A Man Walks Into a Surf Shop....



Over a year ago, I walked into this surf shop down in Carlsbad, CA, not knowing what I was in store for. My name is Cory Patterson and I’ve been surfing my whole life and I’ve been filming and photographing surfing for years. Walking into RW Surf, I was met by Cory, who I learned was the oldest son of Rusty Whitlock. I was given an introduction to the Whitlock’s by BoardWarrior, who I do some filming for.  My friends at BW thought I might enjoy getting some pics and catching some waves with their old friends at RW. It was an amazing day. We went out and shot some pics, went surfing and shared stories.

 


Keith Halterman, Cory Whitlock,
Cory Patterson, Rusty Whitlock
 


Well, mostly I just listened, absorbing story after story of all this surf history, like I was reading a book. On my surfed out drive home, back to LA, I called my friend Keith (BW’s videographer). Stoked about the day, I told him we need to start documenting this shop immediately. We need to get the history recorded before it’s lost. So, over the course of the past year, I have been shooting with the Whitlock’s, while working with BW to develop a great story we are calling 50 Years of Shaping; The Story of a Surf Family.

The stories this family shares, about living and growing up on the North Shore, pro surfing careers, tragedy and rebuilding, injury and unbelievable comebacks, both inspire and amaze. Through it all, never forgetting that Rusty keeps shaping one of the best surfboards out there. He has been innovating and creating boards, with his own hands, since 1963. Not in a big production factory, but in a one man shop. A shop that has surfing in the corrugated tin walls, shavings on the floor and the smell of resin and fresh salt water in the air.

Rusty and Cory working in the shop.

Through a lifetime staying true to the soul of surfing, Rusty is, to this day, one of the nicest most stoked out dudes I have ever come across. The whole family lives for surfing, doing what they can to keep themselves surrounded by surf culture and the ocean, no matter what life throws at them. But never losing the kindness and the ability to be a real human being in and out of the water. You won’t find flash or trendy here. They are just who they are and that is it.

With Hollywood and corporate surfing trying to sell an image of what a surfer should look like and surf like, Rusty and RW Surf live their own truth. Surfing is freedom. A way to express yourself as a person, as an artist and not giving a flying fuck about what the next 30 dudes in the lineup think of you. Remember earlier on I said "They are just who they are and that is it". Cory said in one of the 50 Years interviews….’we live a million dollar lifestyle, without the million dollars.’ That, my friends, is the soul of surfing. Well, at least in our eyes.

Rusty has been shaping boards for 50 years!

 Documentary in Development

The Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to complete this documentary will be live in late May. Watch for it. You’ll be able to see a short trailer of the documentary that we hope to release by early next year. We’ve said from the beginning that this is story that needs telling, and we are going to tell it!, So, keep your eyes peeled and keep your stoke.  

  

RW Surf Board