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The History of Surfing
From respected surfing authority Matt Warshaw, The History of Surfing presents a breathtaking and complete look at the history and culture of the sport.
"Meticulously researched, smartly written, beautifully laid out ... required reading."— Outside Magazine
Matt Warshaw knows more about surfing than any other person on the planet. After five years of research and writing, Warshaw has crafted an unprecedented history of the sport and the culture it has spawned. At nearly 500 pages, with 250,000 words and more than 250 rare photographs, The History of Surfing reveals and defines this sport with a voice that is authoritative, funny, and wholly original. The obsessive nature of this endeavor is matched only by the obsessive nature of surfers, who will pore through these pages with passion and opinion.
Here, at last, is the definitive history of surfing.
THE PERFECT Packed with stunning photographs, this exhaustive history of surfing makes a superb present for surfers, beach bums, photography lovers, and history buffs.
EXPERT Matt Warshaw began riding waves in 1969 and even had a brief, undistinguished, resume-padding career as a pro surfer during the early 1980s. He worked at Surfer magazine for six years and became editor in 1990. He has published articles in The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , Esquire , Interview , and Outside , and has written eight books, including The Encyclopedia of Surfing ("A living, breathing masterpiece," according to Salon.com).
READERS LOVE In hundreds of 5-star ratings, reviewers rave, calling this “the best, most comprehensive and enjoyable single source read available today on surfing” that's definitely “not just for surfers.”
Perfect
"Meticulously researched, smartly written, beautifully laid out ... required reading."— Outside Magazine
Matt Warshaw knows more about surfing than any other person on the planet. After five years of research and writing, Warshaw has crafted an unprecedented history of the sport and the culture it has spawned. At nearly 500 pages, with 250,000 words and more than 250 rare photographs, The History of Surfing reveals and defines this sport with a voice that is authoritative, funny, and wholly original. The obsessive nature of this endeavor is matched only by the obsessive nature of surfers, who will pore through these pages with passion and opinion.
Here, at last, is the definitive history of surfing.
THE PERFECT Packed with stunning photographs, this exhaustive history of surfing makes a superb present for surfers, beach bums, photography lovers, and history buffs.
EXPERT Matt Warshaw began riding waves in 1969 and even had a brief, undistinguished, resume-padding career as a pro surfer during the early 1980s. He worked at Surfer magazine for six years and became editor in 1990. He has published articles in The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , Esquire , Interview , and Outside , and has written eight books, including The Encyclopedia of Surfing ("A living, breathing masterpiece," according to Salon.com).
READERS LOVE In hundreds of 5-star ratings, reviewers rave, calling this “the best, most comprehensive and enjoyable single source read available today on surfing” that's definitely “not just for surfers.”
Perfect
495 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
118 people are currently reading
602 people want to read
About the author
Matt Warshaw
15 books12 followersMatt Warshaw is a former professional surfer, former writer and editor at Surfer magazine (1984-1990), and the author of dozens of feature articles and large-format books on surfing culture and history.
Warshaw currently curates the online Encyclopedia of Surfing and History of Surfing, each website based on expanded material from the archives assembled for their print companions. He has 1 child.
Warshaw currently curates the online Encyclopedia of Surfing and History of Surfing, each website based on expanded material from the archives assembled for their print companions. He has 1 child.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 28, 2023
This is the longest book I've ever listened to.
September 21, 2012
I've been reading this bit by bit for several months. It gives you a very detailed history of surfing, from the very beginning some centuries ago until the present. Inevitably, this involves a lot of technical talk, since major developments in surfing had to do with the changing look of the surfboards (longboard/shortboard; material; fins ...). This was a little too much at times. There was a lot of stuff in it about surfing as a cultural phenomenon, but it wasn't enough for me! Also, there could have been more, and more interesting, pictures. So, a mixed review!
January 28, 2018
The best, most comprehensive book ever written about surfing. The writing is as compelling as the scholarship behind it. An absolute must-read for the surf-obsessed.
May 1, 2023
Matt is a former professional surfer who later became the editor of Surfer Magazine and is currently in charge of the Encyclopedia of Surfing History. The History of Surfing is the most comprehensive, well-written chronicle on surfing history I have ever seen, including a remarkable collection of photographs. This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to appreciate how surfing influenced life in California. Well done Matt!
January 3, 2020
Looses a star because it is a little California centric, but otherwise your authorative account of the history of surfing! I only managed to finish it, because I got ill and read all day!
December 31, 2020
Most comprehensive book on surfing out there, makes you also understand how certain surfboards design came to be we now use today
September 11, 2022
Debunks many common misconceptions and leaves a surfer more grateful for the suffering and rebellious roots which contributed to the culture of the sport and lifestyle that we love so much
August 2, 2025
an in depth history of surfing
January 3, 2026
So long but so impressive. Super important read if you take surfing and its history seriously, even if it's ridiculous.
June 7, 2019
220419: this is one big heavy book. so i propped it up on table, read it at u library, over two weeks. great pictures, mature, balanced history, some of which is to me familiar. family history. only lived in the islands one year, visit every year, but this is not long enough. by secondary if you are serious wave hunter surfer- you are not in school. i never surfed but once, fell off tiny cut in my stomach from fin. enough. cousins surfed sometimes but waimea has not much breaks, you have to go round to the windward side, the north side, of kaua'i, so they mostly played volleyball etc...
the year we lived on oahu, did once or twice go to the north shore, waimea bay (there is a waimea on at least three islands), makaha... island bus, honolulu bus, goes around island though maybe not waianae, for at that time about one dollar something... if you want, yes you can surf your brains out. and then i knew about history of pre-contact hawai'ians developing surfing, missionaries trying to shut it down, surfing culture etc. but by the time there, surfing is big business, competitions, tv, aussies, brazilians, californians... i do not know if surfing ever had prelapsarian eden. grandpa played inter-island tennis at resorts, taught one girl cousin how to golf (practicing getting out of sand traps on the beach in front of the house...) and boys went to university in volleyball, but there was never much talk of surfing round waimea...
so the first part of the book is great for me. talks about how hawai'i dispersed this to the world from 1900s on, names heard of like duke kahanamoku (2 time olympic 100m swimming champion), then as it goes on it gets technical (board design) travel (indonesia) competitive (aussie/california) then a lot of names, personalities, descriptions of breaks, rides, then bigger waves, faster rides, longer breaks... so if you are like, surfer dude, there is a lot here... if not, well it is a big heavy book you can read at the coffee table but not something to read end to end. read or catch waves? no contest man...
the year we lived on oahu, did once or twice go to the north shore, waimea bay (there is a waimea on at least three islands), makaha... island bus, honolulu bus, goes around island though maybe not waianae, for at that time about one dollar something... if you want, yes you can surf your brains out. and then i knew about history of pre-contact hawai'ians developing surfing, missionaries trying to shut it down, surfing culture etc. but by the time there, surfing is big business, competitions, tv, aussies, brazilians, californians... i do not know if surfing ever had prelapsarian eden. grandpa played inter-island tennis at resorts, taught one girl cousin how to golf (practicing getting out of sand traps on the beach in front of the house...) and boys went to university in volleyball, but there was never much talk of surfing round waimea...
so the first part of the book is great for me. talks about how hawai'i dispersed this to the world from 1900s on, names heard of like duke kahanamoku (2 time olympic 100m swimming champion), then as it goes on it gets technical (board design) travel (indonesia) competitive (aussie/california) then a lot of names, personalities, descriptions of breaks, rides, then bigger waves, faster rides, longer breaks... so if you are like, surfer dude, there is a lot here... if not, well it is a big heavy book you can read at the coffee table but not something to read end to end. read or catch waves? no contest man...
February 11, 2017
I recommend reading on iPad or incomparable device. Get to enjoy both the great pics and extensive, engaging text.
March 2, 2016
I didn't actually finish this book. My loan from the library expired and I didn't renew. I did find the early history of surfing and the associated characters up until the 70s very interesting. As a very beginner surfer who has only been out a few times it was fun to read about the genesis of the sport from the Hawaiian Islands to the global phenomenon it is now.
September 5, 2016
Excellent photos and insights. Must have been years of research. Made me feel like I'm not crazy for loving surfing so much. I thought I knew the history of surfing but realized I didn't know jack till I read this book. If you love surfing, pop culture, photography or the ocean in general, get this book.
February 28, 2021
Fantastic read! I love surfing! Mr. Warshaw has put together the best surfing book I've ever read and there's quite a few out there. The pictures are fantastic, but the historical aspect of surfing and how it evolved is second to none. I highly recommend this book! You won't regret it!
July 9, 2021
From a California surfer’s perspective I give it 5/5 but from a non surfer I give it a 3/5. Lots of great information it bay tied together all the lingo that you hear in and out of the line up and in media. It does tend to drag on certain things and is quite a long read.
June 26, 2013
Coffee Table book with awesome detailed history of surfing from semi-ancient times to Kelly Slater. Very cool.
May 13, 2020
Very in-depth account for the history of surfing. As a European surfer, I would have liked to read more about that as there was only one paragraph on surfing in France!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews