Surf-o-rama : Treasures of Australian Surfing

From the dawn of Australian surfing at Boomerang Camp, Freshwater Beach in Sydney in the summer of 1915, when the great Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku gave the first demonstration of surfboard riding on his solid timber board, to the turn of the millennium, "Surf-o-rama" celebrates and records one of the most important aspects of Australian popular culture-surfing and the beach."Surf-o-rama" recounts the stories of Australian surfing through the artefacts, memorabilia, ephemera and photographs of the times. Within these pages you will find stunning reproductions of the last surviving examples of boards inspired by Kahanamoku's visit and the boards that followed: from superb hollow surf-skis, surfo-planes, ockanuis, balsa surfboards, beautiful big wave boards, known as big-guns, to the best vintage boards from the sixties and seventies and beyond."Surf-o-rama" isn't just about boards. It includes stunning examples of posters, such as standout works from notable poster designers Percy Trompf and Gert Sellheim; surf movies including "The Endless Summer and Morning of the Earth"; beach-inspired souvenirs and kitsch, surf magazines and surf music.Beautifully illustrated with more than 250 images, this book is for every grommet, widgee, hodad and waxhead, every surf aficionado, collector or any of us who dust off the bogey board and go on the classic summer beach holiday.

Murray Walding is a writer who specialises in pop, surf and beach culture.