Review
WL Rating
I reviewed John Long’s other book, The Big Drop, a few years ago and enjoyed it, but felt that a few of the pieces had become somewhat outdated. In Long’s new book, co-curated with former Surfer Editor Sam George, we get another solid collection of big wave anecdotes, but without any sense of the content feeling out of date—and considering that some of the stories are about long-past surfing events, that is quite a feat. The collection opens with an unvarnished, adrenaline-packed narrative from hellman Shane Dorian, recounting one of the most traumatic beatings he ever took while surfing. It’s a great kick off piece given its raw, honest, and emotional tone. In fact, just about every anecdote in the book is solid, blending surfing entertainment with the simple power of stories about massive swells. Of course, no collection is perfect and for me there were a couple of less interesting profile pieces near the beginning, but the vast majority of stories in The Big Juice were definitely engaging. For surfers who enjoy books in what I call the “talking story” genre, you won’t be disappointed by The Big Juice. (January 2012)
The Big Juice - John Long & Sam George
