Scratching the Horizon
A Surfing Life
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4.5 • 14 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Scratching the Horizon presents a bitchin' love letter to sand and sea, and a spirited inside account of life with the "first family" of American surfing.
In 1956, Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz stepped away from a successful medical practice and began a lifelong surfing odyssey that grew to include his wife Juliette, and their nine children. Together, the Paskowitz clan lived a vagabonding bohemian existence, eschewing material possessions in favor of intangible riches like health and good cheer . . . all the while careening along the world's coastlines in search of the perfect wave.
In Scratching the Horizon, Izzy Paskowitz looks back at his unusual upbringing, and his lifelong passion for the sport that carries his family's stamp. As the fourth-oldest child in a family of inveterate surfers, rock stars, and beach bums, he is uniquely qualified to shine a light on a childhood that has come to symbolize the surfing credo, a reckless young adulthood that nearly cost him his sanity, and a maturing sense of self and purpose that allows him to lift others on the back of his experience.
As the father of a son with autism and the founder of "Surfers Healing," a foundation devoted to expanding the horizons of children with autism through surfing, Paskowitz has found a way to connect the surreal aspects of his childhood to the harsh realities of adulthood, and he shares these discoveries in this wickedly entertaining and transforming memoir.
Customer Reviews
A Totally Authentic and Moving Memoir
Izzy Paskowitz tells the compelling story of his life and family in Scratching the Horizon. He starts with the story of his father and moves through his parents' marriage, his childhood, surfing career, his own marriage, the birth of his children, his son's diagnosis with autism, the creation of Surfers Healing and back to his father as he receives recognition into his 90s. Izzy does not hold backs. The good, the bad, the ugly, the conflicting and even the uncertainty are laid out bare for readers to absorb and dissect. Rare is the author who will allow his readers such an intimate look into such an amazing life.
What is most incredible, over just about anything else, is that with the help of Daniel Paisner, this story is told fully and authentically in Izzy's voice. I read the book in less than 12 hours (a minor miracle for the mother of a child with autism) and felt as though I had just been sitting across from Izzy sharing a few beers as he told me the story. The intimacy of his story was made more compelling as it was faithful to the person Izzy is each and every day. This is not just a story of a surfing life, but an authentic one as well.
Scratching the Horizon
Izzy is an inspiration to us and hundreds of other parents of kids with Autism.
Surfers Healing is a wonderful organization we have been a part of for the last 2 years and we have been able to get to know the whole Paskowitz family.
We got an even greater view into their lives watching "The Swell Life" on the OWN Network and can't say enough good things about the family, their values and their organization.
This is a must read for any parent of a child with special needs or any other free spirit who can appreciate their lives and dedication to the waves and to sharing their gift with the world.