WL Rating
This is a very comprehensive, large scale limited-edition book on the life of pioneering waterman, Tom Blake. It is beautifully bound and loaded with excellent newspaper clips, pictures, board designs, etc. Unfortunately, all that amazing imagery is lost in a tiresome written account that doesn’t do Mr. Blake justice. While there’s no shortage of information in the book, it feels like it was organized by a landlocked academic. Imagine a beautiful, exquisitely dressed woman reciting sections from legislative bills and you’ll begin to get the idea. There’s no doubt that there was a lot of effort, respect and love that went into the production of this book. It’s just unfortunate that that same amount of work didn’t go into the crafting of Mr. Blake’s story. I think the book is worth owning, but with a price tag over $100, you really need to be into surfing history (or perhaps a member of the Blake family) to justify the purchase. (July 2008)
