Review Summary

More Surfing How-To's and Down Under Jargon Than You Can Shake a Stick At...

How can you not like Taj Burrow? I mean, c'mon. Taj is a crowd-favorite everywhere he goes, surfs balls-out on every wave doing things nobody else has ever seen, is a downright nice guy and that thick Australian accent makes you think he's gonna bust into a Crocodile Dundee monologue at any moment: "that's not a knife...THIS is a knife...". Well, Taj has taken all of the aforementioned traits combined with a rather engaging writing style to come up with Taj Burrow's Book of Hot Surfing. Yeah, it's a lengthy and corny title for a book, but wait until you look inside.

First of all, this book is meant for EVERYONE. Beginners, pros, men, women; everyone has something to cheer about with Taj's book. The only thing is that the book is almost 100% geared toward shortboarders, which isn't necessarily a negative point to the book, just worth mentioning. Taj makes beginners feel very welcome and teaches--which certainly appeases the crowd already in the lineup-- the newbies etiquette and tips that will keep them from conflict or rubbing others in the water the wrong way. Early chapters deal with everything from paddling to standing up to duck-diving and wetsuits. The next chapters deal with simple bottom turns to backside rides and turns up to the final chapters dealing with launching air or doing insane tricks most of us will only see in a surfing contest...probably performed by Taj. Interspersed throughout the book are chapters dealing with topics other than technique. Reading breaks, wetsuit selection, quivers, painting boards and the ever-so-useful "how to apply a traction pad" are a few of the several wonderful breaks from the action and are very well written. There are outsider pieces in here from some of Taj's friends and sponsors like Greg Webber and Tom Carroll which offer some wonderful stories like Taj's "cod red" on his 1st trip to the Mentawai's or how Webber approaches shaping for Taj and how that translates to we mortals.

One of the features of the book that makes it worth its weight in gold are the shot sequences. We see Taj executing a maneuver or a duck-dive or applying a traction pad, etc. all in easy to follow sequences from the beginning to end. The photography is stellar, especially in these sequences and it gives you a great feel for what to look for in the wave and where you should be positioned on your board or where to grab your rails, etc. The section dealing with aerials and where to grab your board is sweet for those of us that will ever be able to execute those moves. The drawings and handwritten notes from Taj are lighthearted yet very detailed and thorough. The section on basic surfboard characteristics in the beginning of the book should have you very impressed right out of the gate.

The book definitely advances quickly and is aimed at people looking to surf at a higher level. The first chapter of the 2nd section (intermediate stuff) entitled 'Feeling the Groove' is devoted to 'Your First Tube.' The rest of the 2nd section covers less tricky maneuvers but by the time you reach the final section 'Throwing Heat' you're damn near ready to enter local surf events and stand a chance of winning. The first 2 sections are probably where you'll spend most your time, but having the 'expert' section really makes you want to elevate your surfing to that final level.

OK, I'm not from Oz but I've met several people from down under and heard a few funny conversations with some terms here and there that made no sense to me, but good ol' Taj uses every Australian slang-term in the book. Quick: what does pins, bugle and pegs mean in English?? If you guessed arms, nose and teeth you'd be right!! The terms get really confusing at times and thankfully there's a glossary in the back (a whopping 7 pages, at that), but it's little solace as you thumb through the book struggling to understand some sentences. I guess I laughed most of the time and scratched my head only a handful of times in confusion but it's part of who Taj is so it's understandable we'd see his day to day vocabulary in the book.

In short this is certainly the best how-to surfing book with tips and tricks for all levels. You'll read it as a newbie and keep on reading it as your skills progress and if you can ever successful execute all the tricks in the book that Taj teaches, well maybe you have a shot at becoming the next Taj. WIth beautiful photography, helpful shot sequences and drawings and a lighthearted writing style this book is a must-own for every surfer and I reckon it would make a great gift for a fellow surfer. Kudos, Taj...or, however you'd say that Down Under.

by - Bryan Mills