From the big-wave surfers of Tahiti and the salty hurricane chasers of New England, to the cliffs of Molokai's infamous leper colony and the Wild Coast of South Africa's Transkei Homeland, Return by Water brings light to surfers' lives around the world with amazing sense of place and deft character portraits of the famous, ordinary and irascible surfer alike. Follow surf journalist Kimball Taylor on his travels through South Africa, Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Indonesia and more. The journey is as transforming and definitive as any surfer's first trip away from home.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
don't miss this book The adventures found within this book contain every element of a great story. Just as easily read, and just as engrossing, as stories shared around a baja campfire with your friends, Return By Water is a remarkable offering from what seems to be a first time author. Like all true travellers, taylor knows that it is the jouney, and not the destination, that make a great trip, and these trips do not disappoint! It doesn't hurt that the destinations are places most of us only dream about though! I couldn't put... more info
Gleaming The Tube This is an expertly crafted memoir by surfer/author kim taylor. It's the kind of insider memoir that leaves you wishing you'd been doing something else for the last ten years of your life, though you may have never touched a surfboard. A great read for those looking for inspiration for their next adventure or those interested in comparing tales of bygone adventure.
Not impressed The cover is much more engaging than the stories. They are not bad, some interesting images, but nothing to write home about. The writing skill and the introspective is what you might expect from a surfer journalist dude. All of it very little to do with surfing actually, but more of a mediocre journalists' travel diary. As a surfer and a reader, I preferred Daniel Duanes' "A Surfer's Year on the California Coast". Sorry, guys, I could be just PMS-ing but...not really.
A Terrific Read
Kimball Taylor writes with succinct clarity, beguiling empathy and a crazed, matter of fact humor that will delight most anyone who loves a story. He travels the world, knows it's oceans and understands that getting to the water and meeting the people along the way is essential to the joy of surfing. Driving desperately through the South African outback to legendary waves - somewhere, he writes, "In a daze of passing kilometers, I begin to suspect the positioning of the potholes is not senseless,... more info
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