On a Rising Swell

“On a Rising Swell whittles the entire balsa wood world of surfing down to its porous Florida core—a world in which criminals, artisans, and athletes come and go like hurricanes, beach breaks, and surfboards.”—Jason Katz, founding editor, Islandia Journal

“Goes far beyond simple research and delves not only into the fascinating history of the Space Coast’s surfing culture but into the very zeitgeist of the sport itself. This is the kind of book that could only be written by a member of this remarkable subculture, as well as a writer of great wit, intelligence, and a keen understanding of context. Essential reading to anyone who calls themselves a surfer or a sportsman.”—Matt George, author of In Deep: The Collected Surf Writings

“Every so often a writer bubbles from the substrata fully formed, handily entering what fellow surf scribes call the ‘meat eater’s club.’ This new Dan Reiter offering serves as an Exhibit A.”—Scott Hulet, editor, The Surfer’s Journal

“Surfers will appreciate the depth. . . . All the history circles back to one remarkable fact: three world champions—Kelly Slater, CJ Hobgood, and Caroline Marks—grew up along this small stretch of coast.”—The Inertia

“The text is a feast for the senses . . . even the most sea-phobic readers will yearn to commune with the ocean as euphorically.”—Arthur Smith, Indie editor, Kirkus

“It is from the vantage point of a sandy oceanside tourist town with a generationally deep surf community that Reiter speaks to his readers. And he does so successfully to surfers and non-surfers alike.”—H-Oceans

“Intimate and charged with life . . . Reiter’s conversations with and profiles of Florida surfers capture not just thrilling rides but ways of life and drifts of mind. . . . [A] rousing celebration of surfing Florida’s Space Coast over decades.”—Publishers Weekly, Editor’s Pick

“A surfing classic fit to sit beside John Long’s The Big Drop (1999) and William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days (2015).”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review