The Best Surfing Books 2024

1. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, Pre-Owned (Paperback)

Pre-Owned - **Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography** Reading this guy on the subject of waves and water is like reading Hemingway on bullfighting; William Burroughs on controlled substances; Updike on adultery. . . . a coming-of-age story, seen through the gloss resin coat of a surfboard.--Sports Illustrated Included in President Obama's 2016 Summer Reading List Barbarian Days is William Finnegan's memoir of an obsession, a complex enchantment. Surfing only looks like a sport. To initiates, it is something else: a beautiful addiction, a demanding course of study, a morally dangerous pastime, a way of life. Raised in California and Hawaii, Finnegan started surfing as a child. He has chased waves all over the world, wandering for years through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa. A bookish boy, and then an excessively adventurous young man, he went on to become a distinguished writer and war reporter. Barbarian Days takes us deep into unfamiliar worlds, some of them right under our noses--off the coasts of New York and San Francisco. It immerses the reader in the edgy camaraderie of close male friendships forged in challenging waves. Finnegan shares stories of life in a whites-only gang in a tough school in Honolulu. He shows us a world turned upside down for kids and adults alike by the social upheavals of the 1960s. He details the intricacies of famous waves and his own apprenticeships to them. Youthful folly--he drops LSD while riding huge Honolua Bay, on Maui--is served up with rueful humor. As Finnegan's travels take him ever farther afield, he discovers the picturesque simplicity of a Samoan fishing village, dissects the sexual politics of Tongan interactions with Americans and Japanese, and navigates the Indonesian black market while nearly succumbing to malaria. Throughout, he surfs, carrying readers with him on rides of harrowing, unprecedented lucidity. Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, a social history, a literary road movie, and an extraordinary exploration of the gradual mastering of an exacting, little-understood art. Praise for Barbarian Days Without a doubt, the finest surf book I've ever read . . . But on a more fundamental level, Barbarian Days offers a clear-eyed vision of American boyhood. Like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, it is a sympathetic examination of what happens when literary ideas of freedom and purity take hold of a young mind and fling his body out into the far reaches of the world.--The New York Times Magazine Incandescent . . . I'd sooner press this book upon on a nonsurfer, in part because nothing I've read so accurately describes the feeling of being stoked or the despair of being held under. . . . But] it's also about a writer's life and, even more generally, a quester's life, more carefully observed and precisely rendered than any I've read in a long time.--Los Angeles Times

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, Pre-Owned (Paperback)

2. Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, Pre-Owned (Paperback)

Pre-Owned - In this moving personal account of faith and fortitude, internationally ranked surfer Bethany Hamilton tells how she survived a shark attack that cost her arm--but not her spirit. They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing--not even the loss of her arm--could come between her and the waves? That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii, Bethany responded to the shark's stealth attack with the calm of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside, she began to paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: Get to the beach.... And when the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was When can I surf again? it became clear that her spirit and determination were part of a greater story--a tale of courage and faith that this soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world. Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany's life as a young surfer, her recovery after the attack, the adjustments she's made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows the body is no more essential to surfing--perhaps even less so--than the soul.

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, Pre-Owned (Paperback)

3. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, Pre-Owned (Hardcover)

Pre-Owned - **Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography** Reading this guy on the subject of waves and water is like reading Hemingway on bullfighting; William Burroughs on controlled substances; Updike on adultery. . . . a coming-of-age story, seen through the gloss resin coat of a surfboard.--Sports Illustrated Included in President Obama's 2016 Summer Reading List Barbarian Days is William Finnegan's memoir of an obsession, a complex enchantment. Surfing only looks like a sport. To initiates, it is something else: a beautiful addiction, a demanding course of study, a morally dangerous pastime, a way of life. Raised in California and Hawaii, Finnegan started surfing as a child. He has chased waves all over the world, wandering for years through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa. A bookish boy, and then an excessively adventurous young man, he went on to become a distinguished writer and war reporter. Barbarian Days takes us deep into unfamiliar worlds, some of them right under our noses--off the coasts of New York and San Francisco. It immerses the reader in the edgy camaraderie of close male friendships forged in challenging waves. Finnegan shares stories of life in a whites-only gang in a tough school in Honolulu. He shows us a world turned upside down for kids and adults alike by the social upheavals of the 1960s. He details the intricacies of famous waves and his own apprenticeships to them. Youthful folly--he drops LSD while riding huge Honolua Bay, on Maui--is served up with rueful humor. As Finnegan's travels take him ever farther afield, he discovers the picturesque simplicity of a Samoan fishing village, dissects the sexual politics of Tongan interactions with Americans and Japanese, and navigates the Indonesian black market while nearly succumbing to malaria. Throughout, he surfs, carrying readers with him on rides of harrowing, unprecedented lucidity. Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, a social history, a literary road movie, and an extraordinary exploration of the gradual mastering of an exacting, little-understood art. Praise for Barbarian Days Without a doubt, the finest surf book I've ever read . . . But on a more fundamental level, Barbarian Days offers a clear-eyed vision of American boyhood. Like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, it is a sympathetic examination of what happens when literary ideas of freedom and purity take hold of a young mind and fling his body out into the far reaches of the world.--The New York Times Magazine Incandescent . . . I'd sooner press this book upon on a nonsurfer, in part because nothing I've read so accurately describes the feeling of being stoked or the despair of being held under. . . . But] it's also about a writer's life and, even more generally, a quester's life, more carefully observed and precisely rendered than any I've read in a long time.--Los Angeles Times

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, Pre-Owned (Hardcover)

4. Rockaway: Surfing Headlong into a New Life, Pre-Owned (Hardcover)

Pre-Owned - The inspirational story of one woman learning to surf and creating a new life in gritty, eccentric Rockaway Beach

Rockaway: Surfing Headlong into a New Life, Pre-Owned (Hardcover)

5. The Complete Guide to Surfing, Used [Hardcover]

With its comprehensive text and brilliant full-colour photos, The Complete Guide to Surfing clearly and vividly explains the world of surfing. Here is everything you need to paddle out and join in. Veteran surfing writer and California surfing pioneer Peter Dixon takes the reader step by step through basics such as choosing the right board, reading waves, paddling out, and from making your first ride through intermediate and advanced techniques. You'll learn the subtleties of board design, etiquette on the waves, safety manoeuvres, how to deal with the inevitable wipeout and other hazards, moves to add power and grace to your rides, and tips on dealing with - and maybe riding - the really big waves. Here also is detailed expert advice on body-surfing and bodyboarding, and stories of surfing adventures in exotic locations around the world. The Complete Guide to Surfing also provides a loving portrait of the sport, from its humble beginnings to its resurgence at the beginning of the last century to the world's stage today.

The Complete Guide to Surfing, Used [Hardcover]

6. Surf-Dog Days and Bitchin' Nights [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. Whether you are a surfer reliving your glory days or a midwesterner with a secret desire to rage the waves, you'll be totally stoked by this inside look at surf-hog heaven by the ultimate surfer, world champion Corky Carroll, who is famous for his radical moves on the board and the beach.

Surf-Dog Days and Bitchin' Nights, Used [Paperback]

7. GO Series: Go Surf: Read It, Watch It, Do It, Used [Paperback]

Learn how to Surf.

GO Series: Go Surf: Read It, Watch It, Do It, Used [Paperback]

8. History Of Surfing, Used [Paperback]

The History of Surfing by world champion surfer Nat Young shares the history, stories, and inside expertise gathered in his years of deep involvement with the sport of surfing. The History of Surfing covers the full gamut, including the history, professionalism, surfboard evolution, professional surfers, the Hawaiian Islands, kneeboards, wave skills, windsurfers, and the future of surfing. Exclusive rare color photos covering surfing's exciting past and present bring to life one of the most exciting and stunningly beautiful sports in the world. This book is the result of a lifetime of involvement with surfing and a deep interest in its history, and includes Nat's discussions with the greats of the sport, from Duke Kahanmoku to contemporary stars like Kelly Slater and Lisa Anderson. Illustrating the book are rare reproductions of early Hawaiian and Australian surfing, along with the work of the world's best surf photographers, including portraits of some of the remarkable figures that the sport has seen. Chapters include: Surfing Roots Hawaiian Revival Heyday of the Hollow Board Evolution of the Modern Board The Age of Surf Clubs Big Waves, Big Boards The Oz Connection World Championships Pocket Rockets and Twin Fins The Birth of Professionalism Surfer Girls Surfing with a Sail

History Of Surfing, Used [Paperback]

9. Making Mavericks: The Memoir of a Surfing Legend [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. The story behind the hit surfing movie Chasing Mavericks ! Surfing legend Frosty Hesson shares the story of his remarkably life and his extraordinary friendship with wunderkind Jay Moriarty. When Richard "Frosty" Hesson was first approached by a young Jay Moriarty in 1990, the skinny kid with a sparkle in his eye only wanted one thing from the icon: his help in becoming a better surfer. Hesson, one of the first to conquer the huge waves off northern California known as Mavericks, recognized that the kid "had a vision." Jay quickly demonstrated a resolve that reminded Frosty of his younger self, pursuing his goal with a seriousness far beyond his years. His attitude and work ethic earned Frosty's respect and, eventually, his friendship. Making Mavericks is the inspiring story of their father-son bond and of the challenges that made each of them who they were--surf legends, and the subject of the instant classic surf film Chasing Mavericks . In Making Mavericks , Frosty talks about his turbulent youth spent under difficult circumstances, with parents who tried to find a positive way to handle a child with a passion for water and a disregard for his own safety. Throughout his life he developed principles to live by, principles that would become the core tenets of his teaching philosophy. Most significantly, Frosty talks about how one of his best students, Jay Moriarty, used his philosophy to become a surfing phenomenon, and whose life inspired the phrase, "Live like Jay." Affecting and poignant, Making Mavericks is a celebration of Hesson's determination to live with joy and purpose, and his desire to help others do the same.

Making Mavericks : The Memoir of a Surfing Legend, Used [Paperback]

10. The Ultimate Guide to Surfing [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. Combining color photography with authoritative text, "The Ultimate Guide To Surfing" offers tips and techniques, terms and key skills to get the most out of the sport. The authors employ the latest technique to create a holistic approach centered around a sound mental attitude and correct body equilibrium. Photos.

The Ultimate Guide to Surfing, Used [Paperback]