Introduces the life and achievements of the surfer who won international fame in four Olympics and used his surfboard to save eight people from a capsized boat in California.

Surfing, Jack London remarked, is "a royal sport for the natural kings of earth." The greatest of those natural kings grant readers an audience in this glorious celebration of the world's best surfers. Part exquisite picture book and travelogue to the top of the world, part biography and reference guidebook, Legends of Surfing profiles one hundred great surfers, men and women, from throughout the world. In life stories, and in exclusive interviews--which...

"Waterman "is the first comprehensive biography of Duke Kahanamoku (1890 1968): swimmer, surfer, Olympic gold medalist, Hawaiian icon, waterman. Long before Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz made their splashes in the pool, Kahanamoku emerged from the backwaters of Waikiki to become America s first superstar Olympic swimmer. The original human fish set dozens of world records and topped the world rankings for more than a decade; his rivalry with Johnny...

"A collective biography of 40 influential Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, from Kalpana Chawla to The Rock to Tammy Duckworth, whose historical contributions readers may not know but whose light shines on, with stunning illustrated portraits by Hugo Award nominee Victo Ngai. From scientists to sports stars, aerospace engineers to artists, every person shines in this collection. Dynamic portraits portray each person with bold colors and clever,...

Corona del Mar was once California's premier surfing spot, holding the sport's first Pacific Coast competition in 1928. Attempts to tame Corona and to make the Newport Beach harbor mouth safe for watercraft drastically altered board riding, destroying the great "wave-making machine" of Corona and creating the surf giant of today known as the "Wedge." Read about Newport before World War II: experience the Great Rescue of 1925 by Duke Kahanamoku and...

Surfing is more than just a sport; it is a cultural phenomenon. From its mystical beginnings in Polynesia, surfing has evolved into a worldwide passion, establishing its own roster of legends and seeping into our society-in movies, in fashion, in music, and in language. Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, the "father of surfing," helped elevate the sport beyond its Pacific Islands origins more than a century ago, and his torch has been carried on by a long...

This title introduces readers to the adventurous sport of surfing. Readers will discover the sport's unique, must-have equipment in the text and diagrams, from surfboards to wax, wet suits, leashes, and helmets. Important safety information is also covered, including never surfing alone, respecting right-of-way, wipeouts, rip currents, marine animals, and underwater reefs and rocks. Chapters highlight surfing history from Polynesia to Hawaii and beyond,...

On a summers day in June, two months to the day after the sinking of the Titanic, the United States Olympic team, smartly dressed in new uniforms and preceded by a brass band, makes it's way through cheering crowds and a blizzard of confetti to New York harbor.Awaiting them the flower bedecked SS Finland, chartered transport to Stockholm, Sweden, host of the 1912 games.Among it's members, twenty three year old All American football star Jim Thorpe...

Sports have origins in all kinds of activities, such as playing with sticks and stones, running from threats, and taking part in religious ceremonies. Using conjecture and historical facts, this book of poetry and prose relates how nineteen sports got their start and grew into the games we know today.

"There is a lot of pressure in today's society for kids to succeed, but failing is a part of learning how to be a successful person. In his teaching career, Luke Reynolds saw the stress and anxiety his students suffered over grades, fitting in, and getting things right the first time. Fantastic Failures was created for these students to learn that their mistakes and failures do not define their whole lives, but help them grow into their potential....