Shaper of the Year

General Discussion
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I worked With Rusty in the Early 90’s with the reverse vee concept,I know him and his familly well,Out of all people I have worked with in my life,he was & is a shaper/sufer/familly man,who’s moral integrity for my familly and I is beyond reproach,to accuse him of not paying homage to some of his mentors??..from whats written,he learnt techniques from BB.you can’t teach anyonr to design ,it’s a god given gift,To work with Rusty was a pleasure and I learnt a lot when working at his factory in SanDiego,I even Paid Rick hammond 50$ for a shaping lesson-there is a huge difference between a shaper and a designer,I am Shit shaper,but ok at designing,so perhaps we should ask who was the best designer,what new designs,materials,inspiration was used?

Any how congratulations Rusty to be honored as shaper of the year,is humbling experience,and I hope that people look at your whole career as a shaper/designer and not a couple of minor negative details

thanx   M
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Speed and Craftee,

No doubt it’s tied to advertising and I suspect Bert’s was allowed because he was affiliated with Firewire and they needed to pretend to be the benevolent benefactor of Bert’s part of their project.

I do agree Solo,

The insidious thought in the back of my mind is that such an award going to a relative unknown would be about the POTENTIAL to advertise, rather than that already paid for…So, if a dude is known to have serious backing, he goes to the front of the queue.

A calculated gamble on part of the magazines.

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Quote:

I worked With Rusty in the Early 90’s with the reverse vee concept,I know him and his familly well,Out of all people I have worked with in my life,he was & is a shaper/sufer/familly man,who’s moral integrity for my familly and I is beyond reproach,to accuse him of not paying homage to some of his mentors??..from whats written,he learnt techniques from BB.you can’t teach anyonr to design ,it’s a god given gift,To work with Rusty was a pleasure and I learnt a lot when working at his factory in SanDiego,I even Paid Rick hammond 50$ for a shaping lesson-there is a huge difference between a shaper and a designer,I am Shit shaper,but ok at designing,so perhaps we should ask who was the best designer,what new designs,materials,inspiration was used?

Any how congratulations Rusty to be honored as shaper of the year,is humbling experience,and I hope that people look at your whole career as a shaper/designer and not a couple of minor negative details

thanx M

Like I said in my original post. I always kind of liked Rusty. He still played the big boy game of don’t sell to the small shops and mostly supported the department store surf shops in my state.

I suspect as a family man and friend he is a good guy…but I still think he was humble in the first interview and took all the credit in the second. Simon Anderson gives credit to his inspiration on the thruster in just about every interview and it’s well known he feels that way about that person. Rusty has been around this game too long to not know what he did. Sorry. Giving credit is in our industry showing respect. Not giving credit is usually showing disdain. Certainy it’s not earth shaking or worth losing sleep over…but it is worth noteing and on for my part…is par the course the big boys. It does not change the fact that Rusty can shape.

My question still stands to the mags. How do they decide the shaper of the " year" by it’s very name it’s not a lifetime achievement award. I doubt anyone would say anything about something like that.

Good to see Bill Barfield responding. Hi Bill.

None of us are beyond reproach BTW.

24

Gerry Lopez has also won shaper of the year for his tow in boards. And deservedly so I think. No doubt Rusty is a very accomplished shaper, but I can’t help thinking this is a token award for good marketing rather than for something that will really change surfing or surfboards.

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As far as I am concerned Cole Simler is “shaper of the year” for 2007 and every other year I have bought boards from him.

Agree - “Marketer of the Year” is a better title for this “award”. It is all marketing driven.

Sort of like “artist of the year”. Prince sold a bunch of albums in the '80’s but I still like the Minutemen better!

Silly titles.

26

Aloha Troy

The shaper of the year thing is fine but really isn’t as encompassing as it could be.

What makes a great shaper?

A big brand name?

A revolutionary new shape?

A top winning pro rider?

More pros then anyone else?

Different construction techniques and materials?

The most ads run?

Potentially the most ads to be run?

Shaping is a rare unique craft that isn’t easily categorized.

Maybe the title needs to be broken down into a few categories. Clearly Berts complete boards and methods are quite different then someone else who just shapes. Even though they both may be impeccable craftsmen.

As the shaper of the year currently sits, it is a bit more like a “Hall Of Fame” which is working to include everyone and that is fine. To the winner it is a great marketing vehicle and a nice pat on the back.

I would like to see the title bestowed in an issue devoid of praise for everyone else like the design issue is. It really waters down the title and significance. Let the winner bask in the glory all to himself for an issue.

Rusty has become a fantastic craftsmen, artist and shaper. I celebrate his success and am honored for any role I might have played in helping him along that path. Of the many I helped over the years, he is one of the very few who has ever mentioned it. Did he forget this time or did they edit it out. Who knows. The surf industry is often far from fair or reasonable. It is what it is and it helps to have thick skin if your gonna play.

PS … Hi Solo, thanks for the support!

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Sort of like “artist of the year”. Prince sold a bunch of albums in the '80’s but I still like the Minutemen better!

Silly titles.

I will second that notion and add PIL.

Bill,

Thanks you pointed out what I was really trying to convey. That you can’t believe anything you read in a surfing mag and that whenever someone is getting credit for something, you can bet there is someone else equally responsible. It’s that way in life isn’t it. Few of us are solely responsible for our accomplishments.

If I were to give shaper of the last twenty years to someone (and I realize I am partial) I would give it to Mccoy. From being the double ender leader, twin fin leader to creating the modern surfboard plan and the becoming reinspired to create yet another design in the nugget…hard to find a more deserving shaper. Progressive, creative and individual. Not to mention…he has has his own share of world title winners and contenders.

I see Rolling stone has a book out called…" The best music never heard." There needs to be an award like that too. The best designer shapers you never heard of.

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Bill,

Have you ever been ,“Shaper of the Year” ?

If so/not,

I pick you as Swaylocks ,“Shaper of the Year” !

H

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D.O.A.

not duh

information-opinion-demonstrative yellow journalism

is a self serving apparatus.

I.E.self perpetuating editorial scheme to gather gilders ,krona,francs,

dollars,Yen,pesos,pilasters,rupia,tala and sene while yye may.

the oppertunity to strike a blow for a market share in a market

essentially created BY EDITORIAL PUBLICTIONS

is a narrow oppertunity…time is of the essence.

the $ spending atitude is fickle

the Sciience of seperating

impressionable children

young adults ,

aging cultists

and wanna bees

is becoming more and more refined…

to all that believe in replicative refining of the surfing implements

these guys are singing their song

may their approved dieities ,

gods, spirits,

heros and

benevolent mothers bless them

with disposable income.

the harvest of such income will drive the machine cranquing

out thousands of surfboards analualy.

these are superior renditions only when you buy into

'‘REPLICATION IS THE HIGHER GOAL’

also more is better

more waves

more spots

more contests

more riders

more pages in the makeascenes.

this is all about money changing

outside the temple

give onto caesar

that which is caesars.

for a small group of participants

more is not better.

less is more…better.

one wave from the right spot

to the milked out dry bone end

with only the ancient spirits witnessing.

hey old spirit how’s this wave?

hey old spirit how’s this shape?

hey old spirit am I here to witness the best wave?

when did the witness becone the star?

the ocean is the star.

we are not.

the magnificence

of ocean waves is our shared facination.

my mom was worried

my father was worried

watching me laying on the floor in front of the tv

Stop Playing with yourself!

at the kitchen table

Stop playing with your food!

My grand father was amused

watching me disect

a dry roten piece of wood from the creek

shaper of the year is the dominion of magazine concious.

shaper of the year is for the readership of the magazines

why aren’t every editorial staphococus entity

claiming their own choice for shaper of note?

why dont all the phone in voters

from accross the globe participating in the choosing ?

easy…theirs is the only one recognised shaper of the year at a time.

and that’s it!

case closed.

all it takes is to write a book to be an authority

in this case a magazine.

in the case of Herb Spitzer…ONE MAN.

Bill Barnfields international ad campagin

could be seventeen consecutive pages

[like a Guess ad with Anna Nicole]

and a full page font Blaring out

"HERB SPITZER’S SHAPER OF THE YEAR’

we all have the oppertunity to respect the I surf mags

0r not…

there is some kid some where making

sawdust ,isn’t he or she the shaper of the year?

they are more likely to formulate

a break through in wave riding

than any over lauded middle aged

dull cane knife…

up the revolution

the assination of the king

is only possible

after the king has been Identified

and been held responsible for all the woes of the world.

…ambrose…

shaper of the year 1955

on the floor in front of the T.V.

30

I’m stoked for Rusty. Good guy, great company, influential for a long, long time. One could argue that he is or isn’t the most influental this year but he certainly is one of the most over the last 30. Good on him.

31

Of all the people who make my boards, I nominate myself as Shaper of the Year.

What can I say…its a real short list.

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I’m stoked for Rusty. Good guy, great company, influential for a long, long time. One could argue that he is or isn’t the most influental this year but he certainly is one of the most over the last 30. Good on him.

How has he been influential? He has shaped pointed nosed surfboards( same as everyone else shapes) in mass for years. That is what he has been known for. Whats influential other than how to market?

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Whats influential other than how to market?

Isnt that the goal of marketing…to influence?

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Influential in the evolution of the three fin (obvious)

Influential in the evolution of blank design (obvious)

Influential in surf business (new and different ways of running a surfboard business … not so obvious)

It honestly doesn’t hurt to give someone a little bit of credit. Every year this come’s out and every year there’s someone who think’s it should be them. Giving a deserving someone credit doesn’t diminish everyone else.

I’m personally happy for the guy. I think it’s deserved.

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Influential in the growth of RR and other off shoot benefits of the post Clark era

not that its bad - or good, its just so and theres nothing wrong with that

nothing wrong with marketing when its good enough to market

more shapers, glassers could learn a lesson on this business model

plenty of innovation out there to be marketed.

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I agree that it would be nice to recognise more than one guy but it doesn’t diminish the rest of us to recognise one guy who is deserving.

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A book could be written about some of those craftsmen and designers who have never gotten proper credit or due respect for their accomplishments unless it suited some big corporate guy’s wallet.

great idea…

the very creative arent usually very good self promoters…but doesnt mean it cant be improved without being a shameless hustler.

if your secret is never exposed or made aware, no one will beat a path to your door. the innovative need the influencers.

otherwise, it will always be your secret and where is the fun of not sharing. Its good for the soul.

The industry could learn more from collaboration in the ultimate riding experience.

it is a team of shaper painter glasser rider, maybe even the raw materials need to be worked into the mix- resin maker, cloth maker, blank maker.

what a concept. total package. yep it takes money. it makes a greater value too.

just a little ramble by a former marketing exec turned “like a rolling stone”

we need a surf industry clearing house of innovation

hmmm that takes money too

Save the American Surf Industry!!!

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I agree. I was defending marketing.

promoting more innovation to differentiate your self from the pack instead of being a"shortboarder" or “long boarder”

its all about quiver, whats in yours. end the wars.

how about a quiver of all different types of core products.

I got a whole quiver of the stuff that gives off gasses

I got a quiver of all those green things…The trend which end up painted green ugh.

etc…

whatever. i ramble.

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Lest we forget, there are two scales… Shaper Of The Year, and Top Ten Most Influential Shapers Of All Time.

Greg Loehr made the second list and was also given the whole future. So he has a pretty good perspective from his perch.

Reading the ReeVee thread I was amazed at his total recall going back into the 60’s. Names and dates attached to soecific design changes. Dang. Was I the only one who noticed that?

Yeah I was thinking book too. Someone could write a book based on what is posted here with permission of course.

40

I hadnt seen this thread you speak of.