1. barbarian days: a life of surfing by william finnegan
If you’re a surfer and appreciate strong writing, this book is well worth your time. I postponed this. Big Moment Finnegan’s intimate depictions of becoming acquainted with the waves, the cultures that surround them, and the relationships that fueled her life are riveting. the New York columnist keeps spouting ten-dollar words, which can be off-putting at times (we get it, you’re smart!), but becoming more familiar with the English language is a good thing. Finnegan writes about how the obsession with chasing waves waxes and wanes throughout life, and I can relate a lot. I longed for a moment when I would once again be totally consumed by a wave. Unfortunately, I haven’t had that luxury since childhood. Beyond awakening in me a committed passion for surfing, I really enjoyed writing it. the book is ambitious. Finnegan ties into sociopolitical upheavals, personal triumphs and failures, and his relationship to the surfer’s nagging guilt: our worthlessness in the face of a life much larger than the ocean. it is an enriching page turner. I’m glad you wrote it. and I’m glad I read it.
You are reading: Best books about surfing
buy barbarian days here.
2. Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Entrepreneur by Yvon Chouinard
It’s not every day a surfer or rock climber creates one of the most respected and socially responsible businesses in the world. If you haven’t heard how I built this podcast, you should. More grains of knowledge sing proudly in these pages, and you’d do worse than spend a day at the beach soaking it up.
buy let my people go surfing here.
3. surfing is where you find it by gerry lopez
in the same way that yvon chouinard’s words have meaning, so do gerry lópez’s. so it’s not surprising that lopez, mr. pipeline, has helped spearhead surf-related initiatives in patagonia. In the surf is where you find him, López waxes poetic in 38 stories about the lessons he’s learned from a lifetime in the ocean. Lopez long carries with him a zen-like wisdom when he speaks, and the same is equally true with the way he writes. he manages to extract relevant life lessons from riding barrels to the feel of riding epic waves, and on a basic level, he feels real. not in a cheesy way. in a way that only one of the most respected men in surfing could pull off.
buy surf is where you find it now.
4. west of jesus by steven kotler Contrary to the title, west of jesusis not about jesus. And it’s not all about surfing. It’s also not really about spirituality or religion, but it really is at the same time. Steven Kotler covers all the bases of belief when it comes to our connection to the ocean. throughout the world and throughout every step of recorded history, man has woven his foundation of survival and spirituality with the sea. In some cases, science has answers about how and why we come out of the water feeling better than when we got in. but sometimes the only thing that can explain our attachment to a silly (or not so silly) ritual of building energy walls that have traveled thousands of miles just to meet mere mortals is faith.
if you’re one of those people who constantly think about how much you love surfing and even wonder why from time to time, west of jesus won’t give you the answers. yes, you will close the book with a deeper understanding of everything, but you will leave with a little wonder and a lot more curiosity.
shop west of jesus here.
5. for the love of kelly slater
yes, the goat is on the list. obviously. this book came out in 2008, when kelly slater was just 9 times world champion. A few years earlier, with the help of writer Phil Jarrat, she published Impossible Dreams (as an annoying six-time world champion). it’s amazing to see how much changes both circumstantially and within the mind of the greatest competitive surfer who ever lived in the span of a few short years. From heartbreak to fame to life philosophy, Slater wears her heart on her sleeve, and you can bet we’re excited to read her post-her career. we know that she will arrive at some point.
buy for love or impossible dreams here.
6. surfing and rock climbing in california in the fifties by yvon chouinard and steve pezman
so this book has become a rarity. it’s hard to get your hands on it. But once you do, you’re lucky enough to be transported back to an extremely special time in California surf culture. a few page turns, and you’re knee-deep in the golden age. You will see images of Marilyn Monroe at beach parties in Malibu. yvon chouinard with a chiseled jarring physique chilling with friends after the climb. it’s an all-access pass to a moment in time that created surf (and rock-climbing) culture and the nostalgia that follows it to this day. this book captures that spirit more effectively than perhaps any other we’ve seen. surfing and climbing in california in the fifties was special. this book does it well.
Buy here the California of surfing and climbing of the fifties.
See Also: The best crime books and thrillers of 2016 | Best books of the year | The Guardian
7. the code by shaun tomson
I loved shaun tomson long before he wrote this book. but i love him even more since i read the surfer code. As a group, we’re not the best at candidly sharing our life stories and lessons with each other. in fact, it makes the whole quest feel that much more selfish knowing that there is no expectation of taking this amazing experience and somehow paying for it. sure, a lot of people do that. but not many do it as well as tomson.
The scheme is quite simple. Tomson presents a direct lesson or rule analogous to surfing, then dives into the personal story that led to that lesson, sometimes stemming from a vivid memory of a wave, surf trip, contest, or fall. here is a man who followed his dreams around the world. and the things he learned on the water transcended riding waves, opening his heart to new dreams and taking him to new places. He’s lived through a tragedy most wouldn’t wish on his worst enemies, and he came out of it all with an even stronger urge to give back to the very community that fueled those early dreams: surfers.
buy surfer code here.
8. The Wave: In Search of the Ocean’s Rogues, Monsters, and Giants by Susan Casey
if they’re nerds like us, when a gifted writer like susan casey (formerly editor of o, oprah magazine) blends science, rogue waves, and laird hamilton into one cohesive, educational story, they get excited. Casey gives the reader a seat on Laird’s jetski and a window into the brains of the world’s leading scientists to learn more about the ocean and its mighty feats. it’s a good trip.
buy susan casey’s wave now.
9. in search of captain zero by alan weisbecker
Weisbecker’s memoir tale of packing up your belongings, dog, and leaving America in search of your lost friend south of the border is a sometimes dark romp that will inspire wanderlust with the best. there is danger, guilt, fear and a hedonistic attraction to a quiet existence based on surfing. Watch out for this one, as you can take a page out of Weisbecker’s book and leave your current life behind.
buy looking for captain zero now.
10. tapping the fountain by kem nunn
This is the book that inspired the point break. the original was also a finalist for the national book award. It takes you back to a seedy, surfy time on Huntington Beach that’s still barely alive in the neck-tattooed bars on Main Street by the HB pier. ’nuff said, right?
shop by tapping the source now.
11. saltwater buddha by jamail yogis
yogis is a graduate of the columbia school of journalism, who has managed to weave together some of the most thoughtful and transcendent words we have come across related to surfing. Saltwater Buddha’s coming-of-age story takes the reader across the country and on a spiritual journey that is equal parts saltwater and self-discovery.
buy saltwater buddha now.
11. sebi the surfin’ spoon: sebi goes surfing for jesse and whitney hines
Readers come from all ages, right? If he has created and/or is raising a child, this book illustrated by Ben Weiland and written by North Carolina pro surfer Jesse Hines and his wife, Whitney, is a must. It teaches valuable lessons, features fun art, and just might be the fuel needed to light your grom’s fire to get it going. And did we mention that Jesse and Whitney own an ice cream parlor called Surf Spoon in the outer banks? because they do, and they, their ice cream parlor, and their book are adorable and awesome.
buy sebi surf spoon now.
See Also: 7 books for Ayurveda students – Ekhart Yoga
13. surf huts by indoek
This is kind of a cheat, because you shouldn’t take it to the beach. it’s a coffee table book. and will make your coffee table look better. It can also inspire you in interior design, as it takes you inside the homes of many of the world’s most iconic and stylish surfers. that is all. just portraits of surfers in their homes. but that’s enough.
buy surf huts now.
14. the history of surfing by matt warshaw
While we’re cheating on coffee table books, I’d be remiss not to include Mac-Daddy’s history of surfing reference book, Matt Warshaw’s History of Surfing. Warshaw, the author of The Encyclopedia of Surfing, has extensively chronicled the sport, and this book is no different. keep in mind that you have to care a lot about the history of surfing to enjoy this book. they are not fictional stories with pleasant plots. they are selective excerpts from relatively important moments in surfing history with clever color commentary.
buy the history of surfing now.
15. swell: a sail surfer’s awakening journey by liz clark
If you’re looking for a true life story of a strong woman who grabs life by the balls to make her dreams come true as she sets sail to learn priceless life lessons, look no further. the good is here.
buy swell: a sail surfer’s awakening journey here.
16. All for Perfect Waves: The Bold Life and Legend of Rebel Surfer Miki Dora by David Rensin
the first time i saw a two xx commercial with the most interesting man in the world, i immediately thought of miki dora. To this day, I still can’t see one of those places without thinking of the original surf jerk, the renegade, the international mystery man, the hustler, and the cool guy. This biography doesn’t always paint the most caring picture of Dora, while also making it clear that many people truly loved the boy. he was so polarizing because he explored every nook and cranny of what the surf lifestyle had to offer. His rise to surfing stardom paralleled the rise in popularity of surfing in the United States, so this book is as much a history lesson as it is a biography.
Shop everything for perfect waves here.
bonus round!
17. the alchemist
It’s not a surf story. Not even a little bit. at least it wasn’t intended to be a book about/for surfing, so the only relationship it has to anything about surfing is that its author is Brazilian. but if you’re like me, you have a long list of interests in life that take place outside of the ocean. meanwhile, the fact that you like surfing so much inevitably brings those other interests and passions back to being compared to surfing anyway. so let the parallel dig begin: a shepherd has a series of recurring dreams that convince him to leave his flock in search of treasure. the more he travels, the more he learns that he really is pursuing his own personal destiny.
now why in the world would a surfer care about this? Let’s see, how many of us get on highways, boats and planes every day with the hope that when we leave home we will be rewarded with the best waves we have ever seen? Have you ever felt that the quality of the wave you expect at the end of your trip is directly related to the distance you have to travel? Trust me, there are plenty of parallels here that will make you feel warm and fuzzy about your appreciation for being rammed.
buy the alchemist here.
18. on the road by jack kerouac
It’s not a surf story either. but it might as well be. and kerouac is kerouac. this is the portion of Americana that inspires the reader to take on and make sense of adventures. just substitute an ocean and you’ll be fine.
shop on the go here.
See Also: Audiobooks narrated by Ray Porter | Audible.com