos I had. Same frickin board!! It seems this co-worker of mine had done some work on his aunt’s house. I guess he helped himself to the board. I gave the true owner the guy’s name. When questioned, the thief claimed no knowledge of the board, at all. Some day, we might just go and pay the guy a little visit. Here’s the board, and logo:
And that IS PRICEen- dorfer. not Preesendorfer. As told to me by the man himself when I intro’ed myself to him ay the Canyon shop in "84 or so.
Thanks John for the history. I was buying Rusty’s Canyon boards at CCS in San luis Obispo from my friends Jim Hall and Mike Cheney. The Parmenters were living there and (I think) going to Poly. For me it all began with a 6’8(that I broke the tail off of entering the water at St. Andrews) and then a 6’3. Had some fantastic sessions locally and at Trestles and Eastside Santa Cruze on these boards.
Thanks for all the info, and I should have some pics up if anyone is interested. Can’t wait to get it in the water for a go. Hopefully this weekend will provide some waves to reintroduce her to some salt, looks like the inlet pro is a go, so I’ll be there, and surfing down the street.