Shaun Tomson, 1969, age 14, Makaha, Oahu, Hawaii
From the monstrous walls of water at Teahupoo, to the reef-scraping barrels of Pipeline, to the endless peeling break of Jeffreys Bay, an elite group of legendary surfers have made their mark on surf history — both in and out of the water — distinguished by the fearlessness, grace, and artistry displayed riding the most exalted waves. SURFER STORIES: 12 Untold Stories by 12 Writers about 12 of the World’s Greatest Surfers unveils their incredible experiences and reveals their profound connection with the ocean, the sport, and the culture of surfing.
Garrett McNamara, 2013, Nazare, Portugal. Photo by Tó Mané
Authored by STYLE of SPORT Editor and Founder, Claudia Lebenthal, the book is in fact a collection of stories by 12 different writers: fellow surfers, famed authors, celebrities, and surf journalists. Each bring their own unique perspective and voice, offering an intimate and personal look at the lives of these legendary surfers. The list includes:
Shaun Tomson on Kelly Slater
Sam George on Laird Hamilton
Holly Peterson on Robert “Wingnut” Weaver
Gerry Lopez on Garrett McNamara
Chris Carter on Shaun Tomson
Liza Monroy on Keala Kennelly
Chris Shiflett on Tom Curren
Jamie Brisick on Derek Hynd
Brett Crozier on Bethany Hamilton
Jim Kempton on Gerry Lopez
Karen Rinaldi on Rell Sunn
Selema Masekela on Michael February
“My goal from the start was to create a book about surfing that would appeal equally to those who surf and those who don’t by simply telling great human stories”, writes Lebenthal in the book’s introduction. “They are just as much about the writer as the surfer, and I guarantee there is at least one story for each person who reads the book—who will feel a connection to one of these surfers, because the story will speak to them as personally as it did to the writer who told it.”
Gerry Lopez, 1971, Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Jeff Divine
SURFER STORIES represents a full spectrum of human experience through the diverse group of 12 surfers that the writers, not Lebenthal, selected — black and white, men and women, gay and straight – and there are larger universal themes that appear throughout the book. There are stories of life, and death, like Karen Rinaldi’s about legendary Hawaiian surfer Rell Sunn, a pioneer of women’s surfing and women’s health, whose diagnosis of breast cancer mirrored her own.
Michael February, 2020, Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa. Photo by Alan van Gysen
Selema Masekela’s story about Michael February, a young Black South African surfer, underscores how February’s mere existence on the pro tour would have been impossible 30 years ago under the apartheid regime. His story is told through the lens of Masekela, black himself and of South African descent, whose father was famed jazz musician, Hugh Masekela, who was in fact exiled during the regime.
Another example is Liza Monroy’s story about big wave surfer Keala Kennelly, whose fearlessness charging 40+ ft. waves has been topped only by her bravery coming out as gay at a time when that was not accepted in the surf community. She has since become an icon in the LGBTQ community.
Tom Curren, 1981, Rincon Cove, Santa Barbara, California. Photo by Jimmy Metyko; Tom Curren and Chris Shiflett, 2023, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, California. Photo by Anne Menke
Of course, there are stories of just incredible surfing! 70’s world champion Shaun Tomson gives an insiders perspective on the preeminence of 11-time champion Kelly Slater, and former SURFER Editor in Chief, Sam George, tells the untold story of Laird Hamilton and the epic Teahupoo wave that was the famous “Oh My God” SURFER cover in 2000. It is a behind the scenes accounting of the week leading up to that day, and a sliding door — or should I say locked door— that put Laird on that wave at that moment in time.
Bethany Hamilton’s surfboard after the 2003 shark attack, Courtesy of California Surf Museum; Laird Hamilton on SURFER cover December 2000. Photo by Tim McKenna
The afterward was written by Surfrider Foundation CEO, Chad Nelson. The book’s charitable partner, the organization is dedicated to ocean preservation, particularly relevant now with the Trump administration’s recent withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. “If the three-million-plus surfers in the US and tens of millions worldwide united in their love and passion for the ocean and took collective action,” writes Nelson, “we could be an unstoppable force for ocean and coastal conservation.” Whether you surf or not this mission could not be of more universal importance.
Keala Kennelly, 2012, Peahi, Maui, Hawaii. Photo by Richard Hallman
Other writers and surfer include X-Files creator, Chris Carter, on Shaun Tomson; Foo Fighters lead guitarist, Chris Shiflett on Tom Curren; Former pro and surf journalist Jamie Brisick on Derek Hynd; retired US Navy captain on Bethany Hamilton; “Mr. Pipeline”, surf icon Gerry Lopez on “100 Foot Wave” icon Garrett McNamara; and Jim Kempton, with too many credits to list here, on Gerry Lopez.
SURFER STORIES: 12 Untold Stories by 12 Writers about 12 of the World’s Greatest Surfers (Regalo Press/March 18, 2025/$40.00) debuts of March 18th. It is available online at Amazon and select bookstores nationwide.
