Book Reviews
Tim Baker, more renowned for his revealing work co-authoring biographies of celebrity surfers, finally produces a tome of his own…and this time it’s personal. Inspired by Ray Slattery’s surfing journey around Australia – Tim, with family in tow, decides to take the plunge and leave on his own quest around the Australian continent. The mission [...]
Is there life after surfing? Is there life before surfing? This book is about young discovery, suffering the growing pains of becoming a surfer and then loss. Set mainly in the heat and pot-smoking culture of 1970s Florida, it centres around a young Thad Ziolkowski and the re-location of his broken family from landlocked Washington. [...]
Sully is an interesting bloke – no doubt about that. His fortunes, centred around joining the World Qualifying Series in 2006, are varied and, at times, frustrating – a real open window to the psyche of young Australian travellers. I finished the book in a day – that’s how much I enjoyed it. The writing [...]
Imagine an old pub situated in the north of England. It’s about half-past 4 in the afternoon and it’s getting dark. You can hear and feel the wind and rain against the windows as you look out onto a grey sea-scape, filled with lines of mushy whitewater. It’s cold and you’re grateful for the pint [...]
Continue reading about The Second Wave – My surfing life: The Saltburn Way
The first 2 sentences written by Mick Fanning reads; “This book is not a biography. I feel I’m too young and still have many episodes of my life to explore.” While his words remain true, the story of Mick’s journey to his World Championship Tour title win in 2007 involves a lifetime’s worth of struggles, [...]
Continue reading about Surf for your life (Mick Fanning) – Book review
If 3 months ago you had come up to me on the street and asked me if I had heard of a company called Patagonia, I would have given you a fairly short reply – Yes, I had heard about them from advertising that I had seen in the “Surfers Path” and I’d seen the [...]
Continue reading about Let my people go surfing – Book Review
But, Ellen MacArthur is a sailor isn’t she, not a surfer? Yes, Ellen is most definitely a sailor and one that has to be greatly admired for her work on and off the water. Is the lady (or Dame) really a surfer though? I would say without hesitation, yes. Ok, her favourite “board” is a [...]
Continue reading about Full Circle by Ellen MacArthur – Book review
This book is about challenges. Discovering the bliss of surfing by conquering adversity, the world-wide search for “the Conductor”, and an investigation into the mysteries of the mind and the psychology of the wave rider. All the themes are skilfully woven into a biography of this thoughtful and often humorous adventurer. Steven Kotler shares his [...]
Mid-life awakening! In his late forties Peter Heller discovers surfing and sets himself a challenge: to ride a big wave within 6 months of first taking up the sport! We journey with Peter to Mexico on his hilarious and revealing adventure to transform himself from Kook to surfer. The story will have you laughing out [...]
What a life! Mark Occhilupo with the able help of Tim Baker paints an incredibly open account of the surfing genius and living legend that is Occy. Charismatic and childishly infectious, you can’t help but connect with the man. From the early days through to his meteoric rise within the tour and subsequent meltdown, you [...]