Tunnel Vision: The True Story of My Probably Insane Quest to Become a Professional Surfer

by Sullivan McLeod

Inveterate traveler Sullivan McLeod got sick of people asking him what he was doing with his life so he started to say he'd decided to become a professional surfer. Then somehow he was registered in the World Qualifying Series and found he was going ahead with his stupid idea. He could surf a bit—after all, he did grow up in Margaret River. So, despite the fact that he was unfit physically, financially, and possibly mentally, Sullivan goes into training for his nine months on the circuit, with frequent sidetracking into drinking and partying, but he does actually make it to most of the heats. Along the way he has to work out how to get to the next competition in the next country on his very tight budget, and he shares his highly entertaining observations about Americans, Brazilians, the Brits, French, and ex-pat Australians, to name but a few. And he has his fair share of he gets locked up in a Brazilian holding cell, parties with South American criminals,

Genres: Nonfiction

281 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2009

Reviews

[Diane in Australia]

3 Stars = Middle of the road .. didn't hate it, didn't love it.

A light read. If you don't want to have to think too hard, and just want to zone out inside someone else's nutso life, this is the book for you. Does give a tiny insight into pro surfing.

[Alexandrya Reeves]

Is this book technically good? No. Does McLeod give any real insight or give any good advice? No. But that’s kinda what’s amazing about it. Such a fun light read, swallowed it in a day and gave me a few laughs. Would absolutely give it 5 stars if we were rating on enjoyability but it is at the end of the day a low effort biography. Nonetheless entertaining.

[Shane]

A classic read. Sullivan has an easy going approach to life (and travelling), when he combines this with his liking for a drink, there are some very funny consequences.

Aside from that, it was an eye-opening insight to life on the WQS, where the surfing hopefuls toil away for a coveted place on the WCT. The term "professional surfer" does not quite seem the same anymore.

[Mike R]

Funny as hell.