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Ghost Wave: The Discovery of Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth
“Takes us to a place of almost mythic power and tells a story that unfolds like a long ride on a killer wave . . . compellingly written.” —Sebastian Junger, New York Times–bestselling authorRising from the depths of the North Pacific lies a fabled island, now submerged just fifteen feet below the surface of the ocean. Rumors and warnings about Cortes Bank abound, but among big wave surfers, this legendary rock is famous for one simple (and massive) this is the home of the biggest rideable wave on the face of the earth. In this dramatic work of narrative nonfiction, journalist Chris Dixon unlocks the secrets of Cortes Bank and pulls readers into the harrowing world of big wave surfing and high seas adventure above the most enigmatic and dangerous rock in the sea. The true story of this Everest of the sea will thrill anyone with an abiding curiosity of and respect for mother ocean.“A terrific, deeply researched tale about a truly wild place. You couldn’t make up Cortes Bank, or the characters who’ve tried to make it theirs.” —William Finnegan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Barbarian A Surfing Life“A first-rate account of an amazing phenomenon and the people who tried to conquer and exploit it. A great read.” —Winston Groom, New York Times–bestselling author of Forrest Gump“After reading Chris’ most excellent account of the monstrous waves of the mysterious Cortes Bank—the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific—I never thought I would ever consider riding a wave like this. But after surviving a five-foot, head-first fall from the stage earlier this year, I think I might be ready.” —Jimmy Buffett
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2011
109 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
Chris Dixon
6 books2 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Chris Dixon is a senior writer for and the founding online editor of Surfer magazine. His writing and reporting regularly appears in titles as diverse as The New York Times, Garden & Gun, Outside, The Surfer's Journal, Popular Mechanics and Men's Journal.
Bookwise, Chris is the author of the book Ghost Wave, the Discovery of Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth. He is a contributing author to Taschen's newly published Surfing: 1778-Today, and is a contributing writer to New York Times Bestselling works, The Southerner's Handbook, and 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada, from the editors of The New York Times. His writing also appears in the anthology, The Big Juice: Epic Tales of Big Wave Surfing.
Amazon.com
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Chris Dixon is a senior writer for and the founding online editor of Surfer magazine. His writing and reporting regularly appears in titles as diverse as The New York Times, Garden & Gun, Outside, The Surfer's Journal, Popular Mechanics and Men's Journal.
Bookwise, Chris is the author of the book Ghost Wave, the Discovery of Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth. He is a contributing author to Taschen's newly published Surfing: 1778-Today, and is a contributing writer to New York Times Bestselling works, The Southerner's Handbook, and 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada, from the editors of The New York Times. His writing also appears in the anthology, The Big Juice: Epic Tales of Big Wave Surfing.
Amazon.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 30, 2025
Another research book! :) this book had lots of information about waves and surfers. One complaint is the author switched between people’s first name, last name and their nickname which was confusing.
January 15, 2016
I'm about as far from being a surfer as you can imagine. I'm a terrible swimmer, and while I love the ocean from the beach, venture into the water over my knees? Nooooooo. But I LOVED this book!! The first half of the book is a fascinating history of Cortes Bank, and how waves form / create rogue waves, and the second half is a rip-roaring adventure story about a bunch of guys that chase those waves around the world. Even if (like me) the closest you've ever come to a surfboard is to walk by a surf shop, this is just a great read, and you'll come away knowing a lot more about surfing, and about the people that actually _willingly_ jump onto 60 foot waves. Amazing.
July 15, 2012
Mike Parsons is my new hero.
Parsons is one of many big-wave surfers whose story is told in Chris Dixon’s book, “Ghost Wave: The Discovery of the Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth.” It is a fascinating book, and I have not, nor do I ever plan to, hit the waves with a surfboard, no matter how big or small they are.
I’ve lived at the beach going on nine years now. I know in the back of my mind that the ocean is a powerful thing, as do most people who live or visit the beach often, but I think it’s something that unless you’ve experienced firsthand, you probably take for granted.
Dixon’s book changed that mind-set for me.
He tells the stories of big-wave surfers (read: adrenaline junkies, crazy people, some of the bravest/stupidest people you’ll ever meet) and their hunt to find and surf the biggest wave ever. They do find it, at the Cortes Bank, 100 miles or so off the coast of Southern California.
That’s right: Breaking waves that are nowhere near a shoreline, and gigantic waves at that, when the conditions are right. What makes this happen is a huge peak that rises up from the ocean floor to around 12 feet under the surface of the water. This creates a wave, that when the swell hits the bank at the right angle, can reach heights of 70, 80, some even believe 100 feet.
And these guys surfed these waves. Mike Parsons officially surfed the biggest one, between 70 feet and 80 feet, on a trip to the Bank in 2008.
He concedes that fellow surfer Greg Long surfed a bigger one, closer to 85 feet, on the same day, but they didn’t get any photos of it.
Waves that big had a habit of sucking the surfers backwards on their way down the face of the wave, and then spitting them out at around 50 or 55 mph. Parsons said he was sucked backwards up a wave on the three biggest waves of his life. So not only did he have to keep his balance on his way down an 80-foot wave, he had to keep it while the wave changed his direction, something he had absolutely no control over.
If nothing else, that is the underlying message of “Ghost Wave.” No one, no matter how brave they are or how knowledgeable they are, has any control over what the ocean decides to do. Whether you’re in waves 70 feet high or seven feet high, you better enter the water knowing what you’re getting yourself into, and that you always face the possibility of not coming back.
The book is not just about the surfers’ quest. It also follows the history of the discovery of the bank, and of the history of surfing. He even dives into the psyche of some of the surfers, trying to find out just what it is that makes them face death on a regular basis, for that’s exactly what they do every time they head out into big waves.
There is also a chapter devoted to the story of a group of men who hatched the idea that they could raise Cortes Bank out from the depths of the water by sinking a huge ship right on top of it, creating a new island and a new nation. It’s a funny, scary, nerve-wracking tale all rolled into one that alone makes the book worth reading.
Dixon tells the story well, even though I sometimes got lost when he was explaining the intricacies of weather patterns and ocean currents and the system one surfer, Sean Collins, developed in order to predict where big waves might hit.
Despite that, the book is captivating and one that all surfers, or aspiring surfers, should read. They should also check out the video of Parsons on YouTube. You’ll never look at the ocean the same way again.
Parsons is one of many big-wave surfers whose story is told in Chris Dixon’s book, “Ghost Wave: The Discovery of the Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth.” It is a fascinating book, and I have not, nor do I ever plan to, hit the waves with a surfboard, no matter how big or small they are.
I’ve lived at the beach going on nine years now. I know in the back of my mind that the ocean is a powerful thing, as do most people who live or visit the beach often, but I think it’s something that unless you’ve experienced firsthand, you probably take for granted.
Dixon’s book changed that mind-set for me.
He tells the stories of big-wave surfers (read: adrenaline junkies, crazy people, some of the bravest/stupidest people you’ll ever meet) and their hunt to find and surf the biggest wave ever. They do find it, at the Cortes Bank, 100 miles or so off the coast of Southern California.
That’s right: Breaking waves that are nowhere near a shoreline, and gigantic waves at that, when the conditions are right. What makes this happen is a huge peak that rises up from the ocean floor to around 12 feet under the surface of the water. This creates a wave, that when the swell hits the bank at the right angle, can reach heights of 70, 80, some even believe 100 feet.
And these guys surfed these waves. Mike Parsons officially surfed the biggest one, between 70 feet and 80 feet, on a trip to the Bank in 2008.
He concedes that fellow surfer Greg Long surfed a bigger one, closer to 85 feet, on the same day, but they didn’t get any photos of it.
Waves that big had a habit of sucking the surfers backwards on their way down the face of the wave, and then spitting them out at around 50 or 55 mph. Parsons said he was sucked backwards up a wave on the three biggest waves of his life. So not only did he have to keep his balance on his way down an 80-foot wave, he had to keep it while the wave changed his direction, something he had absolutely no control over.
If nothing else, that is the underlying message of “Ghost Wave.” No one, no matter how brave they are or how knowledgeable they are, has any control over what the ocean decides to do. Whether you’re in waves 70 feet high or seven feet high, you better enter the water knowing what you’re getting yourself into, and that you always face the possibility of not coming back.
The book is not just about the surfers’ quest. It also follows the history of the discovery of the bank, and of the history of surfing. He even dives into the psyche of some of the surfers, trying to find out just what it is that makes them face death on a regular basis, for that’s exactly what they do every time they head out into big waves.
There is also a chapter devoted to the story of a group of men who hatched the idea that they could raise Cortes Bank out from the depths of the water by sinking a huge ship right on top of it, creating a new island and a new nation. It’s a funny, scary, nerve-wracking tale all rolled into one that alone makes the book worth reading.
Dixon tells the story well, even though I sometimes got lost when he was explaining the intricacies of weather patterns and ocean currents and the system one surfer, Sean Collins, developed in order to predict where big waves might hit.
Despite that, the book is captivating and one that all surfers, or aspiring surfers, should read. They should also check out the video of Parsons on YouTube. You’ll never look at the ocean the same way again.
August 5, 2022
Okay, I really only needed to reach Chapter 4, about the Kingdom of Aballonia (some people decided to sink a boat in the Cortes Bank and create an island - it didn't go well. But of course, it's really a book about surfing - how these banks far off the California Coast sometimes have some of the biggest waves on Earth. Very interesting, but I thought it would be more about the Cortes Bank, and maybe a little less about surfers. But, that said, their stories were also really interesting...
November 2, 2012
If you spend any time sailing along the California coast, you may have heard about The Cortes Bank. It lies just past Catalina Island. Not a big patch of ocean, but one that boaters view with respect. It's where the giant waves live. Rogue waves are known to occur randomly, and certain coastal areas are known for impossibly high surf. But the Cortes Bank is different. In the middle of nowhere, in the open sea, huge waves, some reaching 90 feet high, are formed...and they're not an anomaly, they're a regular event. Listening to tales of the Cortes Bank while relaxing on deck is the sailing equivalent of sitting around the campfire and listening to stories of those two hitchhikers and the guy with the hook. Guaranteed to make the hair on your arms go all feathery.
Chris Dixon takes us into the heart of the Cortes Bank and shows us what it's like not just to face the monster, but tweak its nose.
All surfing is madness. Surfers sit on their boards, legs dangling in the water, looking just like dinner to every circling shark...and that's before they start doing the dangerous stuff. There are so many ways to injure, maim, cripple and kill yourself on a surfboard, it almost beggars the imagination to understand why some surfers seek to up the ante. But they do...in the form of giant waves. Waves so high you could hide an apartment building in one. The only sensible part is that, for the most part, giant wave surfing is done close to shore, where (in theory) help is close at hand. The surfers who choose Cortes Bank are surfing in the open ocean. They are tempting the pelagic sharks, giant ocean-going predators, as well as the little maneaters who cling to the shoreline, not to mention fate. If they are churned to the bottom by countless tons of water collapsing above them, they aren't likely to come up again.
The world has two kinds of people in it: Surfers and people who wish they were. Dixon's book gives those of us who watch and envy those slender figures sitting out where the waves form a chance to live in their skin for a few magical, terrifying, exhilarating moments. There are minutes on end when I lost track of time and place. I was there, I could smell the ocean, that magical clean briny scent, I could feel the cold wind on my face and feel the stinging spray, the chill of the water. Bobbing on my surfboard, butterflies in my stomach, waiting to be elevated higher and higher and higher before sliding down, down, down...it's as close as I'll ever get to the experience, which fills me with relief and regret.
Ghost Wave takes you out there to the Cortes Bank. Dixon tells us the history and background of the area, and shows us just what it feels like to challenge Poseidon and whatever other gods and monsters inhabit that haunted piece of ocean.
If you surf, or only wish you did, this book is a thriller, an e-ticket ride that will leave you breathless and exhilarated.
Chris Dixon takes us into the heart of the Cortes Bank and shows us what it's like not just to face the monster, but tweak its nose.
All surfing is madness. Surfers sit on their boards, legs dangling in the water, looking just like dinner to every circling shark...and that's before they start doing the dangerous stuff. There are so many ways to injure, maim, cripple and kill yourself on a surfboard, it almost beggars the imagination to understand why some surfers seek to up the ante. But they do...in the form of giant waves. Waves so high you could hide an apartment building in one. The only sensible part is that, for the most part, giant wave surfing is done close to shore, where (in theory) help is close at hand. The surfers who choose Cortes Bank are surfing in the open ocean. They are tempting the pelagic sharks, giant ocean-going predators, as well as the little maneaters who cling to the shoreline, not to mention fate. If they are churned to the bottom by countless tons of water collapsing above them, they aren't likely to come up again.
The world has two kinds of people in it: Surfers and people who wish they were. Dixon's book gives those of us who watch and envy those slender figures sitting out where the waves form a chance to live in their skin for a few magical, terrifying, exhilarating moments. There are minutes on end when I lost track of time and place. I was there, I could smell the ocean, that magical clean briny scent, I could feel the cold wind on my face and feel the stinging spray, the chill of the water. Bobbing on my surfboard, butterflies in my stomach, waiting to be elevated higher and higher and higher before sliding down, down, down...it's as close as I'll ever get to the experience, which fills me with relief and regret.
Ghost Wave takes you out there to the Cortes Bank. Dixon tells us the history and background of the area, and shows us just what it feels like to challenge Poseidon and whatever other gods and monsters inhabit that haunted piece of ocean.
If you surf, or only wish you did, this book is a thriller, an e-ticket ride that will leave you breathless and exhilarated.
March 6, 2013
I've been fascinated by what drives big wave surfers since a Vanity Fair article years ago... Step Into Liquid and Riding Giants are two of my "must watch" recommended movies. That interest made this a great read.
There was some history in the beginning that was a big dull (for me) and hard to understand from a nautical or surfing terms perspective, but I read the stories of the various surfing events with rapt fascination. The boat trip in Jan 2008 is particularly a thriller that you just can't put down.
This is a great description of the guys that do this - "... even if they do feel fear, they are somehow able to overcome it—to become almost analytical in the face of life-threatening conditions that would leave most of us paralyzed."
Living near Mavericks, it was interesting and cool to learn that it was actually named after a dog, Maverick. :) Some good Mavs quotes - "small at Mavericks's is relative. A wave has to be 12, 15 feet - almost triple overhead - to even break."
"The typical Surfer at Maverick’s possesses the breath-holding ability of an apnea diver, the flexibility and focus of a yogi, the strength and endurance of an ironman, and the guts of a gladiator."
No one knows what drives these guys, but it seems to be just inherent in their DNA (and it may well be genetic, as was discussed in the book). Regardless, I find it interesting and fascinating that there are people that have such a passion, and are so committed and risk to much to follow it. I would love to have that.
There was some history in the beginning that was a big dull (for me) and hard to understand from a nautical or surfing terms perspective, but I read the stories of the various surfing events with rapt fascination. The boat trip in Jan 2008 is particularly a thriller that you just can't put down.
This is a great description of the guys that do this - "... even if they do feel fear, they are somehow able to overcome it—to become almost analytical in the face of life-threatening conditions that would leave most of us paralyzed."
Living near Mavericks, it was interesting and cool to learn that it was actually named after a dog, Maverick. :) Some good Mavs quotes - "small at Mavericks's is relative. A wave has to be 12, 15 feet - almost triple overhead - to even break."
"The typical Surfer at Maverick’s possesses the breath-holding ability of an apnea diver, the flexibility and focus of a yogi, the strength and endurance of an ironman, and the guts of a gladiator."
No one knows what drives these guys, but it seems to be just inherent in their DNA (and it may well be genetic, as was discussed in the book). Regardless, I find it interesting and fascinating that there are people that have such a passion, and are so committed and risk to much to follow it. I would love to have that.
October 26, 2020
Surf bro vibes and a lot of chest-thumping about masculinity in a high-risk sport. If you're interested in big waves it's still worth a read, but something like Susan Casey's The Wave is much more informative. This is more of a snapshot of a specific moment in the surf community, which is probably interesting to some people. The origins of surf forecasting were cool to learn about. Still an enjoyable enough read but niche.
December 25, 2019
As artistic as the wave itself, this book captures the glamour of a true natural wonder. By explaining humankind’s relationship with this natural wonder throughout time, the reader is able to fully appreciate the scale and magnitude of Earth’s most profound wave. To surf and tame such a beast seems otherworldly, and leaves my imagination longing....
July 26, 2017
Interesting and engaging book that covers the history of Cortes Bank, a geographic oddity off the coast of southern California/northern Mexico that is capable of producing some of the biggest waves in the world (possibly over 100'), the history of surfing, big-wave surfing, as tow-in surfing, including philosophical disagreements (or possibly just petty bickering) between modern practitioners, the science of waves and wave forecasting, an ill-fated attempt to raise up an island nation in the middle of the ocean, and of course the stories (and psychoanalysis) of the men who live, and occasionally die, in the pounding surf. While the focus is on the Cortes Bank, it includes side trips to Hawaii and South Africa as well.
In trying to cover so much, however, the book at times meanders a bit too much. A little tighter focus would have helped. A basic familiarity with surfing terms will help with creating some of the mental pictures, but isn't necessary to enjoy the book. And anyone should be able to understand that an 85' wave is rather large and probably something nobody in their right mind would consider trying to surf.
In trying to cover so much, however, the book at times meanders a bit too much. A little tighter focus would have helped. A basic familiarity with surfing terms will help with creating some of the mental pictures, but isn't necessary to enjoy the book. And anyone should be able to understand that an 85' wave is rather large and probably something nobody in their right mind would consider trying to surf.
May 31, 2020
I'm naturally very careful, and I don't enjoy being terrified. I hate roller coasters. When it comes to surfing, body surfing two-footers at Rehoboth Beach is about my speed.
But I love watching big wave surfers. It's a vicarious thrill, I guess. Ghost Wave is mostly about one geographic location, Cortes Bank, in the Pacific Ocean west of San Diego, where the shallowness of the ocean creates monstrous waves. The early chapters of the book give a little history of sailors' and fishermen's experiences there, all suitably scary.
Then the elite surfers found it, and saw it as a place they could surf gigantic waves without being in a crowd. On the biggest waves, for the most part, it's impossible to paddle in; being towed into a wave by a jet ski made riding the waves possible.
Plenty of suspense in this book, with miraculous escapes, and some unfortunate non-escapes. A true big-wave surfer is somebody who can have a near-death experience and still hunger for the next ride. It ain't me.
But I love watching big wave surfers. It's a vicarious thrill, I guess. Ghost Wave is mostly about one geographic location, Cortes Bank, in the Pacific Ocean west of San Diego, where the shallowness of the ocean creates monstrous waves. The early chapters of the book give a little history of sailors' and fishermen's experiences there, all suitably scary.
Then the elite surfers found it, and saw it as a place they could surf gigantic waves without being in a crowd. On the biggest waves, for the most part, it's impossible to paddle in; being towed into a wave by a jet ski made riding the waves possible.
Plenty of suspense in this book, with miraculous escapes, and some unfortunate non-escapes. A true big-wave surfer is somebody who can have a near-death experience and still hunger for the next ride. It ain't me.
October 1, 2018
Wow. What a fantastic book. Definitely not a Just a surf book, nor do you need to be a surfer to appreciate it. This is a fascinating account of a sea mount 100 miles off shore of California and a history of those who have tried to explore it, a crazy cast of characters who tried to Claim it/ colonize it in the 60’s and finally it is about a small subset of surfers who have surf it.
This is a look inside a world most people will never encounter with plenty of first hand accounts f what is is like to surf on 60+ foot waves, and why they do it.
Best of all the author is a hell of a good writer and storyteller.
This is a look inside a world most people will never encounter with plenty of first hand accounts f what is is like to surf on 60+ foot waves, and why they do it.
Best of all the author is a hell of a good writer and storyteller.
May 25, 2025
Cortes Bank has long held a mystique among surfers and mariners alike. Chris Dixon's book delved into both the history and lore behind this isolated reef 100 miles off the Southern California coast, the initial tentative surfing explorations, and finally the full-blown adventures into some of the biggest waves Cortes Bank could throw in their direction.
Ghost Wave offers a phenomenal level of detail with photos, interviews and profiles of the past and present mariners, divers, and surfers to tackle this dangerous outpost. There are some books I just mow through but I savored every single page of this book and highly recommend it!
Ghost Wave offers a phenomenal level of detail with photos, interviews and profiles of the past and present mariners, divers, and surfers to tackle this dangerous outpost. There are some books I just mow through but I savored every single page of this book and highly recommend it!
May 22, 2017
A strangely long book on a very big wave. I liked the fun historical bits about the Channel Islands and enjoyed the cast of fortune seekers and weirdos who are obsessed with the Cortes Bank. Also I feel kind of sick inside when I think about human beings surfing waves that top 60 feet. Video on Project Neptune is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KrCy...
December 13, 2019
Love this book and I have never surfed
What an interesting and captivating world that I never knew existed. Took this book on vacation just to have something to read if I got stuck in an airport. Got started on it and could not put it down.
What an interesting and captivating world that I never knew existed. Took this book on vacation just to have something to read if I got stuck in an airport. Got started on it and could not put it down.
March 1, 2023
Diehard Surfers should enjoy this read.
Well researched and organized, with a gritty, textured writing style that I love. very focused on the surfing personalities without developing their characters / painting us a picture to help us know them better. Big wipeout...who cares!
Well researched and organized, with a gritty, textured writing style that I love. very focused on the surfing personalities without developing their characters / painting us a picture to help us know them better. Big wipeout...who cares!
October 21, 2018
This book made me want to go and see the bank in action. Someday....
October 25, 2021
2.5 stars. Read in September 2021: https://hollograms.blogspot.com/2021/...
October 15, 2022
A thoroughly researched book and an exciting read. A page turner.
January 31, 2024
Great book. If you liked The Emerald Mile you're going to love this one too!
February 2, 2024
The dude abides.
May 12, 2024
This is a great book for history and adventure fiends. There’s incredibly captivating stories however I felt large portions of the book were dense.
July 29, 2025
Fascinating read. A little slow at some parts but only because the author is very thorough.
May 23, 2024
Very cool book. Has interesting points for everyone, whether you're interested in surfing or oceanography. I really enjoyed that it covered the history of the discovery of the bank, as well as a detailed description of surf history and the birth of big wave surfing. -1 star because it's not quite a page-turner, but it is really interesting if you're willing to commit.
December 27, 2024
I love reading about people doing things that I will never be brave enough to attempt and this was a random buy that was very satisfying in its history of big wave surfing and the psychology of those that pursue it. CW for fear of drowning folks because…phew
May 20, 2013
Ghost Wave was an intriguing book. Chris Dixon did a great job detailing all aspects of the break and the sport including some maritime history of the location, some history of surfing, the progress made in swell predictions, the psychology of big wave surfers, the controversy of contests such as the Billabong XXL Awards, and the continuous search for new big wave locations. I simply didn't want it to end.
This subject is particularly alluring due to the nature of the Cortes Bank. To think that possibly the biggest wave in the world is right off the coast of California is tantalizing. But add to it the fact that it is a full 100 miles off the coast in the middle of the ocean is terrifying to think of surfing it. If anything goes wrong, the safety net is too far away to protect you in most cases. Also, I am no big wave surfer, but I have had a taste of the potential power of large waves. Even 10-12 foot waves can make you feel very small when looking at them from sea level. Getting stuck inside during a big set or getting drilled by the lip drive you deep underwater can quickly start to feel like life or death. I can't even image what it would be like to have to cope with a 50 foot wall of whitewater in the middle of the ocean.
One minor (and sometimes amusing) complaint I have is in reference to the Audible version of this book. Chris Dixon reads his own book, which is great, but it appears that there was no editing after recording. At one point, he gets halfway through a sentence, coughs, and then restarts the sentence. Many times through the book, he reads the same sentence twice in a row, apparently not happy with the first reading. Any editor giving it a single preliminary listen would be able to identify and edit those errors unless they were sleeping through it. The recording quality was fine, but the editing was very unprofessional.
I did like the fact that the book is very up to date. Although the publication date is 10/12/11, Dixon spoke about the death of Sean Collins at the very end of the book. Collins died in December of 2011, so there must have been a revision of the audiobook, at least.
If you have any interest in surfing or adventure at all, I would recommend this book. In my opinion, it is even better than the excellent book "The Wave" by Susan Casey. I'll definitely be listening to it again.
This subject is particularly alluring due to the nature of the Cortes Bank. To think that possibly the biggest wave in the world is right off the coast of California is tantalizing. But add to it the fact that it is a full 100 miles off the coast in the middle of the ocean is terrifying to think of surfing it. If anything goes wrong, the safety net is too far away to protect you in most cases. Also, I am no big wave surfer, but I have had a taste of the potential power of large waves. Even 10-12 foot waves can make you feel very small when looking at them from sea level. Getting stuck inside during a big set or getting drilled by the lip drive you deep underwater can quickly start to feel like life or death. I can't even image what it would be like to have to cope with a 50 foot wall of whitewater in the middle of the ocean.
One minor (and sometimes amusing) complaint I have is in reference to the Audible version of this book. Chris Dixon reads his own book, which is great, but it appears that there was no editing after recording. At one point, he gets halfway through a sentence, coughs, and then restarts the sentence. Many times through the book, he reads the same sentence twice in a row, apparently not happy with the first reading. Any editor giving it a single preliminary listen would be able to identify and edit those errors unless they were sleeping through it. The recording quality was fine, but the editing was very unprofessional.
I did like the fact that the book is very up to date. Although the publication date is 10/12/11, Dixon spoke about the death of Sean Collins at the very end of the book. Collins died in December of 2011, so there must have been a revision of the audiobook, at least.
If you have any interest in surfing or adventure at all, I would recommend this book. In my opinion, it is even better than the excellent book "The Wave" by Susan Casey. I'll definitely be listening to it again.
August 10, 2016
This is just the most amazing cover.
I had read a review of this and since I so loved The Wave by Susan Casey, and the ocean/waves in general, I requested this from my library.
However I was sadly disappointed.
I still rated it pretty highly and it may have suffered since I read it over the holidays and was distracted, but basically a riveting book will sail through any events without interruption and this was not one. It reflected a prodigious amount of research and time and while the author has a passion for big wave surfing and the Cortes Bank in particular, it lacked cohesion and a strong editorial voice. Too much surfer dude talk from him, not just his subjects. I might have accepted it if he was using only the surfers' words, but his own writing was too jumbled between cool and writerly talk and time travelled back and forth so that his narrative was confusing. He did mention Laird Hamilton and The Wave which was interesting, but he lacked Casey's abilities. This author never really brought these people to life which was a shame. I had just rewatched "Riding Giants" over the holiday too so a lot of the events and surfers mentioned here were very familiar, yet I had no real sense of them at all from these pages. I wanted so much more from it and actually in the center I found it a little boring and slow moving which floors me.
Great subject, great photos, not invigorating writing although he had an obvious passion for his subjects: all of them but mostly the waves.
I had read a review of this and since I so loved The Wave by Susan Casey, and the ocean/waves in general, I requested this from my library.
However I was sadly disappointed.
I still rated it pretty highly and it may have suffered since I read it over the holidays and was distracted, but basically a riveting book will sail through any events without interruption and this was not one. It reflected a prodigious amount of research and time and while the author has a passion for big wave surfing and the Cortes Bank in particular, it lacked cohesion and a strong editorial voice. Too much surfer dude talk from him, not just his subjects. I might have accepted it if he was using only the surfers' words, but his own writing was too jumbled between cool and writerly talk and time travelled back and forth so that his narrative was confusing. He did mention Laird Hamilton and The Wave which was interesting, but he lacked Casey's abilities. This author never really brought these people to life which was a shame. I had just rewatched "Riding Giants" over the holiday too so a lot of the events and surfers mentioned here were very familiar, yet I had no real sense of them at all from these pages. I wanted so much more from it and actually in the center I found it a little boring and slow moving which floors me.
Great subject, great photos, not invigorating writing although he had an obvious passion for his subjects: all of them but mostly the waves.
November 4, 2012
The story of the Cortez bank, somewhere off the coast of California near Catalina island, and the big wave surfers who are crazy or daring enough (depending on your opinion) to go out and ride the monster waves generated by storm swells on the bank.
The brief history of the bank and the prehistoric indian tribes that first populated the area was fascinating as well as the 18th century explorations of the area and more recent events such as the aborted attempt to found the man made island of abalonia there.
Included was the obligatory chapter on what makes these big wave surfers risk life and limb in waves that could obviously kill them.
The author is surprisingly adept at describing the monster waves almost personally as if he had ever participated in surfing them. I found his descriptions of the waves generated at various big wave surfing spots like Ghost Tree, Mavericks, Waimea Bay and Cortez Bank compelling reading, more as if he was describing the personality of a living thing than a cold, dispassionate, dangerous, enormous,force of nature. I just wish he had done a better job of clueing the reader in on the surfer's and scientist's terms for describing different aspects of these monsters.
All in all though a fast and compelling read.
The brief history of the bank and the prehistoric indian tribes that first populated the area was fascinating as well as the 18th century explorations of the area and more recent events such as the aborted attempt to found the man made island of abalonia there.
Included was the obligatory chapter on what makes these big wave surfers risk life and limb in waves that could obviously kill them.
The author is surprisingly adept at describing the monster waves almost personally as if he had ever participated in surfing them. I found his descriptions of the waves generated at various big wave surfing spots like Ghost Tree, Mavericks, Waimea Bay and Cortez Bank compelling reading, more as if he was describing the personality of a living thing than a cold, dispassionate, dangerous, enormous,force of nature. I just wish he had done a better job of clueing the reader in on the surfer's and scientist's terms for describing different aspects of these monsters.
All in all though a fast and compelling read.
November 19, 2011
I'm not a surfer, a diver, or a sailor, but still I found the real story of surfing, diving, and sailing the Cortes Bank harder to put down than the most recent thriller I picked up by a big-name author. Aside from the fact that there are so many interesting, but obscure, stories about the history of the Cortes Bank, Chris Dixon does a great job of making such stories detailed, gripping, and suspenseful, with in-depth interviews with those involved and vivid and evocative descriptions of the seas, the waves, and the feelings of those involved. Sure, there are so many different people and places discussed and so many stories and timelines that I occasionally lost track of who was who, but ultimately those details were not nearly as important as the details of what occurred and the mystique and power of the events and waves being described. Top-notch adventure non-fiction for everyone who wants to know about the great unknown places and events on our watery planet. Glad a got an early preview for free under Amazon's Vine Reviewer program. Recommended. Donald J. Bingle, Author of Net Impact.
January 9, 2012
This one is probably closer to 4.5 stars, b/c the beginning is a little slow. However, once the back half kicks in you won't want to put it down.
After reading Susan Casey's The Wave (and really liking it), this is the other side of the story. Casey partnered with surfing great Laird Hamilton, who mostly espouses a surf for surf's sake mantra. Chris Dixon, Mike Parsons, and the guys in this book are competitors. They surf b/c they love it, but if they happen to make a little money on the deal, so be it.
No one's ridden a 100' wave - that was documented. But if they do, chances are good it's gonna be a Cortes.
After reading Susan Casey's The Wave (and really liking it), this is the other side of the story. Casey partnered with surfing great Laird Hamilton, who mostly espouses a surf for surf's sake mantra. Chris Dixon, Mike Parsons, and the guys in this book are competitors. They surf b/c they love it, but if they happen to make a little money on the deal, so be it.
No one's ridden a 100' wave - that was documented. But if they do, chances are good it's gonna be a Cortes.
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