On a Rising Swell: Surf Stories from Florida's Space Coast - Softcover

Reiter, Dan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813080975 ISBN 13: 9780813080970

Publisher: University Press of Florida, 2025

Synopsis

A high-speed glide through Florida surf culture and a deep dive into the lore of a classic surfing destination

Not far from where the Apollo 11 rocket launched to the moon, surfers make their way to the shore in the night. Clutching their surfboards, they chase a familiar dream: more speed, more altitude, and going beyond the limits of what has been done before. For that, they want to be the first ones to catch the early morning waves.

In this book, Dan Reiter chronicles stories of the sport on Florida's Space Coast, a region that has produced some of the world's finest surf champions, Pipe masters, and surfboard builders. On this stretch of sand between Cape Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet, Florida's surf history reaches back to the native Ais people of the Atlantic Coast and continues to the elites of today, including Kelly Slater, Caroline Marks, and CJ Hobgood. Reiter offers insights into the evolution of surfboard shaping and design, the distinctive culture of the East Coast surfboard industry, and the traits and traditions that make Florida surfing unique.

United by the background of Florida sun, soaring blue skies, and shifting sandbars, each one of this book's eclectic chapters tells its own story of passion and pursuit. Weaving together history, personal experiences, and interviews with the greats, Reiter redefines surf literature and invites readers to share in the thrill of a rising swell.

About this title

About the Author

Dan Reiter lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on a dissolving barrier island. His surf writing has been featured in The Surfer's Journal, Surfer Magazine, and Eastern Surf Magazine and his short stories have appeared in American Short Fiction, Tin House, and the Kenyon Review.

Edition details

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813080975
• ISBN 13: 9780813080970
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 154