Surfing books

In this winter period there is nothing better than leaving the cold and the city behind, slipping under the covers with a good book and dedicating some time for yourself .
For us lovers of wave sports there are many publications dedicated to the art of surfing or to narratives that have the beach, waves and lots of fun as their central theme. Here are some of our reading suggestions for wave riders!

“A brief history of surfing” by Matt Warshaw

For those who want to discover more about the discipline of surfing, you certainly cannot stop reading this manual. Enriched with more than 250 unpublished photographs , the book is an excellent guide to the birth and development of surfing: from its origins on the Hawaiian coasts to the birth of sports competitions. For those who love waves and sand, this manual is a must-have in your library.

“Tapping the Source” by Kem Nunn

For those who want to combine surfing with the thriller genre , “Tapping the source” lends itself to being a true masterpiece. Written by Kem Nunn, born and raised on the board in Northern California, author of numerous best sellers (many of which focus on the theme of surfing), the book soon becomes his magnum opus, as it is accessible both to lovers of the discipline and to those who simply like to travel with their mind towards worlds that they would not travel to in everyday life.
The protagonist, Ike Tucker, goes to Huntington Beach in search of his missing sister and the three people accused of her murder: investigating the Californian beaches, Ike will discover unexpected news about his past and will meet characters who surf undisturbed on the waves and the evening they become dangerous criminals.
An effective novel full of twists and turns, which due to its influence on modern literature is dubbed by critics as the first successful "surf noir" book.

“Barbarian days: a surfing life” by William Finnegan

Lovers of travel and exotic places cannot miss this book in their collection. Finnegan is a renowned and engaged author, who has previously written important investigations into Apartheid in South Africa and poverty in the United States. With this book however, he lets his most innocent spirit touch readers, leaving them a memoir of his life on the table .
Moving from his childhood spent on the beaches of Oahu, to his experiences among the locals of the towns in the South Pacific, up to Asia and Africa, Finnegan recounts firsthand the growth in popularity of wave sports, describing in detail all the typologies of surfers met on his journey. A journey of knowledge and personal growth that ends with the definitive move to the Californian East Coast.
The intensity of the writing and the immersiveness of the story earned the author the Pulitzer Prize win in 2016 in the autobiography category.

“Women on Waves: A Cultural History of Surfing: From Ancient Goddesses and Hawaiian Queens to Malibu Movie Stars and Millennial Champions” by Jim Kempton

This 456-page manual is the result of meticulous research done on female participation in surfing and on the cultural conception of women on the board. The book does not simply stop at the historical account of the evidence found (very few and difficult to find), but also tries to reconstruct the socio-cultural aspects of female participation in the practice of surfing both in ancient maritime civilizations and in modern technological societies. The author's objective was to mention all the names of women he could find, without leaving one out, completing a six-page index at the end of the book, including professionals, innovators of the discipline, princesses and stars of the cinema.
The book is celebrated for its ability to inspire readers, men and women, and honestly tell the sacrifices and goals of female surfers, which as in many other aspects of life, are successfully achieved with determination and commitment.

“The tribes of Palos Verdes” by Joy Nicholson

If you are interested in more introspective and sensitive readings, “The tribes of Palos Verdes” is definitely the book for you. The novel tells the story of a sister and a brother, Medina and Jim, and their different methods to overcome the family crises that involve them. If Jim finds a destructive solution in alcohol and drugs, Medina lets herself be lulled by the ocean waves and discovers new emotions thanks to the surfboard . Constructed as a path of professional growth and discovery, the book is also a story about the fragility of man and the difficulties that each person must fight in solitude.
Recently “The tribes of Palos Verdes” was also made into a film, directed by the Malloy brothers.

In recent years, "Surf noir" has become a real reading trend, involving more and more readers. The more books you read about it, the more you discover it and fall in love with exciting stories among the waves. This Christmas a book can be the perfect gift for friends or relatives, but also for yourself, to give yourself a moment of tranquility and relaxation: the same thing we look for in the summer among the waves of the sea.