First published 2022
This anthology chronicles the complete visual history of Surfer magazine from its 1960 founding through its final issue in 2020. Creator John Severson, himself a surfer, artist, and filmmaker, launched what became the sport's most influential publication and longest running title. The collection presents the magazine's most significant covers and interior pages in chronological order, documenting how surfing evolved from a niche pursuit into a global phenomenon. Readers witness the progression through iconic surfers from Mickey Dora to Kelly Slater and Laird Hamilton, while exploring changing gear, techniques, and destinations. The magazine's photographers, writers, and designers captured everything from contest coverage to big wave expeditions, travel features to surfer profiles. This visual archive reveals not just sporting history but the development of an entire subculture that influenced fashion, art, and lifestyle far beyond the waves.
Genres: history, art, adventure, sports, non-fiction, biography-memoir, journalism, photography
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Surfer Magazine
Period: 1960, 2020
304 pages · Hardcover · Rizzoli