the finest line

Big-wave surfing has long been a part of the sport, but with more watermen pushing the boundaries, this subculture of the surf world is now moving out of the fringes. The current generation of surfers is continually reinventing the limits, making this the most advanced, dynamic and exciting period in big-wave surfing history. This stunning coffee-table book captures the essence of the sport through breathtaking images and stories, as well as exclusive interviews with the surfers who play the starring roles during these rare, large-swell events. Here you’ll discover the complex logistics behind staging missions to the Cortes Bank, a phantom reef one-hundred miles out to sea, and other heavy-water locations; the mental and physical regimens of surfers such as Shane Dorian, Greg Long and Grant “Twiggy” Baker; the psychology of living in pursuit of the world’s meanest waves; the stories behind the paddle-in renaissance that has come to define the next level of big-wave surfing; firsthand accounts of those now-rare “tow-only” days that captivate audiences worldwide. More than a collection of big-wave photographs, “The Finest Line” covers the giant hallmark sessions from the most impressive spots around the globe, including Maverick’s (CA), Jaws (HI), Cloudbreak (Fiji), Teahupo’o (Tahiti), Puerto Escondido (Mexico) and Dungeons (South Africa), among others, capturing the international flavor of the sport and exploring the insatiable drive of a rare breed of thrill seekers.