I’d love to find this book in my Christmas stocking! Here’s the perfect gift for your favourite Gidget or Moondoggy. From the full-on surf journalism of Nick Carroll, Matt Griggs and Sean Doherty to the lyrical writing of Tim Winton and Fiona Capp, Waves is a terrific collection of surf stories, recollections, profiles and articles that will be sure to please all surfers, from the weekend warrior to the committed ‘I’ll surf in winter hail if the waves are there’ grommet. Skilfully selected by Tim Baker, a former editor of Tracks and Surfing Life magazines and co-author of Bustin’ down the Door, the biography of 1978 world champion and ASP president Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew, it covers surfing from early days when peace, love and longboards ruled, right through to the shortboard revolution and surfing becoming the squillion-dollar business it is today-and contains fascinating profiles of some of the fascinating characters along the way. As Baker says ‘surfing has always stirred deep passions in its observers and participants’-and this collection is proof. In particular, the contributions by Sean Doherty, Pam Burridge and Baker himself make enthralling reading. Illustrated with mouth-watering photographs and engravings, Waves is the perfect beach read.

Alison Aprhys is a surfing photojournalist for many newspapers and magazines

Tags: tim baker