Watch Now: ‘Revival’ A Rusty Team Surf Film
5000 A-clips boiled down to 55-minutes of high-powered surf cinema.
“I think there were 5,000 good clips from two years of shooting, and half of them were minute-long waves in Mexico,” recalls Letty Mortensen. “When I handed the hard drives to Spenny, he just shook his head like, ‘Holy shit, boys. What am I supposed to do with this?'”
Revival is also a landmark moment for Rusty, marking their first full-length surf film since Changes in 2008. Luke Clark, Rusty’s Global Marketing Manager, explained how the creation of Revival was a masterclass in “seek forgiveness, not permission” after initially having the idea rejected by their CEO, Geoff. “When we first floated the idea to him he was like, ‘no, don’t do that. That’s a terrible waste of resources and money’,” laughs Luke. “So initially we had to kind of lie to him.”
In secret, the team pressed on saving their best clips while fulfilling marketing obligations with less crucial footage. “We were putting out all the B-clips, and saving the big ones for the main movie,” said Luke. It wasn’t until they had a substantial collection of footage that they revealed their plan, prompting an impressed Geoff to change his mind. “He was like ‘you fucking slippery gypsies!’” before green-lighting the final production push and pulling out the cheque book.
It almost goes without saying, the Rusty crew is like the Addams Family of surf teams—each member quirky, chaotic, and distinct, yet together forming a strangely cohesive unit. That’s by design according to Luke. “I’ve always envisioned our team like Voltron. I don’t need ten identical kids on the QS; I need different characters who bring something unique to the table.”
Take Ollie Henry, one of West Oz’s best shallow water samurais who opens the film on home turf. “Whether it’s cars, making YouTube content or hunting with his compound bow, Ollie puts all his energy into it and learns everything about it,” Letty surmised. “He’s a crazy man. But he’s also incredibly selfless and considerate.” You can read about how he towed Mortensen into 20 of the biggest waves of his life earlier this year here.
Then there’s Zeke. Loud, brash, impulsive and loyal: “We were at a Revival prem in Margaret River, and some thugs from out of town started shoving our sales rep on the dancefloor. Security ended up kicking everyone out. Next thing Zeke spots these guys on the street, probably eight of them, and just runs up and tackles them. They all started fucking him up but that’s Zeke for you—he doesn’t back down, even if it means copping a flogging.”
In contrast to the steamboat that is Zeke, is Wade Carmichael, the steady, calm force of the group. “How would I describe Wade? A happy, well-adjusted individual who knows how to live life and move water,” laughs Letty. “He loves the simple pleasures—beer in the desert, good cooking on his Traeger, his toys—his jet ski, ute and so on. He’s a chart oracle too, he reads the forecast like no one else.”
Letty, who is listed as a star and a producer, says the editing process was grueling, largely due to the sheer volume of footage. However, the goalposts were clear: create a film with the same vibe as the surf movies that inspired them, like Kai Neville’s Modern Collective and Lost Atlas. “Trip-based films make you want to pack your bags and go on an adventure. Profile pieces are great,” Letty concedes, “but I’m drawn to the journey—going somewhere new. It’s cool to see different approaches to the same wave and feel that sense of place.”
With two years of travels, countless waves, and a nostalgic nod to surf films of the past, Revival is more than just a movie—it’s an ode to the joy of surfing with your mates and fucking scoring. “We’re not those big-profile guys, but hopefully this film will make you want to surf, hit the road, and have an adventure,” Letty concludes.