Newest Production Crew Member



Cameron (far right) waiting as Cory Patterson sets up for the interview of Bob 'The Greek' Bolen in his Huntington Beach Shop

Cameron is a sound guy. He’s been working clubs and studios in the Sacramento region since completing his internship at 98 Rock. When you first meet Cameron, you might think he is a little bit quirky. He does not say much. But, what I discovered, was he does not need to chatter away like the rest of us. When he has something to say, it always seems to be spot on. Kind of stops everyone in their tracks for a beat or two with a ‘hmmmm, yeah, you’re right. I never thought about it quite like that’. I think it’s because, being a sound guy, he is always listening. He has that look on his face like he is hearing things the rest of us just don’t hear. You know, like Universal Truths or something. Well, that might be going a little too far.  I’m not exactly sure what channel he’s tuned into, but what I can tell you is that the sound quality of his recordings are crystal. 50 YoS is happy to have Cameron on board.

 

Surfer - Nope- Skateboarder

Skylar shredding at Bishop Park

Skylar Walden - The Youngest Whitlock

Who’d of thought the grandson, son and nephew of 3 pro surfing legends would end up a skateboarder? And isn’t it testimony to the tightness of this family that everyone, not just the surfers, but the grand mom and sisters too, all support Skylar’s decision to pursue skateboarding instead of the family business, RW Surf.

Skylar Walden is Cory Whitlock’s son. There is no doubt when you see them together that they really like each other. That does not mean that they agree with each other. Nope, not at all. But they certainly respect each other. And it shows.  

Skylar catching air at Bishop Park

 

 We spent an afternoon with Skylar at a local Carlsbad, CA skate park. He is totally amazing to watch. He moves with the grace and agility of a surfer, but shreds on his skateboard like a pro. In fact he has been sponsored by local skate shops and it’s looking like he might have the stuff for a pro career. Considering his grandfather and father have been pro surfers and his uncle, Ricky Whitlock, is considered one of the top Big Wave surfers in the world, Skylar’s ability should not surprise anyone.

What is surprising about Skylar is, that with all the talent he has, he is not really sure pro skateboarding is where his passion is. What he really loves is music. And he comes by that honestly, too. He’s been jamming with his grandpa, Rusty (who still plays in a rock band), for as long as he could hold a guitar. He and his band, Swift Beats, are innovative musicians who write and play their own music. They even have their own unique sound. A sound that made Skylar grin as he said it….Rocky, bluesy, surfer….wow, I gotta hear this!

 Skylar and Swift Beats will be playing at Boar Cross’n on Thursday night, July 3^rd. The sports bar is at 390 Grand Ave, Carlsbad, CA. The BW crew will be there recording live music for the documentary, 50 Years of Shaping, and getting some footage of Skylar and the band at work. Make it if you can. After all, where else are you going to hear rocky, bluesy, surfer music!



Skylar learning the family business with Dad, Cory and Granddad, Rustsy
 

50 Years of Shaping Interviews Begin

                                                                                 Beginnings

Rusty Whitlock

 Cory Patterson, Keith Halterman and the BW crew were in Carlsbad, CA last week to begin interviews for the documentary, 50 Years of Shaping, The Journey of a Surf Family. In true Aloha spirit, the Whitlock family opened their homes, their shop, RW Surf, but most of all, their hearts, to us. 
                                                   

Pic of the back of the shop

Cory Patterson, the project’s Director, has spent hours over the past year filming – work in the shop, board shaping, surf lessons, and, of course, lot’s of surfing. But this trip was about the story. Rusty, the centerpiece of the story, was not feeling well, but he came up to Carlsbad from Mexico, anyway. I’ve spent hours with Rusty on the phone, but this was my first face to face. And, yeah, I was a bit awed. It’s not every day I get to hang out with surf royalty.

 

 

 

 

Interviews and More Interviews

 We spent most of the first day with Rusty, piecing together his story, taking him back in time with hours of questions. We heard stories about a time when the surf industry was in its infancy. The pioneers of the 50’s had opened the doors for young adventurers like Rusty and his friends. He grins
a little as he tells us ‘we just wanted to surf’.

 

They were just a bunch of young surfers who went on to become surf legends that we all know today…names like David Nuuhiwa, Herbie Fletcher, Jackie Baxter and Randy Lewis, to name a handful. One of my favorite stories Rusty shared that first day, was about ‘stealing our boards back from Camp Pendleton’ after they had been confiscated by the Military for getting a little too close to the beach. Seems like the Marines kept a chicken coop full of boards they were confiscating from the local boys. You’ll have to watch the documentary to hear that one! And, we heard some great stories about Bob ‘The Greek’ Bolan, Rusty’s first sponsor. It was a brand new Greek board that Rusty had to ‘repatriate’ from the chicken coop! Bob and Rusty are friends to this day.

Rusty’s story is set during a time when the industry we know today was growing. The innovators of the sport and the growth of competition were evolving. Rusty was an intimate part of that growth. We look forward to sharing these amazing stories with you.   

 

Selection of RW Boards