Book Details Author: Phil Jarratt Paperback: 266 pages Publisher: Hardie Grant Books Language: English ISBN-10: 1740667409 ISBN-13: 978-1740667401 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces

SYNOPSIS

The true story of how a group of young beach bums turned their passion for riding big waves into the world’s fastest growing leisure industry, surviving wipeouts, drug busts, ripoffs, recessions, and the constant pressure to act and dress like grown-ups

Still the darlings of Wall Street despite recent downturns, surfing’s biggest brands have crossed the billion dollar threshold by thinking big and staying cool. Drawing on more than 200 interviews with industry figures and the idiosyncratic founders of the leading brands, this book traces the development of surf’s biggest brands as they emerged from sleepy beach towns on both sides of the Pacific and paints a compelling picture of the hedonistic lifestyle that gave birth to a multi-billion dollar industry.

The beach bum entrepreneurs who started it all—characters like Rip Curl founders "Claw" Warbrick and Brian Singer, Hang Ten founder Duke Boyd, Quiksilver founder Alan Green, Quiksilver America founders Jeff Hakman and Bob McKnight, Ocean Pacific apparel creator Jim Jenks, Billabong founder Gordon Merchant, and O'Neill founder Jack O'Neill—are still involved, some are mega-millionaires, some just struggling by while others milk their creations.

This book tells their stories, but more importantly, it tells the story of how, in business, passion can sometimes trump conventional wisdom, and the heart can overrule the head.