Review
WL Rating
Harbour Chronicles is the quasi-autobiography of master surfboard shaper and craftsman, Rich Harbour (I say quasi because the book wasn’t really meant as a comprehensive biography). Over a 50+ year career or shaping and selling surfboards, Harbour saved a small trove of pictures, anecdotes, etc. that track his amazing career and the evolution of an industry. The book was originally a component of an art exhibit by the same name that ran in early 2010, but I didn’t grab the book until a year later. Like many of the biography books in my library, this will appeal to surfers with a penchant for our sport’s history. Southern Californians in particular will enjoy the book given its focus on the emergence of California shaping and surfing. Complete with essays from such surf luminaries as Steve Pezman, C.R. Stecyk II, and others, the book does a decent job of shifting between period anecdotes and Harbour’s own recollections. If you enjoy surf history and want to buy a copy, you can pick it up here, since it wasn’t available via Amazon last time I checked. (August 2011)
Harbour Chronicles - Rich Harbour
