Before digital shaping files, rail templates helped shapers record and reproduce the subtle curves that give a surfboard its character.
Rusty began using them in the early 1980s after learning the value of detailed measurements from Bill Barnfield. Width, thickness, rocker and bottom contours were recorded at regular intervals. As team riders requested thinner boards, the templates allowed Rusty to flatten decks, keep useful foam and develop steeper rails without losing consistency.
The early templates were cut from scraps of tempered hardboard. The collection became more precise as Rusty shaped for increasingly demanding surfers, eventually recording points around the apex in half-inch increments. Later versions were made from PVC with CNC-cut marks and reference lines.
By the time Rusty adopted CAD design in 1998, physical rail templates were largely replaced by digital records. Their purpose, however, remains central to good shaping: preserve proven information while allowing the rail line, thickness flow and complete design to work together naturally.
Adapted with permission from Rusty Surfboards USA.
