Photo: Rusty / Sam Olson
Charlie Setzler - Rusty North America President

Introducing Street Beat, a new weekly feature on BNQT.com where we catch up with various action sports brands and see what's really going on. Rusty, established in 1984, has been on a tear lately making some incredible products and establishing several highly strategic collaborations. I caught up with Rusty North America President, Charlie Setzler, who was happy to fill me in on Rusty's latest.

- Danny Spyra

Photo: Rusty
Hybrid boardshorts - part of the Eco-stretch line.
4-way stretch son!

BNQT - THESE DAYS, YOU CAN'T FLIP THROUGH A SURF MAG WITHOUT HEARING ABOUT THE RUSTY ECO-STRETCH BOARDSHORTS. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THEM?

Charlie - Rusty's Eco-stretch boardshorts feature a fully recycled, 4-way stretch fabric. In addition to having the right amount of stretch, they are some of the lightest on the market and are super quick-drying. Combine these features with the fact that they're made from recycled fabric, and you can't go wrong.
Photo: Rusty
Set It Straight - Wired Series jacket featuring
machine-washable headphones

We have 3 styles that have the Eco-stretch fabric, and each come with a hangtag certification highlighting their environmentally friendly polyester. We came out with the Eco-stretch boardshorts last year as part of Rusty's Global Cooling Boardshort series, with the mission of being a better steward to our environment.


BNQT - A NEW RUSTY INITIATIVE INCLUDES THE WIRED SERIES. WHAT DOES THIS LINE CONSIST OF?

Charlie - Rusty's Wired Series is a collection of hooded fleece and jackets that feature HB3 technology, which incorporates built-in machine washable headphones in the drawcords of the product. There are no visible wires, and the cord to plug your iPod or mp3 device is also hidden in the front pocket. The cord port comes out of the pocket and that is where you plug in your music device. It's really simple!
Photo: Rusty
Stealth - a Wired Series mid-weight
military-inspired style jacket

We introduced the Wired Series with 3 styles for men and 3 for girls. All pieces feature these machine washable earbuds with Rusty's R-dot logo and are compatible with most mp3 players and mobile phone devices. From the men's line, we have "Wired," a traditional zip front hooded fleece in a variety of colors; and "Stealth," a mid-weight military-inspired style with ribbed collars and shoulder tabs. Junior styles include "Glam Rock," which has stud detailing; and "Set it Straight," with contrast headphone drawstrings, zipper placket and hood lining.
Photo: Rusty
Glam Rock jacket - Wired Series jacket with stud
detailing

BNQT - WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE WIRED SERIES IN STORES?

Charlie - It will be hitting the stores in June!

BNQT - FINALLY, HOW DID THE COLLABORATION WITH GREEN DAY COME ABOUT?
Mike Dirnt of Green Day wearing the Stealth Wired
Series jacket while practicing for the Grammys
Charlie - We've had a relationship with Green Day for a bit -- the guys in the band and their manager surf and now ride Rusty Surfboards. So when the Wired Series was developed, we showed some samples to the band and asked if they'd be interested in working on a collaboration. They jumped at the opportunity. We have some exciting things coming up with the band this Spring and product will hit stores in July, so stay tuned!