Louisbourg or Bust: A Surfer's Wild Ride Down Nova Scotia's Drowned Coast

by R.C. Shaw

A rickety surf rig on wheels. A guide named Don Quixote. No cellphone. Louisbourg or Bust is RC Shaw's spandex-free pilgrimage up a haunted coastline. Fuelled by Hungry Man Stew and blind optimism, Shaw battles potholed hills and remote waves en route to the Fortress of Louisbourg.

With a Nova Scotia road map in one hand and a fat copy of Don Quixote in the other, Shaw hatches a plan. He builds The Rig, a Frankenstein-inspired bicycle-plus-trailer to haul his camping gear and surf stuff. Then he circles Louisbourg with a black Sharpie and vows to take the fortress back from its malevolent tourist occupiers. Finally, on a clear June morning, he kisses his family goodbye and creaks off down the road in search of adventure for adventure's sake. No cellphone, no safety net. Just the restless pulse of the Atlantic Ocean as it rips and tears at the coastline of the Eastern Shore.

As the lark gets real, Shaw is forever changed by the gnarly soul of Nova Scotia's fogbound, fading coastline.

Paperback

First published August 31, 2018

Reviews

[Melissa Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest - I know the author and consider him a great friend! So, I wanted to really love this book, but perhaps because of our friendship, I was worried, and wondered if I could separate knowing him, from the reading of a book. It added another layer before I began. But, once I started - I found myself engrossed and enjoying it without that clouding my reading. I laughed and enjoyed the journey to Louisbourg as a fellow traveller, as if I was there. Who he is as a person is there while you read, whether you know him or not, and you cannot help but love this book! It is inspiring and interesting, and I heartily give it a 5 star rating!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful surprise. It caught my eye because I am interested in the old Louisbourg - Gabarus road, but I got so much more: quixotic adventure, the beauty of surfing, the mysterious Eastern Shore, laughter. The story is beautifully told. Would love to read more by this author.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun! (From someone who *doesn't* know the author.)

[Lyn Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I did it, I said aloud, as I shut the book on the great adventure, a journey by bike from Cow Bay to the fortress of Louisbourg, pulling along over 400 pounds of gear in a makeshift cart. I surfed along the way, I know I did as I tasted the brine and feared the great white. I met the most generous people. I was grateful to stop at Stanfest, something I don't have to borrow memories to relive. I struggled on every uphill, I hungered, and I don't know how many times I cheated death.

I knew it was an impossible quest, yet I was inside a book and it had to end well, surely, despite the last perilous hours. I have never read Don Quixote, the heavy book that went along for the ride, and perhaps now I need not, but I am grateful to the Dartmouth Book Exchange's book club for putting "Louisbourg or Bust' in my line of vision, and to my slightly hesitant hand for choosing it.

I don't usually read travel books; in fact, I've read only one before and it also was of a bicycle trip, from Exeter to York along the old Roman road. It was lovely, but a much easier journey for me, especially as the author's wife met us every night at a B and B. RC Shaw had to wait until the end of his amazing experiences to join his family, but what relief he and I felt. I am not a surfer, not a biker, but I am an Eastern Shore Nova Scotian and this book taught me and thrilled me. It is a wonderful read, every page of it. I recommend it heartily.

[Aren Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may not be a surfer but I did love the way this book took me for a surf down the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. I could taste the salt air, see the craggy coastline and feel the wind in my hair. Enjoyed following RC’s wild adventure as well as learning something new about my province.

[Lesley Choyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lively spirited tale for surfers and nonsurfers alike, this Nova Scotia adventure was a ton of fun from beginning to end.

[Daniel Boyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down! The author (who is a friend of mine) really captured the essence of what it is to surf and live on Nova Scotia’s ‘drowned coast’, entertaining his readers with funny and sometimes touching stories of the colourful locals he meets on his bike-powered assault on the Fortress of Louisbourg. The book is well written but also accessible, packed with heaps of local flavour and peppered with interesting bits of local history and culture. I highly recommend this read for anyone interested in the Canadian Maritimes.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cow Bay to Louisbourg by bike and surfboard. Probably seemed like a good idea initially. Ryan Shaw wouldn’t have completed the ordeal without the kindness of strangers along the way - that open friendliness that Maritimers are known for. One of the best things about this book is that it was a quick read. Shaw comes across as a somewhat ragged, pathetic person who selfishly left his wife at home with their two young children and headed out on a poorly thought out trip. Not quite the colourful adventure that I had hoped to read about.

[Andrew Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Shaw is able to put you there with him, and describe everything was extraordinary. I don’t read a lot of books, but I sat down and read this in 2 days, and I didn’t want to put it down.

A must read for anyone living on the East Coast.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A travel journey of a surfer who bikes from cow bay to louisburg on his personal journey. I felt this was more of a bike and mental journey for him than trying to locate unknown surf spots.

[Ebony Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the great pleasure of staying with Ryan and Genny earlier this year for a weekend, while I traveled with a writer friend who was set to write an article about surfing and Ryan's book while I provided photography. I'm just now getting to read this book and I loved every second. All the east coast hospitality, the surf philosophy, through it all I could almost close my eyes and hear Ryan's voice telling me this story. I out right laughed at many parts! I highly recommend this novel and I hope I'll be able to make a trek to the Fortress at some point - hopefully my trip will be less damp!

[Rebecca Hogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining read that had me not wanting to put the book down. I love Shaw's quirky way of writing about his adventures. This book is part bike packing trip, part surfing adventure, part playful literature lesson, and all craziness. Think Bill Bryson with a Nova Scotia twist. In Louisburg or Bust you get to experience the rugged beauty and charm of the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia as local Nova Scotian.

[Melanie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing adventure story that makes you fall in love with the east coast of Canada. Quick, easy read filled with funny anectdotes that will put a smile on your face