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Sunday, 15 August 2010
SURFING BRILLIANT CORNERS
by Sam Bleakley
192 pages - $34.95 (AUD)
Available Oz & NZ: www.woodslane.com.au
Capturing in words the spirit of adventure inherent in travelling and the rewards we find in this beautiful thing that is surfing is never easy. But global wanderer and British based writer Sam Bleakley, in his own way, has achieved just this in his new book, Surfing Brilliant Corners. Take the opening lines: “If the pulse of jazz is the ocean swell, then the surfer is the soloist improvising against that backdrop, creating space through style and timing. Blue notes ring out against a grinding ocean bass.”
And the bloke knows what he’s talking about, with a MA in geography from Cambridge University (he’s also working on a PhD in writing), multiple European and British longboard titles under his belt and a well-worn passport, he’s more than qualified to write about surfing and travel. His work has appeared in every major surf mag on the planet and his professional partnership with photog John Callahan has proved hugely successful – and they team up again here.
Going through the book is a rich reward. Out-of-the-way places ventured to include Haiti, Kenya, Korea, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Oman, Panama, China, Mexico, Mauritania and Ghana – ain’t no luxury boat trips here folks, just real, gritty travel. Take this snippet from his Ecuador adventure: “While sinking, the engine failed, the exhaust drowned, and the whole vehicle filled with water. As we rescued it and let it dry for an hour, the mosquito artillery was unbearable. A malaria epidemic had killed tens of thousands of locals, and we coated ourselves in pure Deet.”
The book takes its name from jazz great Thelonious Monk’s 1950s album Brilliant Corners, and Sam weaves in parallels between music and surfing from time to time throughout his stories. For the most part though this is straight, travel writing and Sam’s sense of wonder and obvious respect for the cultures he visits shines through.
This is much more than a flick-through picture book with a few words on the side. It’s a vibrant collection of writing you’ll want to spend time with, one you can really sink your teeth into and get your brain working. And John Callahan’s photos are fantastic as always – culture and surf.
The road less travelled is never easy, but can be extremely rewarding. With Surfing Brilliant Corners, it’s a pleasure to have a solid gold dose of surfing literature from some of the world’s waveriding frontiers.
– Moonwalker
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