This landmark publication is the most comprehensive visual history to-date of the sport and culture of surfing. As much a cultural event as a publication, it brings together two and a half years of meticulous research with institutions, collections, and photographic archives around the world to trace the visual history of surfing from its first description by Captain Cook in 1778 to today's global phenomenon. Divided into five chronological chapters, with essays by top surfing journalists, the book examines and celebrates the evolution of surfing both on and off the water, as a sport, a lifestyle, a philosophy. More than 500 images detail surf's remarkable crossover from the originary shores of Hawaii to fashion, film, music, and even car design. A must-have for any serious player on the surfing scene, this is an unrivalled tribute to the breadth, complexity, and richness of surfing.