First published 2015
William Finnegan transforms his lifelong obsession with surfing into a vivid memoir that spans continents and decades. The New Yorker writer traces his journey from childhood in California and Hawaii to global wave hunting across the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Finnegan reveals surfing as far more than recreation. For him it becomes an addiction, a demanding discipline, and a way of understanding the world. He recounts youthful adventures like dropping LSD while surfing massive Honolua Bay on Maui and discovering world class waves while camping on uninhabited Fijian islands. The memoir explores his navigation of racial tensions in 1960s Honolula, where he joined a whites only gang while his closest friend was Hawaiian. As his travels expand, Finnegan becomes an unlikely cultural observer, examining Samoan village life, Tongan social dynamics, and Indonesian black markets. He details his evolution from bookish California boy to adventurous young surfer to distinguished war correspondent, all while maintaining his dedication to riding waves. The book offers readers both thrilling surf adventures and thoughtful reflection on obsession, friendship, and the search for perfect waves.
Genres: travel, adventure, autobiography, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: addiction, coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Africa, Asia, Australia, California, Fiji, Hawaii, Honolulu, Indonesia, Maui, Samoa, Tonga
Period: 1960s
447 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press