"Surfing is a way of life." We often hear this expression. Even if it is overused by fashion, which was quick to take it over, it is still a reality. The book we have in hand shows it without artifice.
Alain Gardinier retraces the history of surfing point by point through literature, photography, films, travel, posters and of course music. This author, a surfer above all, has himself an incredible surfing culture. And without falling into clichés, without knocking us down with "everything was better before", he retraces the path of this incredible practice which, before being a sport, remains the sharing of love for the ocean.
Throughout the pages are the decades of waves and the craze of this practice which according to Laird Hamilton (who signs here a "well felt" preface) counts today "more surfers than waves".
Surf wear and its emblematic tee-shirts, posters and covers of major magazines, board design, artists' paintings... everything related to surfing is covered in this book. But not only surfing, since we also talk about related practices such as paddle, bodyboarding, and related sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding or kite-surfing.
A book that makes us travel, because the surf culture is above all California (a culture that speaks mainly English), Australia, but especially its roots in Polynesia.
Large format, with as much text as photos or illustrations, Surf Culture is a book in which you can pick and choose according to your attraction or your own culture since it covers the history of surfing over more than a century.
A book which makes us travel in time and space for the pleasure of the eyes, but also of the ears... because we can only advise you to dive into it by launching a "surf music" playlist. A little Beach Boys to start with?
Surf Culture by Alain Gardinier
Atlantica Editions
24.5 x 27.8 cm
293 pages
Price: 28 euros
