This is a story of unfaltering self-belief, immense hardship and struggle and hilariously wild times, as Wayne Rabbit Bartholomew sets off from Australia's Gold Coast, surfboard under his arm, to conquer the surfing world. From his spartan days of living on rice and oats while tackling the huge waves of Hawaii, to a glorious rollercoaster ride of parties, fast cars and perfect waves, Rabbit here recalls outrageous adventures shared with surfing's most famous figures including Nat Young, Michael Peterson, Mark Richards, Tom Carroll and Kelly Slater.
Published to coincide with a documentary feature film narrated by Academy Award nominee Edward Norton, "Bustin' Down the Door" tells the incredible story of three visionaries who have turned their unlikely dreams into reality and revolutionized the sport of surfing. Photos throughout.
"Australia's century of surf marks the centenary of the great Hawaiian Olympic swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku's visit to Australia in 1914. Duke was not the first to ride a surfboard in Australia, but his surfing exhibitions in the summer of 1914-15 set in motion a great wave of oceanic obsession that continues to this day. Surfing has morphed from exotic curio to regimented training for lifesavers, from counterculture revolution to respectable mainstream sport. Along the way, it's shaped our coastal migrations, spawned vast business empires and design innovations, produced sports stars and spectacular casualties, and helped the beach overtake the bush as our national, natural habitat of choice."--Back cover.
How to convert the power of “I Will” into a life-changing mantra The twelve stories in this book, taken from Shaun Tomson’s own life experiences in and out of the surfing world, offer the simple message—I Will—as a model to face life’s challenges and help you achieve your goals. All you need is to be encouraged to find your voice and commit yourself to positive values. The stories resonate with positivity and hope for the future, and are infused with the belief that even in the darkest time, light shines ahead to show you the way forward.
How did an obscure tribal sport from precolonial Hawaii—one that was nearly eliminated by Christian missionaries—jump oceans to California and Australia? And how did it become such a worldwide passion, even in places where the surf may be excellent but the society is highly conservative or superstitious about the sea? In Sweetness and Blood—a brilliantly written travel adventure—journalist (and surfer) Michael Scott Moore visits unlikely surfing destinations—Israel and the Gaza Strip, West Africa, Great Britain, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Cuba, and Morocco—to find out. Whether he is connecting eccentric surf legend Doc Paskowitz to the Arab-Israeli conflict, trying to deconstruct the terrorist bombing in a nightclub in Bali, or being chased by the German police while surfing a river break in Berlin, Moore masterfully weaves together politics, culture, history, and surfing to create a book like no other.
In his own words, Occy tells the complete, remarkable story of his spectacular rise, terrifying fall and miraculous rebirth. 'Occy was always a missile going hyperspeed, about to blow up at any moment. - it's true of so many highly intelligent or gifted people . . . All of his passion was put into his surfing.' Kelly Slater, eight-time world champion Child star at sixteen, ranked third in the world at seventeen, winner of the Pipeline Masters at nineteen - Mark Occhilupo looked set to sweep all before him with a radical, spontaneous, irresistible brand of surfing. Yet a spiralling descent into drug abuse and depression snuffed his flame out prematurely when he quit the pro tour at just twenty-two. Faltered comebacks, spectacular bursts of free-surfing and manic breakdowns followed, as the surfing world watched a freakish talent self-combust. After years spent immobile and overweight on the couch, in his so-called 'Elvis period', Occy eventually emerged from his cocoon, reborn and ready to tackle a whole new generation of surf stars. His celebrated comeback to win the world title in 1999, sixteen years after his career began, is a sporting fairytale without equal. 'By going down so hard, by fully falling apart, he was able to give himself longevity. It's like the Buddhist teachings about birth and death - something has to die for new birth to happen, and that happens inside us too. Occy was the ultimate example of that.' Tom Carroll.
On the Road meets Endless Summer as Tim Baker, bestselling author of Occy, High Surf and Bustin' Down the Door, embarks on the classic surfing road trip around Australia. All surfers dream of shedding responsibilities and answering the siren's call of ocean swells. For most, it is an ideal that recedes as age advances - as family, career and provider fatigue threatens to overwhelm the wanderlust of youth. But what if you could defy the slow march of age? Shelve all your worldly pressures, pack up the family and a few trusty surfboards and hit the open road for the Great Australian surfing road trip? Inspired by the dreams of his youth, surf writer Tim Baker embarks on the Big Lap in search of the perfect wave and domestic bliss. Surfari documents the state of surf culture and our coastline, and the array of colourful characters who inhabit these parts, evoking all the magic, charm and challenges such a lifestyle entails. It is a story for anyone who has ever dreamed of an alternative to the busy, micro-scheduled existence of work, school, shopping and the daily drudge. The result is a lively, colourful account of what happens when you trade your life for another variety, and the delights and dangers that lay in wait when you dare to chase your dreams and follow another path.
An inspirational tale of overcoming the odds to become world champ Mick Fanning might only be 28 but he already knows how a lot of things feel that most of us never will. How does it feel to lose a brother? Win a world title? Rip your hamstring muscle clean off the bone? Weave through a zippering Superbank barrel for 20 or 30 seconds or paddle over the ledge at places like Pipeline and Teahupo? Have scoliosis so bad you can't get off the floor? Address the NSW state of origin team before a match, bowl to Matty Hayden and have Dave Warner belt you for consecutive sixes? Walk into the bar of a Brasilian hotel dressed only in a bikini to make your mates laugh, only to find your mates have left, and there is only a puzzled bartender staring blankly at you? You'll notice that not all these experiences fall neatly on one side of the ledger of good or bad. Mick's journey so far has definitely been a mixed bag, but it is the extremes of that journey that make him so interesting, and his readiness to learn from each experience and use it as fuel to drive him on that might provide lessons for the rest of us. Mick's only young but he already exudes a quiet wisdom beyond his years, and now he's ready to share it with anyone wanting to further their surfing, whether competitively or for sheer pleasure. Mick tells his life story candidly - in turns funny, sensitive, thoughtful, self-depricating - while providing intimate insights into the personal lessons gained along the way - with practical tips on surfing technique, fitness, nutrition, board design, travel, competitive strategies and mental clarity. Mick has overcome personal tragedy and career-threatening injury on his way to claiming the 2007 world surfing title. Universally acknowledged as the most focussed and driven competitive surfer of his era, Mick's approach to surfing, sports psychology, life and relationships, makes fascinating reading. The essential principles of perseverance, hard work, and overcoming obstacles in pursuit of your dreams, will inspire anyone keen to get the best out of themselves. Ultimately, though, it's Mick's humanity, his readiness to give back, which might provide the greatest surprise and inspiration.
In Surfer's Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life, world champion surfer Shaun Tomson shares the life lessons he's gathered from decades of surfing-from his boyhood adventures in South Africa to the world tour in the late 1970s to the business world today. For Tomson, surfing is a hobby, a sport, a religion, an obsession and more-it is a way of life. Tomson's life lessons have guided his career to the top of both professional competition and the world of business. Now, he shares these powerful lessons, born on the world's best swells, with all people-including those who might never step on a surfboard. These lessons are born of the collective wisdom of the surf community and are a powerful source of inspiration in the face of extraordinary challenges of every day life.
Sometimes life’s waves knock you down; other times, life might seem to sweep you along powerless. But the choice is always yours to swim back up to the light. Legendary world champion surfer Shaun Tomson and international bestselling poet-philosopher Noah benShea join forces to offer you insight on a path of purpose, hope, and faith. This timely guidebook alternates between Tomson’s inspiring experiential essays and benShea’s spiritual commentary that lift the soul, all accented with stunning full-color surfing photographs. After losing his son, Tomson walked the bitter road of loss and crossed from darkness into the light. The Surfer and the Sage addresses the eighteen relentless, breaking waves of life, from loss and aging to relationships and depression, and guides you to transformation. It is not a list of rules to follow that guarantee success, health, or wealth, but rather a collection of advice from two guides who have traveled far and wide and suffered deeply, but still look forward to tomorrow with faith and hope.
