The Surfer’s Library

This episode we continue reading Not Done Yet by Corky Carroll. Chapters 5 and 6 to be exact. Join me as we learn about Corky's first trips to the islands and his first time surfing the famous breaks of Oahu. We'll also learn how he became the very first professional surfer in the world. Let's paddle out. If you’d like to help support the podcast, you can visit buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary .

We’re kicking off summer and Season 3, with one of our all-time favorite surfers, Corky Carroll, and his autobiography Not Done Yet. Now, if you were listening last season, you probably remember we already read a little bit from this book back on Episode 20. Well, I loved it so much that I reached out to Corky and asked if we could just go ahead and make it the full Season 3 book, and thankfully h...

Today’s episode dives into Hansen: The Adventures of a Surfer, Skydiver, Team Roper, Entrepreneur by Don Hansen with Chris Ahrens, the story of a true original whose life went far beyond surfing. In this episode, we focus on Chapter 5, “In the Shadow of Waimea,” where Hansen spends a pivotal year on Oahu’s North Shore, pushing himself in some of the biggest waves in the world and ultimately landin...

Today we’re jumping back into The Way of the Surfer by Drew Kampion, reading “The Stylist: Country Livin’ With Bill Hamilton.” I’m a big Hamilton fan, so I’m especially stoked to bring you this one. If you’ve been around surfing for a while, you know he’s more than just Laird’s dad, Bill Hamilton is a legend, and one of the most stylish surfers of the ’60s and ’70s. And if you don’t believe me, go...

Today, in our continued tribute to women surfers and women’s history month I will be reading chapter 23 of Jim Kempton’s book Women on Waves: A Cultural History of Surfing: From Ancient Goddesses and Hawaiian Queens to Malibu Movie Stars and Millennial Champions. It’s titled The Resurgence of Glide. Last episode, we explored the pioneering women surfers of the 1950s and 60s, those who helped estab...

Chapter 6 of Women on Waves: A Cultural History of Surfing from Ancient Goddesses and Hawaiian Queens to Malibu Movie Stars and Millennial Champions by Jim Kempton moves us into the early twentieth century, when surfing began spreading beyond Hawai‘i and into popular culture. During this time, women played an important role in the evolution of surfing, a role that has not always been discussed. Wo...

In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m diving into Jim Kempton’s incredible book, Women on Waves: A Cultural History of Surfing: From Ancient Goddesses and Hawaiian Queens to Malibu Movie Stars and Millennial Champions. This book is dedicated to restoring women to their rightful place in the history of surfing. Because from the very beginning, women have been in the lineup. Long before professiona...

Today’s episode is a heavy one, in the best way. We’re diving into Chris Ahren's latest book Windansea: Life, Death, Resurrection. I’ve been chomping at the bit to crack this book open since the day it landed in my hands. This book isn’t just about surfing, it’s about place, identity, loss, and what it means to come back from the edge. Windansea isn’t just a wave; it’s a proving ground. Ahrens tak...

Today I’ll be reading from a book I recently picked up titled The Way of the Surfer: Living It, 1935 to Tomorrow by our friend Drew Kampion. The Way of the Surfer profiles thirteen incredible names from surf history: Woody Brown, John Severson, Dick Brewer, Nat Young, Billy Hamilton, Rolf Aurness, Gerry Lopez, Tom Curren, Lisa Anderson, Kelly Slater, and Titus Kinimaka. Today’s story is titled “Jo...

This episode we revisit Matt Warshaw’s book Surfriders: In Search of the Perfect Wave and read a story called “Masters of the Universe” In this story Warshaw takes us straight into the pressure cooker of professional surfing, where talent, ego, friendship, and fate all collide. We drop in at Pipeline in December of 1995, at the Chiemsee Pipeline Masters the final event of the season, held at the m...

This episode we dig into chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Corky Carroll's autobiography Not Done Yet. From growing up in Southern California to chasing waves, contests, and a life shaped by the ocean, Corky’s early chapters set the foundation for one of surfing’s most influential figures. These opening pages are filled with ambition, humor, and the unmistakable voice of someone who helped turn surfing into...

This episode we are excited to read selected excerpts (chapters 8 & 9) from Phil Jarratt's incredible book Mr. Sunset: The Jeff Hakman Story. Jeff Hakman was born in California in 1948, and by the age of eight his father had already set him on a surfboard. Four years later, the family moved to Oahu, and a year after that at just thirteen Hakman paddled out at Waimea Bay for the first time. We...

This episode we are reading Jamie Brisick's short story Young, Loud and Shameless from the book: The Eighties at Echo Beach. It captures the wild, neon-soaked, punk-influenced surf scene of early ’80s Orange County and dives into the youthful chaos of the Echo Beach crew, kids who surfed hard, partied harder, and defined an entire aesthetic of the 1980s surf world. It's nostalgic, fast, stylish, a...

This episode we’re diving into one of the most powerful stories in modern surf history, the rise and tragic loss of big-wave icon Mark Foo. In Matt Warshaw’s story 'Death of a Legend', we trace Foo’s journey from a driven, stylish Hawaiian charger to one of the most recognizable names in big wave surfing. Foo wasn’t just talented; he was relentless, competitive, and completely committed to proving...

This episode features a story from Matt Warshaw’s book Surfriders: In Search of the Perfect Wave. It’s called “Morning at Freshwater.” When this story was written in the 1990’s, most people believed Duke Kahanamoku introduced surfing to Australia in 1914. Today, we know there were earlier examples of wave riding in Australia, but Duke’s visit to Freshwater remains a defining moment that helped sur...

The Greg Noll Da Cat model surfboard is one of the most sought after surfboards of all time. One early first generation board sold for around $34,500, and even the 250 limited edition reissues made in the 1990s, hand signed by both Dora and Noll, are highly prized by collectors. Today, I’ll be reading four stories from Drew Kampion’s incredible book Greg Noll: The Art of the Surfboard. The selecte...

Today Billy Jack reads the short story The Lost Coast from our friend Drew Kampion’s book The Lost Coast: Stories from the Surf. This one is for all the surfers in the PNW. If you would like to help support the podcast you can do so by visiting buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so. It helps cover the cost of the podcasting platform fees needed to get the podcast out each month so any little...

Today’s episode marks our return to our short story format for the rest of this season. I’ve pulled from the surfer library bookshelf author Chris Ahrens book Joyrides; Surf Stories Volume Two. I’ve selected three of the many great stories to share with you today, The Relic, King of the Rendezvous Ballroom & The Preacher. I really love this book and I am so thankful Chris is letting me share t...

This episode we wrap up our reading of Mike Hynson's autobiography: Transcendental Memories of a Surf Rebel by Michael Lear Hynson and Donna Klaasen Jost. This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. If you want to help support the podcast you can visit https://buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so.

Chapters 47 through 51 of Mike Hynson's autobiography: Transcendental Memories of a Surf Rebel by Michael Lear Hynson and Donna Klaasen Jost. Make sure you come back each episode as we read the book in it's entirety by end of season. This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. If you want to help support the podcast you can visit https://buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so.

Chapters 39 through 46 of Mike Hynson's autobiography: Transcendental Memories of a Surf Rebel by Michael Lear Hynson and Donna Klaasen Jost. Make sure you come back each episode as we read the book in it's entirety by end of season. This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. If you want to help support the podcast you can visit https://buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so.

Chapters 35 through 38 of Mike Hynson's autobiography: Transcendental Memories of a Surf Rebel by Michael Lear Hynson and Donna Klaasen Jost. Make sure you come back each episode as we read the book in it's entirety by end of season. This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. If you want to help support the podcast you can visit https://buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so.

Chapters 31 through 34 of Mike Hynson's autobiography: Transcendental Memories of a Surf Rebel by Michael Lear Hynson and Donna Klaasen Jost. Make sure you come back each episode as we read the book in it's entirety by end of season. This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. If you want to help support the podcast you can visit https://buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so.

Chapters 27 through 30 of Mike Hynson's autobiography: Transcendental Memories of a Surf Rebel by Michael Lear Hynson and Donna Klaasen Jost. Make sure you come back each episode as we read the book in it's entirety by end of season. This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. If you want to help support the podcast you can visit https://buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so.

Chapters 22 through 26 of Mike Hynson's autobiography: Transcendental Memories of a Surf Rebel by Michael Lear Hynson and Donna Klaasen Jost. Make sure you come back each episode as we read the book in it's entirety by end of season. This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. If you want to help support the podcast you can visit https://buymeacoffee.com/thesurferslibrary to do so.