The Wave - In pursuit of Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean

Close to my house there is a wonderful book store that I love to spend time in...just browsing.  Being an avid reader - this is a great place to visit, because it is one of those old fashion style neighborhood bookstores that has a little cafe, has story reading for children and carries all the interesting new bestsellers - but also hard to find, one of a kind books that are collectibles.

So today I picked up a new book, that I had recently read the reviews on in The New York Times Sunday Book Review - called The Wave, by Susan Casey, the Editor in Chief of O Magazine.

In researching for the book, she followed a group of world-class surfers who were determined to ride a 100-wave.  She spent five years in Maui writing it and as soon as I opened it  and checked out the photos - I knew I wanted to read this book.  

From learning about "The Ring of Fire"......

The Pacific Basin's volcano dotted perimeter

 that is responsible for 80% of all tsunamis

To learning about the world's largest tsunami that occurred 

on July 9, 1958 in Lituya Bay, Alaska.  

Where a record breaking wave was recorded at 1,740 feet tall.  

Millions of trees were completely stripped of their bark.....

....To finding out that there is such a thing as rogue waves and that there are people addicted to the thrill of riding one.  Since its impossible to paddle fast enough to ride a 70 foot wave, surfers use a technique called tow surfing.  This is where one person, on a jet ski tows a surfer holding onto water ski ropes, at 30 miles per hour; once they get into position, the surfer let's go and rides a wave otherwise too big and too fast to catch by conventional methods. 

"Waves are not measured

 in feet and inches, 

but in increments of fear."

                                                         Big Wave Surfer Buzzy Trent 

                                                    An excerpt from The Wave