Review
WL Rating
Buzzy Trent is a big wave legend. Straight up. He was cut from the classic big wave archetype: larger than life, strong jaw, pure brawn. The kind of stuff you imagine when you think about a leashless surfer paddling out through the Waimea shore pound. But, like Greg Noll, Trent hit a wall with big wave surfing, walking away from it entirely after some internal clock ticked and told him to move on. The surfing world was poorer for his absence, but the big wave surfer’s ego doesn’t always override the reality of his own mortality. This and much more about Trent is revealed in his daughter’s new biography, Increments of Fear, The Buzzy Trent Story. Trent’s daughter draws material from tapes, letters, phone calls, and meetings with her father’s friends and contemporaries. Some of the material will be known to avid surf historians, but much of it is new and interesting to read. My only real gripe with this book was the somewhat rambling narrative, but this isn’t too surprising given the eclectic collection of material gathered by the author. It’s a good book, but not a great one. If you like surf history, this one should make it into your library. (July 2011)
Increments of Fear - Anna Trent Moore
