Surfer Girl: A Guide to the Surfing Life [Paperback]

Sanoe Lake (Author), Steven Jarrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2005

urfing is back and bigger than ever, with girls now hitting the waves in unprecedented numbers. Girls who just wanna be cool know that surfing is the way to do it-while having fun and getting into great shape at the same time. But becoming a surfer isn't just figuring out how to stand up on a board; it's how to walk the walk and talk the talk, how not to flop out of your top, and knowing how to deal with one of the biggest hazards of the sea-boys in the water. It's also about learning patience, discipline, focus, and perseverance. Jam-packed with full-color photos, dynamic graphics, comics, and instructional art, surfer girl Sanoe Lake's comprehensive guide not only teaches style, skills, and safety-it empowers readers with all of the sassy wit and attitude that made Sanoe a favorite character in the cult flick Blue Crush.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-10 -This easy-to-read, how-to manual has sections on surfing culture, history, and just about everything else related to the sport. The authors introduce the lingo and explain surfboard dos and don'ts, ways to keep surfwear from getting damaged, and more. The emphasis is on having fun and staying safe, and "insider" secrets draw readers in. The pages are filled with color photos; black-and-white graphics illustrate moves. This title is mainly an introduction to the sport but experienced teens may enjoy the advice and the incidental articles on surfing movies and music.-Karen Hoth, Marathon Middle/High School, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. With the help of writer and surfer Jarrett, Lake, a lifelong Hawaiian surfer who appeared in the film Blue Crush, offers a comprehensive guide to riding the waves. Along with thoughtful chapters on equipment, basic safety and techniques, and helpful mental and physical training, Lake dishes advice specifically for girls: choosing surf wear that will "keep you all strapped in," fielding unwanted attention from male surfers, and surfing during menstruation. Lake's chatty, irreverent voice seems straight out of a teen magazine, and the busy, colorful spreads echo the bouncy, best-friend tone with comic-strip panels, charts, checklists, and numerous photos of Lake and her friends. Aspiring and armchair surfer girls will enjoy the wealth of practical advice as well as Lake's earnest passages about surfing's addictive gifts: "There aren't too many other sports that allow such simultaneous beauty, grace, and power. I think this is why [it] appeals to girls so much." A glossary and a list of resources close. Also suggest Louise Southerden's excellent Surf's Up (2004), published for adults. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316110159
• ISBN-13: 978-0316110150
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,362,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved Sanoe in Blue Crush, Loved this book., June 26, 2005

By 

Ocean Lover - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surfer Girl: A Guide to the Surfing Life (Paperback)

Incredible, beautiful book! Sanoe proves that she's not just a great surfer and actress, she knows how to put a book together. I have been surfing for 3 years and I wish Sanoe had put his out when I started. I heard about the book on a KROQ radio ad in L.A. announcing her booksigning, but I couldn't make it, so I went to the store to check it out. I found 4 other girl's surfing guides! - they must have all just come out because I've never seen them. I sat down and plowed through all of them, and I'll keep this short and try and save people time and money if they are just going to buy one of these books, here is why Sanoe's is much better (but you'll see for yourself if you compare): 1. It's extremely well written, funny, and it's entertaining -- there's a continuous flow of interesting material, along with comics, photos, charts, and sweet graphics. My friends who don't surf checked it out and now they are starting to get the vibe of why the sport is so great. That's how this book is so great - it communicates the vibe of surfing. Bottom line: Sanoe's book is better written. 2. Sanoe's "How To" part -about a third of the book - is very easy to follow, she takes the reader through it step by step, with tons of tight illustrations. I swear to God one of the other girl's guides has stick-figure drawings. Gimme a break 2. Sanoe's book is in color - the other books are black and white or have just one color. Color crushes black and white. 3. Best I can tell, Sanoe is the only professional surfer of all the authors. As such, you bet your butt she knows what she is talking about when it comes to surfing. 4. Sanoe has also been a model, so her fashion sections are great - she gives hints on all kinds of surfwear and beauty hints also. 5. The book is just really well-organized - going through the history of surfing, the herstory, the fashion, the dangers and how to proceed safely, sun and skin safety,all really interesting and helpful - I seriously could have avoided a few painful moments had I read through this before I learned. 6. Sanoe goes into the empowering aspects for girls and women - this is great material... i was thinking some of this when I was learning. You really do build your courage, discpline and confidence when you learn to surf. You basically have to as you get better. 7. Overall, Sanoe's tone is light and fun, and she has a huge glossary of all the surf terms... in case you want to get into the lingo of the sport. Seriously, a color book at his price...you absolutely will be thrilled with your value here. I bought 6 for gifts -- taking out a nice chunk of my xmas shopping. I would say that you definitely don't even need to be a future surfer to enjoy this book. The book is so full of interesting things about the ocean and it's so motivating in general. When are her new movies coming out? Cheers and aloha.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars winner of the "Outstanding Informational Book for Teens" from the Children's Literature Council of Southern California, August 28, 2006

By 

Shawn Thrasher "Senior Librarian - Youth Serv... (Monrovia, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surfer Girl: A Guide to the Surfing Life (Paperback)

A much deserved winner of the "Outstanding Informational Book for Teens" from the Children's Literature Council of Southern California, this is a book I highly recommend.


Something you should know about me first. I'm terrified of the ocean. I'm a flatlander through and through, born and bred in the breadbasket. I grew up seeing amber waves of grain, not the blue waves of the sea. And yet, from the first moment I picked up Surfer Girl by Sanoe Lake and Steven Jarrett, I was hooked.

Let's start with the format of the book itself. It's full of graphics. There are super little comics, some short, some long, on almost every page. There are photos and pictures and diagrams. There are black and white pics from the past and crisp new pics from today.

But it's not just about pictures. The text is written is a mix of styles that make the book accessibly informative. There are parts of the book that are in-your-face straight talk. And then there are parts when you feel like you are sitting down around a fire on the beach, having a late night chat with one of the great stars of women's surfing.

I'm a history buff and it's incredible how this seemingly short book is so full of history. There is a mini-lesson in the history of surfing that is jam-packed full of great and interesting bits and stories of the past about Polynesian surfers: why they surfed, why they stopped, and why they started up again. It's one of those fascinating and fantastic stories that mix religion, culture, romance and the society behind the surfboard. And just when you think you're done learning the history of surfing, Lake & Jarrett add an incredible "her-story" of surfing, featuring some of the most famous honeys of the sport from the 1930's to today.

As a guy, I enjoyed the book, but it is primarily a book for girls. Females will find plenty of great info here. Lake & Jarrett detail how to purchase the right bikini - and then how to stay in said bikini once you are out riding the waves. There is practical information on womanhood and surfing, waxing and other stuff that girls need to know before they enter the water. Face, hair and body care too -- how the sun insults a girl's skin and how the ocean beats the heck out a girl's hair.

Then there's the science aspects of surfing. You don't have to be a math whiz or a brainiac oceanographer to figure out that surfing is part science. Lake & Jarrett explain why there are waves in the first place, where they come from, and how to estimate the height of a wave using math.

Of course, for me at least, no manual on surfing would be complete without a detailed list of the hazards of the sea. SHARKS! JELLYFISH! STINGRAYS!! YUCKY BACTERIA!!! WATER POLLUTION!!! AND last but not least DIM WITTED NEANDERTHAL-ESQUE GUYS!!!! For a girl surfer, a hazard greater than all the previous hazards put together.

Last but certainly not least, Lake & Jarrett teach you how to surf. From how to select the perfect surfboard (including more detailed information on the ins and outs ups and downs of boards and their care), how to prepare yourself mentally and physically, and finally what to do when you finally catch that very first perfect wave.

Ocean-phobe that I am, I finished Surfer Girl with a bit of interest in finding my inner surfer, from the history and culture to the psychologically challenging yet soothing sport itself. Lake & Jarrett show that surfing is more than just a sport. It's a way of life. But their book is certainly provides a much needed key to the door into that life. It's full of humor, great information, terrific writing, incredible graphics, and awesome art. Quite simply this book is a top notch nonfiction book for teens.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it for all the girls in your life!, July 7, 2005

By 

Sammy H. (Mililani, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surfer Girl: A Guide to the Surfing Life (Paperback)

This is a MUST BUY for all the females in your life, especially those that love the ocean. A fun read with lots of ingenuity--found it to be so charming, cute, fresh, inspiring, and informative. Just the kind of book you want your girls to read--trust me, they'll love it--makes great gifts too. Not only young girls will enjoy reading it--adults will too, believe me!