Surfing USA! : an illustrated history of the coolest sport of all time

A history of surfing in America by a man who grew up surfing southern California in the 1970s and was there through all the big developments. This book will look at how the sport developed, the science of big waves, surfer personalities, the evolution of boards, and surf culture from movies to rock'n'roll to hot rodding. Along with the narrative text will be a large archives of surfing memorabilia, movie posters, album covers, and pop art. With photographs and artwork by Jeff Divine, John Severson, LeRoy Grannis, Ron Dahlquist, Rick Griffin, Greg Noll, Doc Ball, and more. Read more... Abstract: A history of surfing in America by a man who grew up surfing southern California in the 1970s and was there through all the big developments. This book will look at how the sport developed, the science of big waves, surfer personalities, the evolution of boards, and surf culture from movies to rock'n'roll to hot rodding. Along with the narrative text will be a large archives of surfing memorabilia, movie posters, album covers, and pop art. With photographs and artwork by Jeff Divine, John Severson, LeRoy Grannis, Ron Dahlquist, Rick Griffin, Greg Noll, Doc Ball, and more

Surfing is not just a sport; it is a pop-culture phenomenon. Surfing has created legends, while seizing the spotlight in every aspect of beach culture, in movies, in fashion, and in music. Surfing has evolved from its mystical beginnings in Polynesia, where it was valued as noble, positive, and deeply imbued with spiritual meaning but condemned by critics (mostly religious conservatives) who considered it “pagan, immoral, and corrupting.” And we’ve come a long way from pre–World War II days, when Hawaii' was as remote as Timbuktu; when itchy wool swimsuits and heavy hardwood surfboards were the norm.

We’ve matured since the 1950s and 1960s, with their trendy popularity—the culture and fashion, the movies and music, from “Gidget” to the Beach Boys and those bushy, bushy blond hairdos—to today, when the glitz of sophisticated marketing campaigns and media-savvy surfers are “de rigueur.” Yet, through the years, surfing has maintained its reputation as a refuge for non-conformists; the often-below-the-radar individualistic lifestyle defies a dry chronicle neatly tied up with a bow.

A comprehensive history of the sport by Ben Marcus, a man who lived it and who knows and loves it like nothing else, Surfing USA! is anything but dry; it truly captures the glamour and excitement of this extreme sport. If you are still in awe of that first surfboard, still stoked by hanging ten, or still dreaming of that elusive wave, then this book is for you. Ben Marcus, the former editor of “Surfer” magazine and current freelancer for such publications as “Surfer’s Journal,” brings you up close and personal to the exciting world of surfing.

Surfing enthusiast Ben Marcus takes you as close to the waves as you can get without hitting the beach. Surfing is more than just a sport; it is a cultural phenomenon. From its mystical beginnings in Polynesia, surfing has evolved into a worldwide passion, establishing its own roster of legends and seeping into our society—in movies, in fashion, in music, and in language. Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, the "father of surfing," helped elevate the sport beyond its Pacific Islands origins more than a century ago, and his torch has been carried on by a long line of surf heroes: Woody Brown, Mickey Dora, Laird Hamilton, Kelly Slater, and many, many others. During the 1950s and 1960s, surf culture and fashion exploded into movies and music. "Gidget," the Beach Boys, and even Elvis Presley exposed surfing to the masses, and decades later, the sport and its proponents remain fixtures in pop culture and the media. Yet, through the years, surfing has maintained its reputation as a refuge for non-conformists; its often below-the-radar individualistic lifestyle defies a dry chronicle neatly tied up with a bow. In this comprehensive history of surfing, author Ben Marcus captures the glamour and excitement of this extreme sport. If you are still in awe of that first surfboard, still stoked by hanging ten, or still dreaming of that elusive wave, then this book is for you. Surfing: An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time brings you up close and personal to the exciting world of surfing. Surfing enthusiast Ben Marcus takes you as close to the waves as you can get without hitting the beach.Surfing is more than just a sport; it is a cultural phenomenon. From its mystical beginnings in Polynesia, surfing has evolved into a worldwide passion, establishing its own roster of legends and seeping into our society in movies, in fashion, in music, and in language. Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, the father of surfing, helped elevate the sport beyond its Pacific Islands origins more than a century ago, and his torch has been carried on by a long line of surf heroes: Woody Brown, Mickey Dora, Laird Hamilton, Kelly Slater, and many, many others. During the 1950s and 1960s, surf culture and fashion exploded into movies and music. Gidget, the Beach Boys, and even Elvis Presley exposed surfing to the masses, and decades later, the sport and its proponents remain fixtures in pop culture and the media. Yet, through the years, surfing has maintained its reputation as a refuge for non-conformists; its often below-the-radar individualistic lifestyle defies a dry chronicle neatly tied up with a bow. In this comprehensive history of surfing, author Ben Marcus captures the glamour and excitement of this extreme sport. If you are still in awe of that first surfboard, still stoked by hanging ten, or still dreaming of that elusive wave, then this book is for you. Surfing: An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time brings you up close and personal to the exciting world of surfing Catching the first waves From Polynesia with love The dawn of time to 1940 From here to Honolulu Discovering the secrets of the sea The World War II years The golden years From the fall of Hitler to the rise of Gidget 1946-1959 The surfer stomp A rock'n'roll soundtrack to the waves 1959-1967 Blue screen Hollywood exploits surfing and vice versa 1920s to today Going vertical The parallel ascent of Kelly Slater and the surf industrial complex 1980s and 1990s The sport of queens Gidget kicks ass From ancient Hawai'i to blue crush and beyond Monster Surfing's twenty-first-century man 1990 to Today Something wild The wave of surf culture Through the centuries. Explores the evolution of surfing in the United States from its beginnings in Polynesia through Hollywood's portrayal of the sport in the 1950s and 60s to the the new surf boards of the present day. Features numerous illustrations, photographs, and archival images