Surf Books

[oldmansurfer]

Board sounds interesting. It sounds like what I thought Kook would be like. I think I enjoy many books because it provides different viewpoints to surfing. I never went through what many of you went through or maybe are going through because I grew up in the ocean. I was invited into the lineup by friends who knew me for many years on land while I was still paipo boarding. The crowd all knew each other. It was totally different. I guess it may be different for each of us. I have those two books on my wish list for the next round of reading.

[oldmansurfer]

I just finished KOOK. While it was entertaining it wasn't quite what I thought it would be. I guess overall the style of writing was overly wordy for me. Too much descriptive terms and not enough content. Also it is quite obvious to me that the writer never made it past being a kook. He never quite got what surfing is about.

I just started "Welcome to Paradise: Now Go to Hell by Chas Smith. I really just opened it this morning and so far I am hoping there will something better as I read it (only first few pages)

[oldmansurfer]

So I am well into the book Welcome to Paradise: Now go to Hell and it seems so far like another book written by someone who doesn't get what surfing is about. He seems like what I would call a Haole to my local friends and they would use some other adjectives but he also seems a bit like a sociopath. It's only interesting to me because it is Hawaii through the eyes of a haole. I just got the book Board and read a bit of it think I will like it better I also got Barbarian days but haven't peaked at it.

[oldmansurfer]

I finished the book Welcome to Paradise : Now go to Hell and I didn't particularly like it. It was basically about the surf scene on the North Shore of Oahu. Not much about surfing and the writers perspective is one of a writer who doesn't really get what the surf scene is about. He even called Pinetrees a surf spot on Kauai a reef break when it is sand. I guess it does give "A" perspective of the North Shore scene even if it is an outsiders perspective. I have started the book "Board" and I like this style of writing much better but once again I am reminded of never going through what most people went through learning to surf.

[oldmansurfer]

So I am reading this book Barbarian Days and suddenly I realize I know the Kaulukukui family that he talks about in the book although Fred Kaulukukui who recently died was the one I knew best wasn't mentioned in the book (yet). I used to surf with Fred and one of his brothers (I forget which one) at Kealia long ago.

[oldmansurfer]

So I finished "Board" and if you want to read about someone having a worse time learning to surf than you are then this is the book for you. But let me warn you it's half way through the book before he finally rides a wave.

[dtc]

old man, the 'surf simply' podcast has had, in the last couple of months, interviews with William Finegan (Barbarian days) and also the guy who wrote 'Waterman' about Duke Kahanamoku. Although they weren't what you might called brilliant interviews, they were pretty good, esp the one with William Finegan - being surfers doing the interviewing and him being a surfer, there was obvious connection.

You can find them on their website. I might try to dig up Barbarian Days, it sounds pretty interesting,

[oldmansurfer]

Thanks. For whatever reason there is a quite obvious difference in the level of comprehension of surfing. Finegan has surfed a lot. I am suspicious that the authors of Kook and Board and Welcome to Paradise were writers who took up surfing to give them something to write about. Finegan was a surfer first and then became a writer. My only objection so with Barbarian days is that it doesn't do a steady stream of time like a history. It has flashbacks (fortunately not a lot) I guess to give more significance to what is currently happening but I dislike that format. Barbarian days talks about learning the break and goes into detail about what that entails exactly. I am about half way through it and like it very much. I also liked Waterman. Kook, Board and welcome to paradise, not so much but they do provide different perspectives on surfing which I find more interesting than the content.

[oldmansurfer]

Thanks for the heads up about the interview I am listening to it now. I guess mostly it's more obvious than I thought that Finegan is a surfer LOL

[dtc]

Inspired by myself I tracked down a few more interviews on iTunes with Finnegan. Havent listened to them yet though, but if you are interested then there are some more easily found (just type his name into the iTunes search thingy)

He had quite a remarkable life; the fact that he ended up as a top writer given his years of trekking around no where just to surf is interesting - I guess more that he 'settled' into a life in a big city than the fact he could write as well as surf (we all know surfers can do anything...).

[DaveF]

Just saw this thread and thought I'd jump on a say a big thanks to Oldmansurfer for checking out my book, Board. Always appreciate anyone taking the time to read it and value whatever feedback I get on it. Reading Barbarian Days myself now and it's outstanding. Making me wish I'd had an early introduction to surfing. Out there now though, which I guess is all that matters. Thanks again.

[Big H]

I finished the book Welcome to Paradise : Now go to Hell and I didn't particularly like it. It was basically about the surf scene on the North Shore of Oahu. Not much about surfing and the writers perspective is one of a writer who doesn't really get what the surf scene is about. He even called Pinetrees a surf spot on Kauai a reef break when it is sand. I guess it does give "A" perspective of the North Shore scene even if it is an outsiders perspective. I have started the book "Board" and I like this style of writing much better but once again I am reminded of never going through what most people went through learning to surf.

I read that.....the author is provocative in the kind of way that makes you think you might punch him if you hung out.....I didn't really like his perspective but I did like the window onto the scene that he gave.....the book stuck with me and I find myself thinking about various passages so in the end I'd have to give it a thumbs up.

[oldmansurfer]

Just saw this thread and thought I'd jump on a say a big thanks to Oldmansurfer for checking out my book, Board. Always appreciate anyone taking the time to read it and value whatever feedback I get on it. Reading Barbarian Days myself now and it's outstanding. Making me wish I'd had an early introduction to surfing. Out there now though, which I guess is all that matters. Thanks again.

Awesome to have you here. Hope you hang around and post some more. I also hope you are actually riding waves now.

[DaveF]

Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

Haha...yeah, wave count is a bit better these days for sure. Taken a while, but better late than never. Live in the moment now, rather than overthink the whole gig.

[dtc]

Awesome to have you here. Hope you hang around and post some more. I also hope you are actually riding waves now.

Second those sentiments. If you hang around it probably means I have to read your book. Cant remember the last time I read a non fiction book for fun and now I have two lined up

[DaveF]

Thanks, dtc. No pressure with the book though!

[pmcaero]

He had quite a remarkable life; the fact that he ended up as a top writer given his years of trekking around no where just to surf is interesting - I guess more that he 'settled' into a life in a big city than the fact he could write as well as surf (we all know surfers can do anything...).

I recently read that book, and that's how I felt too. After bumming around in his 20s he settles into a life with decent income (I would think, based on all those surf trips) ...lucky guy I guess

[oldmansurfer]

I almost went on a surf trip, got my passport and sold my car quit my job and ended up getting sidetracked eventually just surfing at home and lived on a commune instead of South America and then started college. That is about as exciting as it gets for me.

[oldmansurfer]

One other issue I have with Barbarian days is he uses what I would call "pleny hybolic kine words" meaning I have to go look up the definition in a dictionary or just move on without knowing what "da buugga stay tryin foa say" I guess being raised on Kauai my vocabulary is too limited to understand his erudite writing.

[dtc]

He had quite a remarkable life; the fact that he ended up as a top writer given his years of trekking around no where just to surf is interesting - I guess more that he 'settled' into a life in a big city than the fact he could write as well as surf (we all know surfers can do anything...).

I recently read that book, and that's how I felt too. After bumming around in his 20s he settles into a life with decent income (I would think, based on all those surf trips) ...lucky guy I guess

I have been listening to another interview with him (podcast 'surf splendour' - very interesting although the interviewer does little other than to say 'sure' and 'of course' every now and then!). Anyway, Finnegan says that he always dropped in and out of surfing his whole life - was really into it, then moved inland and just didnt surf; then dropped out of college after one session in Hawaii and moved there; then moved inland again and stopped. etc etc Seems like he just had an on and off switch, either full bore or didnt really worry about it.

I have a friend who is a bit like that - wont surf for 2 months then will surf every day for a month; but he is much older (in his 50s) and I think has surfed enough for a lifetime, so I guess does it purely for enjoyment rather than any internal 'need'. He burnt out the need years ago