Join the quest to surf the biggest wave in history.

In a small fishing village on the coast of Portugal, a select band of surfers take unimaginable risks, pushing the boundaries of their death-defying sport as they seek to go bigger than ever before.

Their goal? To ride the Everest of the ocean – the 100-foot wave.

Sports journalist Matt Majendie is welcomed into the inner circle of Nazaré's tight community of big-wave surfers and extreme thrill-seekers, living among them for a season as he chronicles their incredible highs and terrifying lows.

Follow the endeavours of Britain's leading big-wave surfer, a former plumber from Devon, Andrew Cotton; trailblazing Brazilian female surfer Maya Gabeira; current World Record holder German Sebastian Steudtner; Portuguese Nic von Rupp and jet-ski driver Sérgio Cosme, nicknamed 'the Guardian Angel of Nazaré' for his daring rescues, in this gripping read.

With a racing career spanning more than four decades, coming second is never an option for Peter Lindenberg. Troubled by a lack of self-confidence, Peter’s ‘average’ childhood saw a bitter parent who doubted his abilities, a demanding school system that forced him to fit the mould, a younger brother who was better at everything, and brutal, undeserved beatings with a sjambok. But when Peter tasted the buzz of barefoot water-skiing he found it impossible to resist, and went on to break records, earn numerous Springbok Colours, and win many world championships. This, however, was just the start.

Little did Peter know the sporting magic that would follow in his life – first as a powerboat racer and then as a race car driver. Despite counting on pins and metal to hold his battered body intact, being arrested unjustly, a serious motor racing accident with his car going up in flames, and a brain haemorrhage, Peter keeps going flat out and quickly ranks on the international championship charts, cheats death twice, and presses the reset button to positively influence a failed marriage.

Flat Out and Fearless is Peter’s cut-to-the-chase life journey that has rendered him one bionic man who is proud of his blatant honesty and his courageous quest to uplift and transform the lives of the downtrodden.

For twenty years, Miki "Da Cat" Dora was the king of Malibu surfers--a dashing, enigmatic rebel who dominated the waves, ruled his peers' imaginations, and who still inspires the fantasies of wannabes to this day. And yet, Dora railed against surfing's sudden post-Gidget popularity and the overcrowding of his once empty waves, even after this avid sportsman, iconoclast, and scammer of wide repute ran afoul of the law and led the FBI on a remarkable seven-year chase around the globe in 1974. The New York Times named him "the most renegade spirit the sport has yet to produce" and Vanity Fair called him "a dark prince of the beach." To fully capture Dora's never-before-told story, David Rensin spent four years interviewing hundreds of Dora's friends, enemies, family members, lovers, and fellow surfers to uncover the untold truth about surfing's most outrageous practitioner, charismatic antihero, committed loner, and enduring mystery.

"Caught Inside" is Daniel Duane's account of a year spent surfing in Santa Cruz, California. Following the turn of the seasons, it is also the story of a young man's deepening knowledge of his native landscape and its history. Interspersed with the narrative of days passed on the water are good-humored explanations of the physics of wave dynamics, the intricate art of surfboard design, and lyrical, sharp-eyed descriptions of the flora and fauna that inhabit the Pacific wilderness. In Duane's company are cormorants, herons, gulls, sea lions, whales, and dolphins; with him we learn about the physiology of a pelican's dive, the mating habits of otters, and the obscene contents of a shark's stomach. In a wryly entertaining parallel narrative Duane traces the cultural history of the sport and the settling of California. From Captain Cook and Mark Twain to Robinson Jeffers and Jack London, from portraits of famous (and infamous) surfers to an analysis of the perverse significance of Gidget movies, Duane expertly uncovers the myths and symbols bound up in one of our most vibrant and recognizably American subjects.

Wyl Menmuir’s The Draw of the Sea is a beautifully written and deeply moving portrait of the sea and the people whose livelihoods revolve around it, examining the ephemeral but universal pull the sea holds over the human imagination. Since the earliest stages of human development, the sea has fascinated and entranced us. It feeds us, sustaining communities and providing livelihood, but it also holds immense destructive power that threatens to destroy all we have created.   It connects us to faraway places, offering the promise of new lands and voyages of discovery, but also shapes our borders, carving divisions between landmasses and eroding the very ground beneath our feet. In this lyrical meditation on what it is that draws us to the waters' edge, author Wyl Menmuir tells the stories of the people whose lives revolve around the coastline and all it has to offer. In twelve interlinked chapters, Menmuir explores the lives of local fishermen steeped in the rich traditions of a fishing community, the beachcombers who wander the shores in search of the varied objects that wash ashore and the stories they tell, and all number of others who have made their lives around the sea. In the specifics of these livelihoods and their rich histories and traditions, Wyl Menmuir captures the universal human connection to the ocean’s edge. Into this seductive tapestry Wyl weaves the story of how the sea has beckoned, consoled and restored him. The Draw of the Sea is a meaningful and moving work into how we interact with the environment around us and how it comes to shape the course of our lives. As unmissable as it is compelling, as profound as it is personal, this must-read book will delight anyone familiar with the intimate and powerful pull which the sea holds over us.

Winner of the Pulitzer Price and William Hill Sports Book of the Year: Barbarian Days is a deeply rendered self-portrait of a lifelong surfer looking for transcendence 'that recalls early James Salter' (Geoff Dyer, Observer) Surfing only looks like a sport. To devotees, it is something else entirely: a beautiful addiction, a mental and physical study, a passionate way of life. New Yorker writer William Finnegan first started surfing as a young boy in California and Hawaii. Barbarian Days is his immersive memoir of a life spent travelling the world chasing waves through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa and beyond. Finnegan describes the edgy yet enduring brotherhood forged among the swell of the surf; and recalling his own apprenticeship to the world's most famous and challenging waves, he considers the intense relationship formed between man, board and water. Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, a social history, an extraordinary exploration of one man's gradual mastering of an exacting and little-understood art. It is a memoir of dangerous obsession and enchantment. '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

Surfing: A Beginner's Guide has been the go-to surf book for beginners since 1996. This third edition, now with the endorsement of Surfing England, takes you through all the vital steps to become a surfer: you will learn where to surf, when to surf and how to surf safely.You will learn the foundations such as choosing the correct equipment, which is essential to make any progress as a beginner; pre-surf preparation, including getting fit with tips and advice; and your first surfer steps on the beach and in the ocean. All these stages lead up to you catching your very first wave and the surfing bug. The sea is renowned for its beauty, but infamous for its dangers. Alf provides you with transferable skills to safely enjoy your new hobby. Safety features heavily in the book, and you will learn all the basic common-sense aspects of surfing that even the most experienced surfer forgets.

Scotland is famed for its rugged coastlines, pristine beaches, endless rivers and deep lochs. The whole country is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. In this unique guide, adventurer Mollie Hughes introduces many of her favourite places to paddleboard, kayak, swim and surf. Mixing world-class surfing breaks with kayaking adventures on the west coast, and urban paddleboarding along the Clyde with invigorating swims in the lochs of the Cairngorms, the book shows us how to access and enjoy these varied blue spaces. Mollie includes her own personal experiences and tips, enabling wild watersports fans of all levels to make the most of the amazing opportunities Scotland has to offer.

By popular demand, "The Beast" is back. In response to customer feedback and general confusion, "The Stormrider Surf Guide Europe" is back in one huge, mind-blowing book. Much like a traditional bible, it seems surfers want both testaments in one place, so "The Continent and Atlantic Islands" books have been combined into 400 pages of pure surf stoke. This book is thick enough to stop a shotgun blast at point blank range, so it's R.I.P. for the box set as this is the 4th coming of "The Stormrider Surf Guide Europe"."The Stormrider Guide Europe" (978-0-9539840-7-7) includes - Iceland & Scandinavia, Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores.Fully revised and detailed information covering "The Surf", "Ocean Environment" and "Surf Culture" on a country by country basis. The "Surf" outlines where to go and when to go and demystifies the entire European coastline. "Ocean Environment" deals with pollution, erosion, access and hazards, while "Surf Culture" illuminates the surf scene including history, surf media, contests and localism. The indispensable travelling information is concise plus there's links to all the latest oceanographic and swell forecasting resources.The entire coastline is accurately mapped in detail, showing where to find the main surfing breaks. Each surf break report outlines how and where the waves break, quality, consistency and the general vibe. The unique Stormrider symbols reveal optimum wind, tide, swell size and direction, as well as wave type and bottom contour. Crowds, hazards, dangerous sea-life, pollution, access and environmental problems are also noted.A picture tells a thousand words so there are hundreds of the best photos of European surf ever compiled. Stunning images in crisp colour from the cream of the world's surf photographers and that extra dimension that makes "The Stormrider Guide Europe" the most detailed surf guide money can buy.

Mindfulness and Surfing casts a fresh perspective on this popular sport, and explores how riding the waves can be the ultimate meditation. Engaging author Sam Bleakley takes us on a soulful journey across the tideline of his personal and philosophical travels. Through lunar cycles and river surfing to the Taoism of nature, he reveals an acute awareness of what the oceans can tell us about our place in the natural world. Meditating on one of nature' s greatest elements - its salty swells, flow and peaks - he shares life lessons in mindfulness that will be relished by surfer and non-surfer alike.

Whilst being an ambiguous and contested concept, sustainability has become one of the twenty-first century's most pervasive ideas, as humanity's increasing impact on the environment, as well as increasing social and economic inequalities, have local and global consequences. Surfing is a globally recognised cultural phenomenon whose unique connection with nature and rapid expansion into a multibillion pound industry offers exciting synergies for exploring various dimensions of sustainability. This book is the first to bring together the world's foremost experts on the themes of sustainability and surfing. Drawing upon cutting edge theory and research, this book offers multidisciplinary perspectives and methodological approaches on the social, environmental and economic components of sustainable surfing. Contributions provide unique discussions that bridge the gap between theory and practice, exploring topics such as sustainable surf tourism, surf-econometrics, surf activism, surfing governance, the surfing industry, and technological advancements. Each chapter produces in-depth insights to provide foundational insights of the relationship between sustainability and surfing. This book will appeal to multiple audiences in different disciplines and sectors. Practitioners will benefit from the insights presented in this volume, while both undergraduate and postgraduate students will find this volume an invaluable companion, including those working in geography, environmental studies, sport sciences, and leisure and tourism studies.

Your complete practical guide to this fast-paced and addictive sport. Kiteboarding has gone from strength to strength over the last few years, and interest is only set to increase with its inclusion in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In this book, Andy Gratwick (Head of Training for British Kitesports) gets you started with the kite and takes you through to flying it on the water, jumping, tricks and racing, as well as covering weather, wind and tide theory, and helping you select the right kit. Sections cover: - The origins of kiteboarding and massive rise in popularity in recent years - How a kite flies and basic weather principles as well as background on tides and currents, waves, and wind vs tide - Getting started on land – LEI rigging, assembly, launching and flying, body-dragging - How to master your board skills – turns, stopping, rules of the road - Going upwind, riding toeside, turning and transition - Moving fast and riding waves; learning to tack and gybe - Details on all kiteboarding disciplines from speed kiting to kiting on land - How to improve your performance and enjoy incredible airtime! For this second edition there's a new chapter devoted to all things foiling, as well as new text on latest kit, more effective techniques, tips on higher jumps, and new photography throughout. Packed with step-by-step photo sequences explaining the basic moves all the way through to more advanced tricks, and including information on competitions and becoming an instructor, this is a book no kiter will want to be without.

Join the quest to surf the biggest wave in history. Welcome to Nazaré, home to the big-wave surfers risking it all – their search to ride the Everest of the ocean – the 100-foot wave. Sports journalist Matt Majendie is welcomed into the inner circle of Nazaré's tight community of extreme thrill-seekers, living among them for a season as he chronicles their incredible highs and terrifying lows. Join a cast of fascinating characters, from surfing scientists to big-wave addicts, as they battle fear, each other and nature itself.

South Africa has seen a disturbing culture of acquiesce and silence develop after 1994. Such silence is largely driven by patronage and a misplaced sense of loyalty, especially to the ruling party. It is clear that speaking out has been left to a few voices that are seen as having nothing to lose. Let's talk frankly contributes to saying some home truths in a satirical sense and is meant to offend sensibilities as well as raise things that people often say around dinner tables but are too afraid or too constrained to say in the open - where such speaking out could have consequences for them. The addressees of the letters - from Helen Zille to Gwede Mantashe and from Revd Ray McCauley to Steve Hofmeyr - are people of influence who are called upon to change the course of events in society. In the letter addressed to each of them, they receive praise for work well done and are castigated for poor judgement and omissions in their public life and deliberations.

Explore the world's most thrilling waves with Epic Surf Breaks of the World. From Namibia's wind-swept Skeleton Bay to Java's G-Land, discover the best place to 'hang ten', whatever your surfing ability. Accompanied by a series of stunning photographs, maps and beautiful illustrations as well as first-person stories from surf writers all across the globe, including Pulitzer Prize winner William Finnegan, this is the quintessential guide for surfers looking for their next epic break. With 200 destinations, from Australia's Bells Beach to the coral-flecked islands of the Maldives, you're sure to find your perfect break in this 328-page, hardcover book. Plus, we take you to some of the most adrenaline-pumping breaks in the world, including Tahiti's Teahupoo and Mexico's Puerto Escondido, as well as easier options for beginners, such as Taghazout in Morocco, meaning all abilities are catered for. We cover the planet's newest hotspots, such as Bundoran in Ireland, where world-class waves now lure surfers from all across the globe. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, eBooks, and more.

Stand Up Paddleboarding is the fastest growing water-based activity worldwide. Thousands have tried it, with many more taking it up each year. It is easy to make the first steps to stand on a board and paddle. But many want to take this further - be it paddling greater distances, starting to race, SUPing in the surf, using it to improve their fitness or enhancing their well-being through yoga. To develop your SUPing requires a combination of improved technique, skills, fitness and mental attitude. This book will help anyone interested in SUPing get better at it. It shows how to improve your efficiency, technique, skills and physical capability before exploring the different ways of participating and the equipment you need. It suggests that seeking continuous improvement and rising to personal SUP challenges can help you enter the flow state, which enhances happiness. Packed with photos and photo sequences, this book provides both the inspiration and a blueprint for understanding how to improve your SUP capabilities in the area you choose.

The act of surfing involves highly-skilled humans gliding, sliding, or otherwise riding waves of energy as they pass through water. As this book argues, however, this act of surfing does not exist in isolation. It is defined by the cultures and geographies that synergize with it - by the places, ideas, images, and other representations which at once reflect, create, and commodify this spatial practice. This book innovatively explores the spaces of surf and surf-riding, informed specifically by the perspective of human geography. Based on a range of critical turns within the social sciences, the book explores the locations, relational sensibilities, and transformative nature of surfing spaces, and examines how the spatial practice has been scripted by dominant surfing cultures. The book details how prescriptive (b)orders of access, entitlement, and marginalization have been created, and how, with the advent of new craft, media, and ideals, they are being actively challenged to redefine surfing spaces in the twenty-first century.

David Flanagan came from a long line of seafarers and thought learning to surf would be easy, despite the fact he was scared of the ocean and fast approaching middle age. As a journalist living in an island community, he had intended to write a light-hearted account of his progress towards surfing nirvana, but instead found himself facing danger, doubt and the spectre of childhood bereavement in an often wild and unwelcoming sea. Meanwhile on land, and back riding a skateboard after a 30-year-gap, David found himself facing bemusement, ridicule and the wrath of the medical profession. But his decision to turn back the clock to the 1970s would also prove remarkably life changing and, occasionally, utterly catastrophic. Warm, funny, touching and honest - with a strong dose of adrenalin - Board explores loss, ego, fear and fatherhood, charting a quest for inner peace against a backdrop of thundering Atlantic waves. At its heart, Board is an inspiring story about accepting some limitations and overcoming others, while completely ignoring common sense and social convention.

This wanderlust-fuelled guide profiles breath-taking surfing spots in seven European regions, including Spanish Cantabria, the French Basque Country, Tenerife, Belgium, the UK, and Brittany. Veerle Helsen, a die-hard surfer and design journalist, has combed Europe for a mix of better and lesser- known surfing spots, authentic beach restaurants, fabulous hotels, and the most beautiful driving routes. This book expands on her previous photo/guidebook to surf travel (also called Surf & Stay, 9789401449069) which was published in 2018 and focused on the coasts of Spain and Portugal.

After the huge success of the surf and travel guide to Southwest Europe I Love the Seaside bring you another surf and travel guide, this time to Northwest Europe. From don't-forget-to-breathe-beautiful Lofoten, in the north of Norway, they surfed and travelled their way down the west coast, exploring the shores of Sweden, Denmark, Germany's islands, Holland and Belgium, all the way to Normandy, in the north of France. The I Love the Seaside Surf & Travel Guides are created by ocean-loving people for ocean-loving people, so you get honest-to-goodness genuine bona fide recommendations only. You'll get a clear view of the backdrop, places you'll love to hang out, eat and sleep, fine shops, outdoor activities and things to do and see, local food facts and stories of inspiring seaside people. The I Love the Seaside surf and travel guide to Northwest Europe contains 400 pages and is filled with inspiring photography that reflects the atmosphere and surf lifestyle perfectly. I Love the Seaside Surf & Travel Guides offer the best of both worlds: surfing and travelling. The guides are the ideal travel companion for anyone and everyone who uses the ocean as their compass, either surfing or just loving the seaside. What's included? - Beautiful and inspiring photos, maps - Detailed and clear description of surf breaks for all levels - Activities (yoga, SUP-tours, biking, hiking, kids stuff, etc) - Accommodations, shops, restaurants, cafes - Surf shops, schools, camps, board rental and repair - Interviews with seaside locals - Local food facts

To its legions of followers, bodyboarding is quite simply the most intense watersport on the planet. Wherever you find waves that are too heavy for even the most gung-ho surfers, there you'll find the boogers, screaming into dredging pits and scoring impossibly deep barrels. Born to Boogie: Legends of Bodyboarding tells the story of this incredible sport from 1971 to the present day. The pioneers, the champions and the underground chargers are all profiled, among them Tom Morey, Pat Caldwell, Ben Severson, Jay Reale, Mike Stewart, Michael 'Eppo' Eppelstun, Guilherme Tamega, Andre Botha, Ryan Hardy, Damian King, Ben Player, Jeff Hubbard, Mitch Rawlins and Pierre Louis Costes. Written by respected bodyboard journalist Owen Pye, Born to Boogie tells the tale of how the sport was created, how it developed, flourished, faltered and fought back to become one of the most exciting extreme sports in the world today. Filled with incredible stories spanning four decades and packed with iconic images, Born to Boogie is a book that will fascinate every bodyboarder.

The biggest, most comprehensive, reference guide to the waves on "Planet Surf" The World Stormrider Surf Guide explores every dynamic surf zone known to man, from world-famous beaches to obscure reefs on the fringes of the known surf world. With completely revised and updated text, as well as painstakingly researched maps, this mammoth book is the largest collection of surf-spot information ever compiled. Each zone includes detailed analysis of the surf spots and swell forecasting, plus the lowdown on when to go, weather, accommodations, food, culture, hazards, the local scene and much more. A unique set of symbols and statistics make vital surf information instantly accessible. As an added bonus, The World Stormrider Surf Guide includes a global gallery of professional surf photographs. With over 260 detailed maps and 600 superb photos, this mammoth book is an essential tool and the ultimate surf travel resource for all globe-trotting waveriders.

An eclectic mix of exciting stories every surfer will love

This eclectic mix has something for everyone, from classic tales of monster waves and epic battles to stories of when life among the breakers goes wrong. There are accounts of death and disaster, as well as bravery and triumph. The bizarre and the extreme rub shoulders with perfect breaks and beautiful beaches.

Be thrilled by legendary surfers like Laird Hamilton and Shane Dorian as well as learning about local heroes who never made the headlines. Epic battles among pros like Rob Machado and Kelly Slater are recounted alongside stories of weird waves and secret surf spots. There are fascinating encounters with surfing's true characters, men like Dave Rastovich and big wave world record holder Garrett McNamara; appearances by deadly sharks; stories of big wave surfing by night; and an account of how Agatha Christie's famous disappearance for 11 days in December 1926 might just have been because she was on a surf trip.

Travel from giants like California's Maverick's and Maui's Jaws to tales of Dungeons, dolphins and the derring-do of a man like Colonel 'Mad Jack' Churchill. Turn the pages to flick between the left and rights of Britain, Europe, USA, Australia and many strange places in between.

Each compelling tale has been chosen to stoke the fire of armchair surfers and hardcore wave-riders alike, and some are illustrated with colour photographs.