Wilma Johnson was living on the west coast of Ireland with her family, balancing the challenges of being an artist, wife & mother, until, in her forties, she was gripped by a deep desire to seize the day, & moved to Biarritz to become a surfer. The plan hits troubled waters as she arrives in France with her marriage on the rocks & three children who speak no French. Her first attempts at surfing are disastrous; resulting in bruises, broken bones & a damaged ego, but when she experiences the euphoric feeling of catching her first wave & sets up the Mamas Surf Club, it`s all worth it. ...

Surfing: sport of Hawaiian kings & king of aquatic sports. Practiced since time immemorial in the South Pacific, in the 20th century it has conquered beaches all around the world & given rise to many sports born from the imagination & passion of those practicing it. From windsurfing to kite surfing, passing through bodyboarding or tow-in surfing
- which allows surfers, using jet skis, to conquer vertiginous aquatic peaks, impossible to face in the past with just the force of the arms
- numerous technical innovations have allowed the tribe of wave-hunters to increase their numbers. Creative technology goes h&-in-hand with profound respect for the traditional ”cavalcades” inherited from the past, such as Body Surfing, a movement of the body upon the wave inspired by dolphins, or Standup Paddling, done with a huge board maneuvered on foot with the aid of a paddle. This book is a magnificent photographic journey through the history of gliding on waves, enriched by testimonies from top champions in each of the disciplines.

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In this great new series from RTE Martin Shanahan & Paul Flynn take to the road in a mobile kitchen to tour the Irish coast, comparing the culinary traditions & beautiful produce of the landscape as they go. Stopping in villages in the counties of Clare, Cork, Donegal, Kerry, Louth & Wexford, as well as Dublin, Martin & Paul meet both fishermen & producers & source the best they have to offer before cooking rival dishes
- surf 'n' turf
- for local consumption & competition. This exciting book contains all those dishes plus a host more
- 80 in all
- divided into chapters on Starters & Soups, Salads, Quick, Slow & Easy, Comfort Food & Food to Impress. Martin's fresh, modern seafood dishes include Rock Salmon Tempura, with Smoked Paprika & Sweet Garlic Aioli; Crispy Fried Sea Bass with a Green Olive, Red Pepper Tapenade & Pan-Fried Brill with Sugar Snap Peas & Hazelnut Butter; whilst Paul's dishes from the turf feature the rich tastes of Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Melting Pears, Cloves & Thyme; Twice-Baked Cashel Blue Souffle with Beetroot & Ginger Chutney & a Warm Corned Beef Sandwich with Celeriac & Raisin Relish to eat on the hoof. All the recipes are easy to cook in a domestic kitchen & the book is packed with hints & tips on how to make the best of good local produce.



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This light-hearted travel memoir poses a serious question: in a world alarmed by climate change, how easy is it to go long distances without relying on fuel-guzzling aeroplanes? Surface Male is the true story of John Barclay's challenge to travel around the world, doing as much as possible by land & none at all by air. In a journey that took half a year, crossing three oceans, four continents & 23 countries
- by passenger liner, container ship, freighter, motorboat, train, bus, tram, trolleybus, minibus, truck, motorcar, taxi, tuk tuk, motorbike & on foot
- not a drop of aviation fuel was consumed. Journeying on his own (and off the tourist track), without the benefit of pre-planning, he faced numerous difficulties & dangers. Equipped with little more than his own dogged nature & zest for adventure, John soldiered on, frustrated by language, confused, lost & molested
- often the only European to be seen. Yet he found humour everywhere & was heartened by the warmth of strangers. The experience changed his outlook on the world. The story

Includes:: amazing scenes such as a hot night in a low dive in Mexico, the terror of a no-go area in Panama, a death-defying bus ride in Vietnam & John's escape from the authorities in Kazakhstan. He tells it all candidly, with wit & humanity, in a crisp style that holds the attention for 32, 000 miles. The fascinating photographs are the author's own.




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A young woman returns to northern Quebec to the remote island of her childhood, with her lover & two friends, to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her father. Flooded with memories, she begins to realise that going home means entering not only another place but another time. As the wild island exerts its elemental hold & she is submerged in the language of the wilderness, she sees that what she is really looking for is her own past. ...

Surfing`s not just for rebels anymore: anyone with the desire to ride a wave is grabbing a board & heading to the beach. Each year, this artform-cum-sport gains popularity as business executives, grandmas, teenagers, coastal dwellers, & adventure travellers get stoked to catch swells. This new guidebook by sports writer & waterman Elliott Almond is a primer for the uninitiated as well as a handbook for the experienced ready to build on their fundamental skills. Covering topics ranging from basic techniques to fitness prep (including exercises to get your arms ready for all that paddling & stretches to keep you limber) & from history, surf culture, & a complete explanation of gear, to how to find the right board for you, this book also features insights from industry leaders, pro surfers, & instructors. With more than three decades of surfing experience to share, Almond offers clear, authoritative guidance to help those venturing into uncharted waters find their way safely & confidently. It covers gear, fitness, safety, lingo, & rules of the water. It

Includes:: basic to intermediate techniques, surf culture, & competitive surfing. The author is an award-winning journalist & life-long surfer.

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Surfing: A Beginner`s Guide has been the go-to surf book for beginners since 1996. This third edition, now with the endorsement of Surfing Engl&, takes you through all the vital steps to become a surfer: you will learn where to surf, when to surf & how to surf safely. You will learn the foundations such as choosing the correct equipment, which is essential to make any progress as a beginner; pre-surf preparation, including getting fit with tips & advice; & your first surfer steps on the beach & in the ocean. All these stages lead up to you catching your very first wave & the surfing bug. The sea is renowned for its beauty, but infamous for its dangers. Alf provides you with transferable skills to safely enjoy your new hobby. Safety features heavily in the book, & you will learn all the basic common-sense aspects of surfing that even the most experienced surfer forgets. ...

In Surfing
- The Manual, over 50 top surfers bring you surfing's first ever skills & coaching manual, written by former Surfer
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Surfing: A Beginner’s Guide by seasoned surfer & award-winning journalist Alf Alderson takes you through all the essential steps; learn where & when to surf & how to surf safely. Discover the foundations such as choosing the correct equipment, essential to make any progress as a beginner; pre-surf preparation, including getting fit with tips & advice; & your first surfer steps in the beach & in the ocean. All of this leads you up to catching your first wave & hopefully catching the surf bug. This stunning new edition features the talents of rising surfer star Flynn Novak & one of the world’s top surf photographers, Sean Davey. Their combined efforts result in some breathtaking shots & mind blowing sequences in Hawaii. ...

Surfing Brilliant Corners details a decade of extreme global surf travel by professional longboarder Sam Bleakley, illustrated with stunning photographs by John Callahan. It takes surfing beyond the waves & packaged surf tourism to a wider sense of place & cultural identity. Sam travels from his birthplace in West Cornwall to Indonesia & the Philippines; through vibrant West African highlife in Ghana, to war-damaged Liberia; to Mauritania, where landmines litter access to some of the best waves on the planet; to a serene Buddhist oasis in Communist China; to Ecuador, Oman & Haiti, whose complex culture seeps into his psyche & captures his heart. He looks deep into the jet-black eye of a surfacing shark in Kenya, & faces a stacked set of foaming lips during typhoon surf in South Korea. Celebrating Thelonious Monk`s 1950s album Brilliant Corners, Sam explores how, like great jazz musicians, talented surfers use invention, complex rhythm, timing & spontaneity to turn impossible waves into beautiful & challenging music.` Surfing, ` he says, `has opened me up, split my skin, widened my horizons, & closed me down, because any obsession restricts your involvement in other aspects of life.` ...