How did an obscure tribal sport from precolonial Hawaii—one that was nearly eliminated by Christian
missionaries—jump oceans to California and Australia? And how did it become such a worldwide passion, even in places where the surf may be excellent but the society is highly conservative
or superstitious about the sea?
In this brilliantly written travel adventure, journalist (and surfer) Michael Scott Moore visits unlikely
surfing destinations—Israel and the Gaza Strip, West Africa, Great Britain, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Cuba, and Morocco—to find out. Whether he is connecting eccentric surf legend Doc
Paskowitz to the Arab-Israeli conflict, trying to deconstruct the terrorist bombing in a nightclub in Bali, or being chased by the German police while surfing a river break in Berlin,
Moore masterfully weaves together politics, culture, history, and surfing to create a book like no other.
