Name: Rusty Friesen
Nickname: Stallone
Home: Carlsbad, CA
Spot(s): La Jolla, Blacks, wherever is good.
Years bodyboarding: 20
Other sponsors: RXYM FASHION
Website(s): rxymfashion.com
Travels: Hawaii, All Mexico, OZ, New Zealand, Tahiti, Indo, Chile, Canary Island, Costa Rica, South Africa.
CX board/dimensions: Dynasty Series
How did you get started? When? My parents love the beach/ocean so I was getting pushed into waves ever since I can remember.
Which bodyboarders have influenced you the most to get where you are? Dean Seppings, Andre Botha, Al Taylor, Ross Mcbride. All the Cali guys that where charging when I was a grom.
Describe your heaviest/sketchiest experience in the water? Session? Had a few of those. Can remember surfing Puerto as big as it gets right before dark … just me and Eddie. Huge set landing in front of me, leash breaks and nobody out.
If any other company, in addition to Custom X, picked you up which company would it be? Why (for what reason)? Nike. Because they have huge money, make sick stuff, and all the best athletes in the world are sponsored by them.
Which bodyboarding video inspires you the most? Anything that has Skip, Ross, and Andre in it. But first video I bought was Warped, watched it over and over.
Besides bodyboarding, what do you do for a living? Own and operate:www.socalsurflessons.com Give surf and bodyboard lessons in Carlsbad.
What are your bodyboarding goals? In other words, what can people expect from you in the future? Being a true wave rider. Winning Pipe, big pits at Choopes. Solid Free surfing.
If you were given any piece of real estate in the world, where would it be? Cape town
Which people do you surf with the most? Been traveling a lot with Andre Botha. Other than that RXYM team
Favorite bodyboarders today: Ross, Skippy guys, Andre, Winny, Simon Thorton, Alex Leon, Justin Crossman.
What is your favorite spot? What size and conditions?
Super sucks 4-6
Tamarack 1-2
Choops 8 - 10
Blacks 8 - 10
What do you do when the surf is flat? Play basketball, boxing class, gamble on anything, watch Lakers, make money, kick it with the family and gf, play golf.
Do you compete? If you do, which tours do you frequent? You ranked on any tour? Couple stops on the world tour.
How is the bodyboarding scene where you live? Needs a bit of a push but still a core little group. Groms need to step up.
Tell us a travel story gone wrong. Fly down to Puerto with the boys. Within 6 hours of getting off the plane get beat up by 10 Mexi’s, then 6 hours later fly home. COOL!
Tell us about a session when you scored the hardest. Surfed 6 – 8 foot Choops all by myself not one other person in the water.
What kind of music helps you focus before you surf? Reggae.
What is your favorite maneuver? Tubes
Quote you live by: “Every man dies - Not every man really lives.” William Ross Wallace
In other news, Ryan took second in dk at the Outer Banks Shootout while fellow CX rider Jason Woodall snagged third. Find the full story and photos at ESM. Follow the link: Full Story.
