new blog at rustyindo.com

Rusty team in Bali

The Rusty team is in town shooting some new ads and getting clips for an upcoming video project. Jay and Jayke have already left but Jamie, Nate, and Josh are still in town hanging out with local boys Marlon and Awan. Here's a couple of sly shots I grabbed off Coastal Watch.

Rusty Gromfest video

Awan gets 3rd at JPSA Keramas

Rusty rider Made Awan finished 3rd today at the Garuda Indonesia Travel Scene Pro JPSA Comp in Keramas. Read the full story here

Agus Frimanto Crowned Rusty Gromfest Series Champion

Kuta Beach, Bali (Sunday April 5th, 2009) - Agus Frimanto won the Rusty Gromfest Halfway surfing competition today, surpassing fellow Lembongan prodigy Putra Hermawan in the overall rankings, resulting in a dramatic conclusion to the three-stage Rusty Gromfest Series Bali, 2009.

The series launched at Keramas in February, followed by an event at Pererenan in March, then culminated at 'Halfway' Kuta Beach today in challenging conditions.

Competitors were split into two age divisions - under 14 and under 16 - with Rusty's team of pro surfers taking on scoring duties under the watchful eye of ISC head judges. Over eighty grommets participated in each event.

The contests were free to enter with complimentary lunch and goody bags for everyone. Fun games and product giveaways were held throughout the day to engage the hordes of spectators and beach-goers.

Over the duration of the series the stand out surfers in the under 14 division have been Jeren (Canggu), Koko (Nusa Dua), Mansyur (Sumbawa), Blacky (Legian), and Ediana (Lembongan).

The future of Indonesian surfing is in good hands with this lot, who all come from diverse backgrounds but have one thing in common: they absolutely rip!

Today Jeren was in his element, winning each of his heats, and then claiming his maiden victory after going mental in the final. Ediana lost in the semis but still clenched the overall series title after finishing runner-up at Keramas and winning Pererenan.

In the under 16 division much of the attention has been focused on the Lembongan duo of Putra Hermawan and Agus Frimanto who have had consistent finals berths.

Putra had built a commanding ratings lead following two consecutive victories in the first two events (Agus placed 2nd and 3rd) but the additional 25% points up for grabs at Halfway meant that Agus was mathematically still in the running to take the overall title.

Today Putra and Agus met in the semi finals where Agus took it to the next level with a spectacular display of confident, critical surfing. He stomped a 360 air-reverse to take the heat and advance into the final alongside Ahmad Kamal while Putra fell victim to the flat, unresponsive ocean.

This left the door wide open for Agus, who would need to finish second or better to take the series title. With so much at stake, Agus Frimanto put all the pressure aside and destroyed every wave he caught in the final, winning convincingly.

He has been awarded a chance to compete against the best international junior surfers at the 14th annual Rusty Gromfest held at Lennox Head, Australia in July 2009.

"I'm so happy to win the event and get the ticket to Australia" beamed Agus after the podium celebration. "I can't wait to surf Lennox Head, Snapper Rocks and all the great waves there... but first it's time to party!!!"

The Rusty Gromfest Series Bali 2009, held in conjunction with the Coca-Cola ISC Junior Tour, has been a great success that was made possible with the generous support of the local communities at Keramas, Pererenan, and Kuta.

Thanks also to our sponsors Creatures, Macbeth, Sabre, Wall's, GUS, Surftime, and Magic Wave. See you next year!!

Gromfest Halfway Results:

Under 16
1. Agus Frimanto
2. Tia Nustawan
3. Ahmad Kamal
4. Putu Anggara

Under 14
1. Jeren
2. Koko Mitsua Antara
3. Mansyur
4. Luke Hynd

Overall Rusty Gromfest Series Bali 2009 Rankings:

Under 16
1. Agus Frimanto - 5850 points
2. Putra Hermawan - 5500 points
3. Tia Nustawan - 5100 points

Under 14
1. Ediana Putra - 5350 points
2. Jeren - 5183 points
3. Koko Mitsua Antara - 4750 points

Full ratings, photo gallery, and videos at www.isctour.com

MEDIA: For hi-res photos please contact dedot@rustyindo.com

Photos by Amin & Harry / Text by Thai

Karlee Mackie – Curvy

Rusty team rider / artist Karlee Mackie has been invited to display her art at YEN magazines 6th annual CURVY exhibition and for her art to be featured in the Curvy book along side 120 of the most exciting female graphic artists and illustrators from 39 countries.

Reno sequence by Naren

No Thrills for the Cautious!

In 1991 Rusty released a hit surf video “No Thrills For The Cautious”

Well it’s 2009 and we dug it from the grave. Pretty classic vid that still has what it takes to amp you out!! Check out 54 minutes of Pat’O, Vinnie, Justin Poston, Shane Beschen, Rich Rudolph, Ruffo, Chris billy, Shane Powell, Mike Parsons, Todd Chesser, Scott blake, Dean Randazzo, Rick Irons.

Bastien Salabanzi back on Rusty

Putra Hermawan wins second consecutive victory at the Rusty Gromfest Pererenan, Bali

Photos by Amin / Text by Durian

Light winds and pitching 2 foot waves greeted the frothing grommets at Pererenan Beach today for the second stop of the three-stage Rusty Gromfest Series 2009.

Almost 100 kids from all over Bali (and beyond) came out in force to fine-tune their skills, win sick prizes, and bro out with Rusty's local team of pro surfers. With a stacked heat draw and a long list of alternates, organizers blew the horn at 7:30am to get the first heat underway.

Round 1 kicked off at the 'Sandbar' peak rather than the adjacent 'Canggu Right' due to the medium tide but this didn't curb the under 14's enthusiasm- they were pumped and zipped around the lineup catching waves left, right, and centre! The testing 6-man heats separated the boys from the children as only two surfers would progress into the second round.

On the beach kids were buzzing with excitement and wasted no time making connections with other shredder’s from all over the archipelago. "I've made a few new friends already" beamed Mansyur, a 13-year-old surf rat from Sumbawa, "They said when I surf their local breaks they’ll give me waves, but only if I take them to Lakey Peak first!"

In the under 16 division the incoming tide and pulsing swell produced some rippable 3 foot sets that reeled along Canggu's lava rock shelf. The spotlight was on the Lembongan duo of Agus Frimanto and Putra Hermawan who battled it out last month at the Rusty Gromfest Keramas. Both let loose with a full arsenal of tricks and progressed through heats with consistent, solid performances.

As the midday sun cooked Canggu's black sand, guest judge and Rusty GM Kane Faint confessed, "The conditions are less than ideal but the groms bought their ‘A’ game and are tearing it to pieces... The weather forecast predicted rain but it seems like the hot surfing scared the clouds away!"

When the under 14 finals took to the water the standard had well and truly heated up, with Komang Angga, Ediana Putra, local favorite Jeron, and the polished Koko Mitsua Antara absolutely going mental! Jeron had won a string of heats leading into the final while Ediana had also impressed the judges in the earlier rounds. These little human's were throwing buckets upon buckets of spray and in the end Ediana took the title with lightning-fast frontside snaps and superior wave selection. Stoked!

The climactic under 16 final featured Kadek Mertayasa, Putra Hermawan, Tia Nustawan, and Agus Frimanto. The side shore wind backed off considerably allowing for more open face turns, which favours Agus' style, but unfortunately he broke his back fin on his opening ride. Tia had been on fire all day and his performance in the final was no different - he put together some great combinations and went blow-for-blow against Putra who showcased his typical display of tight, precise, critical surfing.

In the end Putra claimed his second straight Coca-Cola ISC Junior Tour victory and was crowned the Rusty Gromfest Pererenan Champ! He also took home the 'Sabre Madness Award' for pulling a mental 360 punt in the Semi's that was received with a roar of approval in the competitors tent.

See you at Halfway Kuta on Sunday March 5th for the third and final stop of the Rusty Gromfest Series 2009.

Final Results:

Under 14
1. Ediana Putra
2. Jeren
3. Koko Mitsua Antara
4. Angga Mardiana

Under 16
1. Putra Hermawan
2. Tia Nustawan
3. Agus Frimanto
4. Kadek Mertayasa

The overall U/16 series winner will be awarded a chance to compete against the best international junior surfers at the 14th annual Rusty Gromfest held at Lennox Head, Australia in July 2009. This event has enjoyed a rich history that has seen the likes of Mick Fanning, Bede Durbidge, and Julian Wilson crowned as champions. The overall U/16 champion will also be granted wildcard entry into the 6-star ISC Rusty Rumble In Da Jungle event at Sanur in May 2009.

Thanks to Creatures, Sabre, Macbeth, Surftime, Magic Wave, and GUS for supporting the series.

MEDIA: For hi-res photos please contact dedot@rustyindo.com

Jamie O'Boogie

Jamie O recently got the nod from sponge legend Mike Stewart to take part in the Turbo Pro bodyboard event held at his home break - Pipeline.

Despite getting clipped in two deep tubes, an interference call, and almost losing a fin in the barrel, O'Brien finished 3rd in his round 1 heat.

"I was definitely stoked they gave me the wildcard. I felt kind of honored because I'm not even a boogie boarder," beamed O'Brien.

"You're hugging the wave more and it's pretty cool. It's a different way to ride a barrel and I like to challenge myself in all kinds of barrels and waves"

Read the full story at ESPN

Rusty Gromfest Keramas Goes Off!

Photos by Amin / Text by Durian

Clear skies, light wind, and grinding three-foot waves welcomed stoked grommets to Keramas beach today for the first stop of the three-stage Rusty Gromfest Series 2009. With a heatdraw bursting at the seams organizers were eager to start proceedings and sent the first heat into the lineup at 7:30am. Spurred on by friends and family, kids waxed their boards furiously, itching to get their rails wet.

In the under 14 division Koko Mitsua Antara, Ediana Putra, Angus Steeles and Hayden Welch surfed impressively but it was Legian's Blacky who became the crowd favorite after unleashing numerous grab-rail carves and landing a massive air. Angus and Hayden met in the first round and were unstoppable as they surfed their way into the finals together. There was heaps of little dudes ripping big-time so it'd be safe to say the future of Indonesian surfing is in good hands!

The first round of the under 16 division saw two familiar surfers light it up- Agus Frimanto and Putra Hermawan - no strangers to junior competition in Bali. Frimanto's opening ride sent the beach into a frenzy of high-fives as he boosted over a section then broke into a series of cutbacks followed by a reverse on the inside wedge. Other standouts were Putu Anggara and Tia Nustawan who were both going nuts on their backside.

Guest judge and Rusty Indonesia GM Kane Faint commented, "The standard of surfing today has been amazing. The groms are taking full advantage of the empty lineup and epic conditions. They're amped and it's showing in their surfing!"

In the Under 14 final it was an international affair with two Australian's paired against two local boys. Angus caught waves like a machine but couldn't put two high scores in the bag. Blacky ran out of juice after competing in both divisions while Ediana hacked and slashed his way into second place. Hayden's polished style and flowing top-turns won the judges over as he was awarded the top spot.

"I'm really stoked to win this event - everyone was ripping. I made heaps of new friends. I wish I could stay for the next contest but my holiday is over and I have to go back to school!" chuckled Hayden after the presentation.

As the horn blew to signal the start of the under 16 final, a set rolled through with Putu Anggara, Putra Hermawan, and Agus Frimanto exchanging blows consecutively. Putra squeaked out of a feathering barrel and backed it up with a flawless display of tight, precise, critical surfing. Agus was also on fire and saved the best for last- he stomped a 360 air under pressure over the inside reef. Putu couldn't quite claw his way into contention despite finding a small tube of his own.

In the end Putra took top honors and was crowned the Rusty Gromfest Keramas Champ! Agus finished a close second and also received the 'Sabre Madness Award' for pulling some mental airs which raised the bar and left the crowd frothing! This duo have started their 2009 campaign with great results and I'm sure this won't be the last time they battle it out for the top spot.

See you at Pererenan Canggu on Sunday March 8th for the second stop of the Rusty Gromfest Series 2009.

Final Results:

Under 14
1. Hayden Welch
2. Ediana Putra
3. Angus Steeles
4. Blacky

Under 16
1. Putra Hermawan
2. Agus Frimanto
3. Putu Anggara
4. Kadek Mertayasa

The overall U/16 winner will be awarded a chance to compete against the best international junior surfers at the 13th annual Rusty Gromfest held at Lennox Head, Australia in July 2009. This event has enjoyed a rich history that has seen the likes of Mick Fanning, Bede Durbidge, and Julian Wilson crowned as champions. The overall U/16 champion will also be granted wildcard entry into the 6-star ISC Rusty Rumble In Da Jungle event at Sanur in May 2009.

Thanks to Creatures, Sabre, Macbeth, Surftime, and Magic Wave for supporting the series.

MEDIA: For high-res photos please contact dedot@rustyindo.com