Book: Barbarian Days A Surfing Life

[bttf]

I'm just about finishing up this book published last year, written by William Finnegan, about his life growing up in California and Hawaii as a surfer, and eventually traveling the world finding uncharted waves.

He then goes on to describe Ocean Beach in SF, which I found really interesting since I surf nearby at Pacifica. I found the book informative since I'm a novice surfer, and usually ride solo. Reading this book brought a lot of new perspective for me on topics of wave shape, surfing style, and other things I never really noticed.

Has anyone else read the book and have thoughts? I've hear some critiques that it comes off a little pretentious. Personally I thought it could get a little corny at times. Would like to hear others' thoughts on it.

[oldmansurfer]

I enjoyed that book much more than most surf books I have read because the author was initially a surfer who became a writer. So he was not only a good writer but also wrote from what I see as a typical surfers perspective. I don't see his book as pretentious. Each surfer has his own perspective of the world of surfing and I guess his perspective while not identical to mine was close enough that I can relate very well to it. I knew some of that Hawaiian family he wrote about the Kaulukukui's. By the way we have an author of another surf book who posts here from time to time, David Flanagan who wrote the book "Board"

[oldmansurfer]

I used to surf often with Freddy Kaulukukui at Kealia beach and ran into him a year or two ago when I was surfing at Wailua beach. He said I was surfing phantom waves because the wave I rode in almost completely disappeared and I guess from where he was watching me on the beach It looked like I was riding on flat water but in reality there was a swell about the thickness of my board that was still pushing my board along to the beach. He died a few months after that brief surfing reunion. But I did surf long ago with his brother Roddy who was touted in the book as being an excellent surfer. I wasn't too impressed with his surfing however he was on a longboard and compared to the average surfers at Kealia on shortboards he didn't stand out in my opinion.

[pmcaero]

I used to surf often with Freddy Kaulukukui at Kealia beach I did surf long ago with his brother Roddy who was touted in the book as being an excellent surfer.

Sounds like you should write a book

[pmcaero]

I'm just about finishing up this book published last year,.

Are you at the Madeira part yet? That was the scariest.

[Brian]

I really enjoyed this book and didn't find it pretentious. I especiwlly liked his descriptions of surfing restaurants back in the day! I think it's a must read for any surfer

[LostAtSea]

Ive noticed that surf media of late has gone beyond surf porn, and focussed on storyline more (Twelve, License to Chill, Lets Be Frank, Chapter 11...)

I wonder if this nook had anything to do with breaking this barrier?