The World in the Curl
An Unconventional History of Surfing
-
-
4.5 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $14.99
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
A definitive and highly readable history of surfing and the cultural, political, economic, and environmental consequences of its evolution from a sport of Hawaiian kings and queens to a billion-dollar worldwide industry
Despite its rebellious, outlaw reputation, or perhaps because of it, surfing occupies a central place in the American – and global – imagination, embodying the tension between romantic counterculture ideals and middle-class values, between an individualistic communion with nature and a growing commitment to commerce and technology. In examining the enduring widespread appeal of surfing in both myth and reality, The World in the Curl offers a fresh angle on the remarkable rise of the sport and its influence on modern life.
Drawing on Peter Westwick and Peter Neushul’s expertise as historians of science and technology, the environment, and the Cold War, as well as decades of experience as surfers themselves, The World in the Curl brings alive the colorful history of surfing by drawing readers into the forces that fueled the sport's expansion: colonialism, the military-industrial complex, globalization, capitalism, environmental engineering, and race and gender roles. In an engaging and provocative narrative history – from the spread of surfing to the United States, to the development of surf culture, to the reintroduction of women into the sport, to big wave frontiers – the authors draw an indelible portrait of surfing and surfers as actors on the global stage.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Historians (and surfers) Westwick and Neushul provide a sweeping, measured overview of surfing, from its origin in the Hawaiian Islands to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry that somehow maintains an outlaw allure. Along the way, the authors examine just about every element that affects the sport water pollution, board evolution, turf wars, surfwear marketing, racism, and sexism, and of course the enduring mystique. Westwick and Neushul's focus on the cultural and socio-economic illuminates hidden forces that are rarely discussed by even the most knowledgeable surfers. In a field driven by personalities, their approach is unique. The book grew out of a course at the U.C. Santa Barbara and in places reads like a textbook (there are only so many times you need to hear how technology has been both a blessing and a curse for surfing before stifling a yawn). However, the writers have plenty of big-wave bravado, and they're not afraid to challenge received wisdom; for instance, they suggest that a (mostly) white guy named George Freeth was as essential to the early-20th-century surfing revival as the legendary Duke Kahanamoku. For every enthusiast killing time before the next big swell, the authors provide a satisfying immersion into the story of how a near-extinct Polynesian pastime came back to conquer the beach.
