Surfing

Book #1 ~ Scenic Route to Paradise
It’s not Mavericks but a magical beach town and surfer’s maven south of Cape Hatteras.
Adventure, redemption and a Christian romance make for a fun and edgy read.
Toni’s story could be anyone’s if you’re a 50 year old widow who is persuaded to teach a young prince to surf. There is a problem in that her deceased husband although a one time surf professional was never able to get Toni up on her board…
Reality merges with the realm of faith and an almost-could-be story of a nanny turned surf coach.
Toni Merriweather, almost 50 years old and recently returned from the mission field takes a job as a nanny to make ends meet. When her employers find out she is widow to an ex-professional surfer, her job description shifts to the older step son who desires to surf before he steps into the rigors of learning to be king of a small island nation in the Adriatic Sea.
Besides, Mishael (Mish-ay-el) and his Bosnian bodyguard, there is the elderly cousin Hugh who are visiting America and staying the summer at the beach house in a small surf town south of Cape Hatteras. Rather than nanny, Toni becomes a “companion of sorts” and surf coach to Mishael. Always the missionary, Toni labors to bring the three men to Christ before the summer ends.
In the meantime, the grandmother of the prince’s half sister connives to have Mishael disqualified to inherit the throne. Her schemes involve Cousin Hugh and threaten not only Mishael, the future king but also, Toni.
The story begins in Santa Fe, New Mexico and begins again on D’Almata in the Adriatic Sea.

They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing—not even the loss of her arm—could come between her and the waves? That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii, Bethany responded to the shark’s stealth attack with the calm of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside, she began to paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: “Get to the beach....” And when the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was “When can I surf again?” it became clear that her spirit and determination were part of a greater story—a tale of courage and faith that this soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world.

Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany’s life as a young surfer, her recovery after the attack, the adjustments she’s made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows the body is no more essential to surfing—perhaps even less so—than the soul.

From Susan Casey, bestselling author of The Devil’s Teeth, an astonishing book about colossal,  ship-swallowing rogue waves and the surfers who seek them out.

For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100-feet high or taller. Until recently scientists dis­missed these stories—waves that high would seem to violate the laws of physics. But in the past few decades, as a startling number of ships vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something scary was brewing in the planet’s waters. They found their proof in February 2000, when a British research vessel was trapped in a vortex of impossibly mammoth waves in the North Sea—including several that approached 100 feet.

As scientists scramble to understand this phenomenon, others view the giant waves as the ultimate challenge. These are extreme surfers who fly around the world trying to ride the ocean’s most destructive monsters. The pioneer of extreme surfing is the legendary Laird Hamilton, who, with a group of friends in Hawaii, figured out how to board suicidally large waves of 70 and 80 feet. Casey follows this unique tribe of peo­ple as they seek to conquer the holy grail of their sport, a 100­-foot wave.

In this mesmerizing account, the exploits of Hamilton and his fellow surfers are juxtaposed against scientists’ urgent efforts to understand the destructive powers of waves—from the tsunami that wiped out 250,000 people in the Pacific in 2004 to the 1,740-foot-wave that recently leveled part of the Alaskan coast.

Like Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, The Wave brilliantly portrays human beings confronting nature at its most ferocious.

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. A true category killer, here is the definitive history of surfing.

I was a full on hardcore surfer for around 20 years and despite finishing my university studies in marketing and management I never really engaged in a career. I did some webdesign, some life guarding, worked in a Marina, did some painting, but it was in a trip to Indonesia in 2006 where I spent 3 weeks in Grajagan that I felt like I did the surfing I wanted and go into surf photography.

Year after year I returned to Indonesia and found fabulous places to photograph-surfing like Bali, G-land, Nias, Hinako, Baniak and Tello. The waves are perfect like I never experienced somewhere else on the planet.

But one place beats all other places: the Mentawai archipelago (70 idyllic islands to explore, surf, enjoy the beautiful landscapes, dream...). Mentawai has by far the best waves and with more variety

It is not only surfing in the Indian Ocean that gets under your skin here. Sharing the daily living of its people, learning about their various cultures and ethnicities, witnessing the rich biodiversity of this unique site, exploring those remote corners is unforgettable and a truly enriching experience.

The Mentawai (soo far) is not spoiled by tourism like some of the major destinations of Indonesia, Bali for example. Go there while the tourism doesn´t, but don´t forget to-respect the local people and the ecosystem.

João Bracourt *

PS – Thanks to Gonçalo Ruivo from Mikumba Fish Charters and to the surfers like Phil Goodrich, Taj Burrow, Brad Gerlach, Miguel Sanchez, Alexandre Fereira, Luca Guichard, Miguel Ruivo, Ivo Cação and André Pedroso, etc for the attitude and go for it.

*João Bracourt is a Portuguese photographer specialized in surf, interested in portrait, landscape and marine ecosystems. João Bracourt is known for his numerous trips to Indonesia and photographs published in the magazine Surf Portugal. His work has also been shown in Surf Europe mag and in the U.S. site Surf Surfline. Loves beer.

An unpublished author living at the beach adopts an unwanted puppy...together they become an unbeatable team. This funny, heartwarming novel fills the bill for pet lovers of all ages. Aside from bonding, this duo learns how to overcome life's obstacles and pursue their dreams. The fuel for their success comes from helping others less fortunate enjoy life. You will spend time on the beach with a very special pooch and Scooter. Prepare to laugh.

I love, love, LOVE this book! It's adorable, sweet, funny, sad, etc. This is a must read for all doggie lovers! Congrats, Lee.
Kay Maddox, North Myrtle Beach, SC

Your book, "Gabby", provided my family a wonderful reading opportunity this summer. My great nieces, Madison, 12, and Morgan, 10, sister, nephew, Bill and I took turns reading your novel each night.
Being dog lovers made all of Gabby's adventures dear to our hearts. If only dogs could talk!
Thank you for the lovely story that could be shared with so many generations. Your writing completed our summer vacation at the beach.
Fondly, Molly

The sequel titled "FLASH" should be available in the summer of 2012.

Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Literature

With grit, poetry, and humor, Peter Heller, acclaimed author of The Whale Warriors recounts his remarkable journey of discovery—of surfing, an entirely new challenge; of the ocean’s beauty and power; of the strange surf subculture; of love; and, most of all, of how to seek adventure while crafting a meaningful life.

Having resolved to master a big-hollow wave— that is, to go from kook (surfese for beginner) to shredder—in a single year, Heller travels from Southern California down the coast of Mexico in the company of his girlfriend and the eccentric surfers they meet. Exuberant and fearless, Heller explores the technique and science of surfing the secrets of its culture, and the environmental ravages to the stunning coastline he visits.

As Heller plumbs the working of his own heart and finds joy in both love and surfing, he affords readers vivid insight into this fascinating world, with all of its perils and pleasures, its absurdity and wonder. Exhilarating, entertaining, and moving, Kook is a love story between a man and his surfboard, a man and his girlfriend, a not-so-old man and the sea.

Expert instruction you need to take your skills from kook to boss

Author John Robison uses hundreds of pictures-- comical, cartoon-like drawings--to clearly illustrate every aspect of surfing: wave dynamics, riding techniques, etiquette, logistics, and more. This entertaining, easy-to-understand visual presentation makes it easy for you to pick up his techniques and use them on the waves.

Robison covers every aspect of the sport, from paddling out through the surf zone and catching and riding that first wave to nose riding, acrobatics, shortboard riding, and to equipment repairs.