Ghost Wave MP3 CD – Unabridged, May 3, 2016

Even if you are not a surfer its an interesting and exciting read...yeah! A must read for serious surfers!

My first real exposure to Cortes Bank came courtesy of Dana Brown's movie, Step Into Liquid, showing Mike Parsons endlessly dropping into a ridiculously large wave. I had heard of the Bank before that, but nothing really captured the dynamic nature of the place like that clip. Over the past decade, there have been articles here and there about the Bank and that session in particular, but it's Chris Dixon's new book, Ghost Wave, that really pulls the wave and its history into clear relief. Dixon's book is a well-written, engaging history of the Bank from its possible early Native American "discovery", to its role in the sinking of ships, and on through to its performance in some of the most exciting water theater around. Readers not interested in some of the book's drier history would do well to at least pick up the book at the point where, in 1965, a couple of audacious, and slightly nutty, entrepreneurs attempt to scuttle a boat and establish a new nation named Abalonia on top of the Bank. Moving past that bit of hilarity, Dixon begins chronicling the Bank's recent surfing history, and the book's pace and intensity accelerate. In particular, Dixon does a great job delving into the psyche and motivation of the surfers who ride the Bank. In fact, unlike in Susan Casey's book The Wave where the surfers are described ad nauseum as fearless, almost godlike, hellmen, Dixon's approach is much more honest, portraying the surfers` in stark HD, capturing their glory along with all their warts....and there are plenty of warts to go around. Whereas I couldn't see Casey's book appealing to surfers or scientists, I can say with a high degree of confidence that Dixon's fine book is one that all surfers will enjoy. More reviews at The Waterman's Library.

Chris Dixon's "Ghost Wave" is an adventure story wrapped in surf tales and the physics of the sea. The watchers of the big wave riders are mesmerized by the feeling that the surfer is surely going to die (as some have).Dixon looks specifically at the history of surfing at the Cortes Banks, where waves break in the middle of the ocean. These are not rogue waves. These are waves that have raced across the Pacific, building speed and power, until they meet the shallows near the islands of the Cortes Banks.The use of tow-in jet skis centers the arguments between the natural surfers and the big wave surfers. Before jet skis, no one could ride these waves, lacking the paddle power to reach the crest. The jet skis can whip a surfer into the right position, and better, there is someone to rescue the surfer after a wipeout.Nevertheless, not all waves are meant to be ridden. The controversy of adding a fuel-driven, noisy engine into a sport that had a zen-like connection between man and nature is a matter of philosophical intent. And the introduction of big money, "Who can ride the biggest wave?" puts novice, greedy surfers in conditions even the experts fear."Ghost Wave" produces the science, the mystery, and the adrenaline junkie highs of surfing. The chapter about Abalonia, a colony state some dreamers thought up, would make a fine comedy with an edge.This is a book for people who are awed by the ocean, love our planet, and wonder how films of one man against a 90 foot wave come to be made.

I found Chris Dixon's book to be a fascinating account of the submerged island named Cortes Bank. These offshore banks are usually great fishing grounds, but Cortes Bank additionally offers giant ocean swells that break with massive power and force.More than just an account about big-wave riding at Cortes Bank, Chris Dixon offers up a fascinating history drawn from the annals of time. When I finished the book I felt that Cortes Bank must be a truly mystical spot on the planet earth. Not only have ships been accidentally wrecked on Bishop Rock, but also intentionally in order to create a new country.Along with the historical viewpoints the book focuses on a group of big-wave surfers who have made it their number one priority to chase large swells around the world. The chapters of their expeditions to Cortes Banks are very riveting. Some trips were done in lavish style but most of them seriously challenged their minds and bodies. The challenges weren't just faced at the deep-water break but also traveling to and back from the spot. This made me respect their core beliefs in meeting intense conditions and situations that can change on a dime.Chris Dixon's style of writing illustrates that he researched thoroughly the subject matter for the authoring of this book. He writes clear, crisp and concisely which makes the book understandable to both surfers and non-surfers. A great read that is worth picking up and diving into.

The Cortez Banks off the coast of southern California, either a "didn't quite make it" or an already eroded down island of the Channel Island chain, has a little known history, at least to me, until I read Ghost Wave. As a longtime waterman in the south Orange County area of So. Cal., I found this book to be full of great stories and history of this truly magical place and familiar names of waterman past and present. From the exploration by native San Clemente tribes thousands of years ago, charting by early Spanish and then American explorer, the attempted nation building by 20th century entrepreneurs, its abundance as a fishery, and most exciting, the discovery of the biggest surfable waves on the planet; what a ride! There are great photos in the book, and nearly all can also be found on the internet, including amazing videos of waves surfed at the Banks and in Hawaii. This added dimension really enhances what is already a great read. Major kudos to Chris Dixon!