Rusty Preisendorfer is the man behind Rusty Surfboards. Born in 1953, it was around 13 years old that Rusty Preisendorfer discovered surfing. From this point it took approximately 4 years for the 1st unofficial Rusty Surfboards shape to come to life (not that Rusty Surfboards existed yet…) .
After meeting Peter Townend at the World Contest in San Diego, Rusty Preisendorfer gives his surfboard shapes a name…. Starlight Surfboards. He eventually moves onto G&S Surfboards as a shaper and rider, learning from surfboard shaping legends like Mike Eaton & Skip Frye.
After a trip to Australia Rusty Preisendorfer leaves G&S Surfboards to begin Music! Surfboards. A few years later Canyon Glassing employed Rusty as a shaper. Canyon had a lot of success with some big names surfing Rusty’s surfboard designs. Occy starts surfing Rusty’s surfboards and not long after that Rusty starts to add his logo to the Canyon Label on his surfboard shapes.
A well known, respectful rivalry between Occy & Tom Curren pushes Rusty Surfboards into the limelight with Tom’s boards being shaped by legendary surfboard shaper Al Merrick. When Occy triumphs over Tom Curren that year in the OP Pro, everyone naturally wants to know what boards he’s riding and who’s shaping these machines. Rusty Surfboards is born.
Rusty Surfboards then start to add clothing lines to the income stream and Rusty Surfboards becomes one of the biggest surf brands in the world.
In 2001 Rusty Surfboards finally gets it’s 1st World Title holder. A young 22 year old surfer by the name of Cj Hobgood.
Rusty Surfboards continues to shape some of the best surfboard designs in the world today.
Check out the Rusty website here
