Growing up my family was far from being technology innovators. In fact, we were usually one of the later adapters on the block. I want to say I was 10 when we purchased our first CD player. Up until then I had grown up on vinyl and cassette tapes. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the fact you could push a single button and IMMEDIATELY skip to the beginning of another song.
I remember playing the shit out of this CD whenever I was allowed to listen to it in the living room. Some still to this day personal favorite tracks include: "Surfin' Safari," "Surfin' U.S.A.," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "I Get Around," "California Girls," "Help Me, Rhonda," and "Good Vibrations."
I'm not even sure when or how I got this book, but it was definitely gifted to me sometime as a child. I know it was published in 1996, so I probably got it around 8th grade. This might be one of the first books I ever owned with high quality surf imagery inside it. Overall the book is a fairly simple gloss over of many different kinds of extreme sports that people take part in on land, in the air, and in the water.
I vividly remember seeing some photos of a young and extremely buff Laird Hamilton shredding some waves on a wild red-and-yellow striped board with built-in footstraps.
Clearly this book put surfing in my brain long before I ever strapped a leash to my ankle and paddled out.
While designing a surf unit during my student teaching semester, I stumbled onto this little masterpiece. Written for elementary readers, The Surfrider feels more like a movie than a book, with vivid, Rockwell-style illustrations and a classic, heartfelt tone.
It immediately earned a spot in my classroom library—perfect for showing kids (and adults) that the spirit of surfing can live anywhere, even in the heart of the Midwest.
No disrespect to the OG Endless Summer, but that's my dad's favorite surf film... And I can't like anything my dad likes. Plus, I'm pretty sure I actually saw the sequel before the original. I mean, I have this film's one sheet poster framed and proudly displayed in my surf-themed bedroom—need I say more?
To me, The Endless Summer II was an amazing movie for so many reasons: it showed me some of the best places to surf around the world (like Witch's Rock in Costa Rica, Biarritz in France, and Jeffreys Bay in South Africa), it introduced me to some of the best surfers (Tom Curren, Laird Hamilton, Gerry Lopez, and my favorite, Robert "Wingnut" Weaver), and it showcased the lengths the kookiest of surfers will go to chase waves—like paddling out into freezing surf surrounding Alaska.
Ever since seeing Endless Summer II, I've wanted to surf Costa Rica. That urge got stronger when I saw it again in Step Into Liquid. My dad and I finally made it happen for my 41st birthday in 2024—and it was unforgettable.
At WRSC, they take care of everything: boards, rides, lodging, breakfast at Eat at Joe's, and daily surf lessons with amazing instructors. The Pura Vida spirit is alive and well there.
I may just celebrate every birthday at WRSC from now on. If you're game, come join me in Tamarindo next July 14th. ☀️🏄