The Way of the Surfer: Living It 1935 to Tomorrow - Hardcover

Drew Kampion

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810946386 ISBN 13: 9780810946385

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 2003

Synopsis

A lifestyle guide to surfing by the former editor of Surfer magazine provides a history of the sport, profiles of eleven important surfers, and lavish action photography of exotic surfing locales from around the world. 20,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

"Surfing is the simple act of walking on water," writes Drew Kampion, and the history of surfing is "the sum total of all waves ever ridden." The Way of the Surfer brings together the people and the act of surfing using stories and pictures. As former editor of Surfer magazine, and a fixture on the scene himself, Kampion has been able to track many of the changes in surfing since it caught on in a big way with non-Polynesians. The book focuses on key figures from several eras of waveriding, beginning with Duke Kahanamoku, the Hawaiian beach boy who brought the sport to the mainland. Kampion zooms through the post-war beach boom with profiles of such notables as moviemaker John Severson, board shaper Richard Brewer, and surfer Nat Young before moving on to the heady 1970s, when surfing took a decidedly mystical turn. From the drug-fueled explorations of Rolf Aurness to the "Buddha in the barrel" calm of Gerry Lopez, the tales of this era recall a time when surfing was still an outsider activity, with zealous adherents and strange philosophies. Kampion covers the go-go '80s with the rise of Tom Curren, the seemingly unstoppable champ, and Lisa Andersen, who surfed a path for women in the pros. An appropriate number of pages and pictures are devoted to Kelly Slater, whom Kampion calls "the best surfer in the world." Finally, the book finishes with a return to surfing's roots and a look at the spirited Hawaiian surfer Titus Kinimaka. The Way of the Surfer is an elegant and beautifully designed portrait of the styles and souls of surfers, a collection of words and pictures revealing the deeper meaning of "walking on water." --Therese Littleton

About the Author:

Drew Kampion is a former editor of Surfer, Surfing, Wind Surf, and Wind Tracks magazines and former associate editor of New Age Journal. The author of two previous books on the sport, he regularly contributes articles to The Surfer's Journal, LongBoard, Adrenalin, The Surfer's Path, and other magazines. He lives with his family on Whidbey Island, WA.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0810946386
• ISBN 13: 9780810946385
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192