Books About Surfing
It might be more appropriate to discuss The Callahan Phenomenon in the new thread titled Content Creators and Surf Travel. I think it will be an interesting discussion about the ethics of exposing lesser-known surf spots.
seaslug wrote:This thread is so much better than the vax/covid one :)
Thank You - maybe I should write a book about it.
surfEXPLORE: How to Sell Black Cats to Witches in Spite of Your Haters and Make a Fortune Doing It
Now taking pre-orders!
overthefalls wrote:the ethics of exposing lesser-known surf spots.
I have actually discussed this topic at least 4, 672 times previously, but would be happy to do so yet again for either Stu or Steve in a formal interview context.
The topic IS addressed quite a few times in my book, surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide, now available for preorder on The Nile, Amazon and many other sites worldwide
…ummmm
;)
?si=8gZurpMz4dn4Fu6w john.callahan wrote:Back to Number #1 on Amazon, New Releases in Surfing -
Thanks for all your preorders, my marketing campaign appears to be extremely effective!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/16672/ref=zg_b_hnr_16672_1
And back to Number#3 today.
The volume of orders on all those books listed must be fairly low at this point to see such fluctuations.
Anyway, I'll sleep better knowing that from now on every time you see a black cat you'll think of me.
He’s dropped to 4.
That How To Wing Foil book is really giving him a hiding.
AndyM wrote:He’s dropped to 4.
That How To Wing Foil book is really giving him a hiding.
Happy to see so many folks following the fluctuations of surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide on the Amazon New Releases in Surfing chart -
It is gratifying to see so many of me new best mates emotionally invested in The Book and following every twitch and turn of the progress towards the physical release at the end of October -
Let's get a few more Australian pre-orders and push that Wing Foil book down where it belongs!
basesix wrote:basesix wrote:30% off 'Life Around the Sea' by Russell Ord & Alex Workman
https://www.booktopia.com.au/life-around-the-sea-russell-ord-alex-workma...30% off this Jimmy Chin beastie also, will appeal to many on here..
click on the book pick, the photographs are ABSOLUTELY stunning:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/there-and-back-jimmy-chin/book/978198485950...
(nota bene. @john.calhoun)
basesix wrote:..is that a 'no' on the 'Calhoun' signed copies for charity?
john.callahan wrote:AndyM wrote:He’s dropped to 4.
That How To Wing Foil book is really giving him a hiding.Happy to see so many folks following the fluctuations of surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide on the Amazon New Releases in Surfing chart -
It is gratifying to see so many of me new best mates emotionally invested in The Book and following every twitch and turn of the progress towards the physical release at the end of October -
Let's get a few more Australian pre-orders and push that Wing Foil book down where it belongs!
i just ordered the wing foil book to annoy you.
Showbag is stoked that we take an interest in his marketing expertise and where his books at . Today it has taken another dive and is now wallowing at number 5 . What goes up must come down, or so they say . https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/16672
Pride before the fall . 
Geezus, getting owned by Rooster Tail, which is horribly written if the author's blurb is anything to go by..
https://www.amazon.com/Rooster-Tales-journal-Gary-Fowler/dp/B0FNTM8J85/r...
Though a quick look for Gary Fowler (I hope the book's title is a conscious pun) on the internet, it might be a deserving everyman's once-in-a-lifetime go at humbly telling his story.. good luck to him. https://www.facebook.com/groups/304115574729830/posts/1057555189385861/
basesix wrote:Geezus, getting owned by Rooster Tail, which is horribly written if the author's blurb is anything to go by..
https://www.amazon.com/Rooster-Tales-journal-Gary-Fowler/dp/B0FNTM8J85/r...
Though a quick look for Gary Fowler (I hope the book's title is a conscious pun) on the internet, it might be a deserving everyman's once-in-a-lifetime go at humbly telling his story.. good luck to him. https://www.facebook.com/groups/304115574729830/posts/1057555189385861/
Hahaha, how's that blurb?? Fuckin hell, that's hilarious.
AndyM wrote:Hahaha, how's that blurb?? Fuckin hell, that's hilarious.
astonishing, hey, I was too incredulous while getting through it to laugh!
(adds weight to @calhoun's distain for self-publish..) : o
described above, below is some @john.calhoun-beating prose. Literally knocked him off his soapbox. Have a good read if you're on the sidelines of kid's sport, or somewhere with 5 minutes to donate that you will never get back. This paperback would be a good gift for a father-in-law that never approved of you leading his little girl astray, despite surfing himself, as would the surfX book, but this one is sure to be funnier and certainly more price-appropriate:
[buckle up, and tighten the straps. verbatim (capitals and punctuation inc.) author blurb from amazon]:
"Rooster, tales - a surf journal by gary fowler 1969 - 2023
Welcome to the tome. This book is from the lips of ocean peaks. They speak volumes. From flights of fancy to local tribalism of indigenous culture. Complete with embellished dissension and glorified ascension. From petty to grand, experience builds character. The water man tries to verbalize a heartfelt journey.
Thoughts evoked by pitch and woo of the ocean from steel pier to cape canaveral. Hints of san diego, santa barbara, california and la liberdad, el salvador. Hats off to those that forego creature comforts for exploits of international travel. For me one stamp in my passport was the cure. Prefer to enjoy local break over exotic fair abroad.
Inlet flair of diversity helped me appreciate beach break at the pier. Learning to read water surface, ocean shoals, sandbars, wind, primary and secondary swell, long shore current and rip tides most helpful. The mountains, valleys and flat lands provide diversified challenge and interest.
Where did title rooster tales come from? When a surfer does a hard cutback on a wave, he throws a splash of water into the air, that is the rooster tail. When shower a fellow surfer, a feather for the ole head dress. Ole salts gather tales. Herein are scenarios from may 1969 to 2023."
[take a deep breath, safe to now release the clasp]
Surely only an American would think it was a good idea to publish that.
now, now, @AndyM.. we of the tall-poppy-less fields wouldn't understand the wonderous machinations that lead gary's friends, family and community to buoy him up to set free this blue-sky dream.
It's not about surfing but it is a book of interesting photos. Capturing moments of a disappearing way of life.
https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/beyond-suburbia-97...
that looks cherry, @blackers..
just ordered one for my mum for xmas,
hopefully brings some nice memories for her,
she likes looking through books..
I'll have a good peruse prior, cheers.
Back on top again - NUMBER #1
Thanks for your continued pre-orders and emotional investment in the continued success of surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide.
Only six more weeks until the USA release!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/16672/ref=zg_b_hnr_16672_1
john.callahan wrote:Back on top again - NUMBER #1
Thanks for your continued pre-orders and emotional investment in the continued success of surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide.
Only six more weeks until the USA release!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/16672/ref=zg_b_hnr_16672_1
How did the trip to the new, uncrowded wave region in Indian Ocean Indo go JC?
any kids birthdays coming up? Lenny the Shredder by Marti Paradisis pre-orders now..
https://saltyminds.com.au/products/coming-soon-lenny-the-shredder-childr...
he's even doing a sneaky bundle with When the Ocean Awakens.. good chance to get a postal delivery containing one for dad, one for grom.
https://saltyminds.com.au/products/coming-soon-family-bundle-offer-copy
https://saltyminds.com.au/pages/about-us
JC on the slippery slide again.
ringostarr wrote:john.callahan wrote:Back on top again - NUMBER #1
Thanks for your continued pre-orders and emotional investment in the continued success of surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide.
Only six more weeks until the USA release!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/16672/ref=zg_b_hnr_16672_1
How did the trip to the new, uncrowded wave region in Indian Ocean Indo go JC?
Did not have enough people at USD $3k each - Indian Ocean Indonesia waves go unsurfed to this day.
Surfers; for the most part, are sheeple - they do what other people have already done and they go where other people tell them to go.
Few surfers actually have the cojones to take the time, make the effort and spend the money to go out a do something new, despite the obvious rewards of doing so.
If anyone is interested in doing something new and different - I have a 304 page book coming out in October titled surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide that you would find to be interesting content and I would be available to serve as surfguide to new and interesting locations in Indonesia, The Philippines and elsewhere in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
Can’t quite put my finger on why nobody’s taking you up on your offer . There is a facebook group looking for such expertise, maybe you should try that market. I don’t believe SN is your best audience . Are you back to number one yet on amazon ?
john.callahan wrote:Back on top again - NUMBER #1
Thanks for your continued pre-orders and emotional investment in the continued success of surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide.
Only six more weeks until the USA release!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/16672/ref=zg_b_hnr_16672_1
One can only hold one's breath in anticipation.
john.callahan wrote:Did not have enough people at USD $3k each - Indian Ocean Indonesia waves go unsurfed to this day.
Surfers; for the most part, are sheeple - they do what other people have already done and they go where other people tell them to go.
Few surfers actually have the cojones to take the time, make the effort and spend the money to go out a do something new, despite the obvious rewards of doing so.
If anyone is interested in doing something new and different - I have a 304 page book coming out in October titled surfEXPLORE: Discovering New Surfing Locations Worldwide that you would find to be interesting content and I would be available to serve as surfguide to new and interesting locations in Indonesia, The Philippines and elsewhere in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
Maybe they just dont want to pay a self indulgent narcissistic seppo waker any of their hard earned dollars.
I didn’t realise there were any seppo’s in the korean boy band . Learn something new everyday.
Maybe they just dont want to pay a self indulgent narcissistic seppo waker any of their hard earned dollars.
Here is what I am talking about, for the literary types -
"The vast bulk of men are not pure individuals, and never will be, for the pure individual is a rarity, almost a kind of freak. The vast bulk of men need to belong to a self-governing group, a tribe, a nation, an empire. It is a necessity like the necessity to eat food."
-- D.H. Lawrence
Supafreak wrote:Can’t quite put my finger on why nobody’s taking you up on your offer . There is a facebook group looking for such expertise, maybe you should try that market. I don’t believe SN is your best audience . Are you back to number one yet on amazon ?
Not yet back to Number 1 - have YOU placed your preorder today?
And which Facebook group might that be?
Is it private or public?
Thanks!
Public group
john.callahan wrote:Maybe they just dont want to pay a self indulgent narcissistic seppo waker any of their hard earned dollars.
Here is what I am talking about, for the literary types -
"The vast bulk of men are not pure individuals, and never will be, for the pure individual is a rarity, almost a kind of freak. The vast bulk of men need to belong to a self-governing group, a tribe, a nation, an empire. It is a necessity like the necessity to eat food."
-- D.H. Lawrence
For $3000 USD you could book a boat trip with Albert Taylor and be guaranteed waves with few if any surfing them . He would know of more surf breaks in Indonesia than anyone and he doesn’t let on where they are . That is on both ocean sides also .
john.callahan wrote:john.callahan wrote:Maybe they just dont want to pay a self indulgent narcissistic seppo waker any of their hard earned dollars.
Here is what I am talking about, for the literary types -
"The vast bulk of men are not pure individuals, and never will be, for the pure individual is a rarity, almost a kind of freak. The vast bulk of men need to belong to a self-governing group, a tribe, a nation, an empire. It is a necessity like the necessity to eat food."
-- D.H. Lawrence
I'm confused, @john,calhoun.. you are a pure individual, right..?
but you want to attract other pure individuals to spend a fortnight following you about, cos the masses of surf sheeple won't.. so your imagined explorational tourism model is finding a few pure individuals with mild sheeple leanings? or are you looking for kindred pure individuals who would enjoy sitting around with other rando pure individuals in the middle of nowhere with a couple of rando pure individuals bonding over how un-sheeple-y they are..? (all sounds like a thing I guess, hope it pans out one day, I really do; there's a good line in The Rainbow you'd like about men who make products no-one wants vs. men who perform useful services that meet an existing public need).
Sales pitch needs a lot of work . Not willing to even show some photos of apparent secret spot in case someone said oh thats spot xyz or doesn’t actually have any photos because he’s not actually been there , just believing there may/should be waves there . I showed him photos of a known break and he couldn’t identify it but Rabbit68 and I’m sure others could . Just comes across as bit of a snake oil salesman IMO . Much more reliable , professional and better quality surf trips to be had with well known skippers . Facebook will suit him more as there’s plenty of inexperienced new age surfers asking and dreaming about fantasy adventures . Find it weird he hasn’t tried tapping into that audience, much bigger than SN .
I think sn is in quite a unique position of being easily globally accessible through google searches.. @JC doesn't care about the sn communtiy, just what he can get out of sn in terms of free online commercial reach.
JC should hook up with YouTuber Buffer Travels, who will make a video telling everyone about secret surf spots in the Philippines and then justify it by saying that it’s his job and he’s helping local communities.
Sales pitch needs a lot of work .Here's my sales pitch -
Let me know how many books the "well-known skippers" have produced - thanks!
john.callahan][quote=Supafreak wrote:Sales pitch needs a lot of work .
Here's my sales pitch -
Let me know how many books the "well-known skippers" have produced - thanks!
And how many punters have handed over $3000 USD so far for your surf safari ? The skippers that know their trade aren’t selling books or writing them , but they’re very successful when it comes to organising a surf trip and delivering for their paying customers . Maybe you could hit them up for some tips .
Re: Albert Watson and other "well-known skippers" -
FFS, if I had been sailing around in the Kepulauan Mentawai for the past 30 years, basically doing the same thing over and over, and I DID NOT know everything there is to know about the Mentawai area, including a few secret spots that only work under a list of unusual conditions, then please fire me immediately.
My area of expertise is the entire surfing world - Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Happy to do an Alaska and/or Pacific Russia project if the funding is available. Many unsurfed waves in this area, we have a plethora of research materials available.
My sales pitch is 56 982 words long - perhaps there will be a better response once THE BOOK is available at the end of October, 2025
Plenty of places to go, let me know when you are ready to sign up - and pay. Thanks!
Who’s Albert Watson ? Are you on the pipe showbag ? Thing is , you have been trying to sell your shonky little expeditions in indo & now the pines , how’s that working out for ya ? There’s skippers that haven’t just done the Mentawai region you knucklehead , some have explored and surfed the full 4000klms+ on both sides and beyond well before you stepped foot into Indonesia. I can understand you’re hard up for cash and trying to scrape a living together but getting others to fund your lifestyle through “ unknown never before surfed breaks “ that are more than likely B - grade at best , is a fantasy. I’m letting you know in advance that I’m not interested as I have plenty of uncrowded waves and I have no need or desire to even look at your unreviewed yet to be released book on how to sell out surf breaks . For someone that has been doing this for so long , you need a bit of professional help . What happened to your band of brothers ? Why do you struggle to get funding for new projects ? Hmmmmmmm
swellnet is kind of frequented by your 'pure individuals' @john.calhoun (i.e. we do our own thing thank you very much!), and cynical arseholes (garngetfaaarked!) or in the case of most, myself included, a combination of the two. it's been a treat watching you exploit this aussie cottage-industry forecast site from abroad though. very entertaining. please stay in touch : ) https://www.albertwatson.net/
any kids birthdays coming up? Lenny the Shredder by Marti Paradisis pre-orders now..
https://saltyminds.com.au/products/coming-soon-lenny-the-shredder-childr...
he's even doing a sneaky bundle with When the Ocean Awakens.. good chance to get a postal delivery containing one for dad, one for grom.
https://saltyminds.com.au/products/coming-soon-family-bundle-offer-copy
https://saltyminds.com.au/pages/about-us
Hey gang, I've recently gotten into surfing and I am looking to find a good book or two that will introduce me to this world a little better.
It doesn't really matter what genre it is, I'm just keen for any insight into the beautiful and often mystical world of surfing.
Cheers!