Dancing the Wave: Audacity, Equilibrium, and Other Mysteries of Surfing

There is no greater or more powerful or more pure human rapport with the elements than that experienced by a surfer dancing with the ocean. In Dancing the Wave, Jean-Etienne Poirier brings alive the world of surfing by offering historical, anthropological, and cultural perspectives on this increasingly popular sport. By recounting tales of his own surfing adventures, he opens the door to this world beyond the summer sun and simple pleasures of the ride, inviting readers to reflect upon the true place of human beings in the universe.

This book is for all board riders, for all those who are touched by the forces of the ocean, and for all those who wish to understand the boldness of surfers, who join power and elegance in that harmonious dance with the sinuous movement of the wave.

Jean-Etienne Poirier is an avid surfer, skier, and skateboarder, as well as a journalist and cultural anthropologist. He has consulted for international aid organizations, and he lectures on travel themes and mountain climbing.