Watersports Books

Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die: Sailing Experts Share the World's Greatest...

Product Description
Landlubbers joke that sailors are always wanting to head off to the ends of the earth, but Chris Santella takes that life-changing desire very seriously. In this, the third installment in his immensely successful “Fifty Places” series, Santella assembles a crew of the world’s greatest championship racers and professional adventurers and persuades them to disclose their favorite destinations around the globe.

Interviewees include some of the best-known men and women in the sport: Tom Whidden and Gary Jobson (members of the winning 1987 America’s Cup crew), Jeff Johnstone (of J-Boats), award-winning sailing writer Lin Pardy, and many others. The amazingly diverse places they’ve selected range from clubby East Coast ports (Marblehead, Annapolis), to idyllic tropical refuges (Ilha Grande, Brazil; the Polynesian atoll of Mopelia), to some of the most hair-raisingly treacherous waters on earth (Cape Horn).

Coastlines around the world—even Antarctica and the Arctic—are represented, and the chosen spots include some spectacular inland waters, such as the Bras d’Or Lakes and the North Channel of Lake Huron. For each of the 50 places, the sailor recommending the venue spins an entertaining yarn about his or her experience there, and each description is accompanied by a "make you want to go there now" photograph.

About The Author
CHRIS SANTELLA is a freelance journalist and the author of STC’s Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die, Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die, and Fifty Favorite Fly-Fishing Tales. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two daughters.

Kiteboarding's Simple Plan

Product Description
When entering the sport of kiteboarding it is crucial that the rider have a simple plan in place prior to launching a kite. After reading Kiteboarding's Simple Plan The Book, the rider should have a basic idea of how to formulate his "simple plan" to kiteboarding which, when properly used, will increase the enjoyment of the sport, while decreasing the damage to the rider, his gear and those around him.

Having a plan for kiteboarding is important. Effectively applying that plan in different places, conditions, and with equipment is the key to continued riding success and enjoyment. With professional instruction, lots of water time, good winds, great gear and this book, developing your personal kiteboarding plan should be filled with fun and "next level" excitement.

Aloha & Mahalo,
John Holzhall

About The Author
Since the dawn of kiteboarding, Instructor-Trainer John Holzhall has been developing Kiteboarding's "simple plan". Countless days of personal training, along with logging over 10,000 instructional hours in Maui's challenging conditions, helped provide him with the answers to safe kiteboarding. A steady stream of international kiteboard enthusiasts and rider's has put those answers to the test. The resultKiteboarding's Simple Plan, The Book.

John makes his home on Maui. Teaching and offering instructor training continue to be part of his busy schedule. When he's not touring, teaching, or riding, he is working with print and film media.

The Surfer Spirit

Product Description
Awe-inspiring, uplifting, and beautifully motivating, The Surfer Spirit is a book unlike any other surf book. "This book is moving and insightful. The Hawaiian tradition of surfing is a dance with nature, a celebration of the unity between humans, the environment and the spirit.", Ramsay Taum, Kumu (teacher) Native Hawaiian Practices and Culture. Written and produced by surfers, it captures and conveys the true spirit of surfing. Stunning in its simplicity, the book features breathtaking images accentuated with simple, yet profound sentiments. Photos by world-renowned surf photographers John Bilderback and Jeff Divine feature, Kelly Slater, Perry Dane, Taj Burrow, Rochelle Ballard, epic waves and more. Together, the words and imagery on each of reflect the way in which surfing keeps us in communion with nature, reconnecting us with our spirits each time our boards meet the water. The cover is encased in a natural-colored canvas material and measures 8" x 8" when closed. The pages are printed with environmentally friendly soy-based inks on high quality art paper made from consumer recycled stock. Each book includes a ribbon bookmark to highlight your favorite page. A fabulous book for surfers and non-surfers alike. ****A portion of the proceeds of each sale go to support non-profit programs: the Surfrider Spirit Sessions with the Surfrider Foundation, and He`e Nalu Learning Center (heenalulc.org)*****

Wildwater West Virginia, 4th

Product Description
Though it sports a new name and look, A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to West Virginia (formerly Wildwater West Virginia) is still the definitive guide to whitewater in the Mountain State. Thirty years after the initial printing, this book continues to bring paddlers the best of West Virginia's waters: from classics rivers, such as the Gauley, the New, and the Tygart, to steep creeks like North Fork of Blackwater and Meadow River. At-a-glance information for each river section helps boaters pick rivers to match their ability and current weather conditions, while river descriptions, gauge and shuttle route information provide additional critical information. Whether boating in kayaks, canoes, or sit-on-tops, paddlers will find more than enough rivers to fit their interest or skill level. In addition, literary interludes scattered throughout each book will invoke the spirit of paddling, encouraging readers' contemplation of past and future trips. Appendices include websites, gauge information, and safety information, making this book a valuable resource in planning out the next trip. From meandering riffled streams to on-the-edge, in-your-face steep creeks, these guides contains the best each state has to offer.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Back Cover Copy
For over two decades Wildwater West Virginia has been helping canoeists, kayakers, and rafters run rivers in the Mountain State. Now in its original single volume, this guide presents the combined knowledge of hundreds of paddlers, showing the way to unexpected beauty and excitement. From easy float trips to extreme steep-creek boating, this guide has something for everyone. Consistent with the vision of its original authors, Wildwater West Virginia has recently been updated by long-time river rat, Charlie Walbridge, who has made this state his second home for over twenty years. Included in this new edition are up-to-date gauging information (with phone recordings and computer bulletin boards), revised maps, and river data on a number of new runs, including Mill Creek, Mann's Creek, Upper Otter, Seneca, Red Creek, the Upper Little Kanawha, and Fikes Creek. More than an encyclopedia of mountain rivers and hydrologic data, this book is also a collection of experiences and an introduction to some of the most amazing geography in the East. Destined to ride in the dry bags and glove compartments of paddlers nationwide, Wildwater West Virginia makes a strong plea for preservation of our water resources at a time when so many people take for granted these natural treasures. (6 x 9, 304 pages, maps, b&w photos)