The Art of Wave Riding (1931) by Ronald Drummond

You found it. The Art of Wave Riding from 1931. Re-created from the original pressing.

Considered to be the very first instructional book on surfing in any form, this seminal pamphlet focuses on the art of bodysurfing. Written by Ron Drummond (1907-1996), a towering figure in early surfing history, the guide aimed to remedy the struggles of countless swimmers unable to master the sport. Drummond, a visionary, sought to popularize bodysurfing, which he believed was still in its nascent stages.

Drummond's remarkable life extended far beyond his contributions to surfing. He stood at an impressive 6'6" and sported a distinctive beard providing a commanding presence. His adventures took him to northern Canada, Africa, and the South Pacific, where he worked as a photographer, cartographer, and explorer. Notably, Drummond remained an avid bodysurfer well into the 1990s, demonstrating his enduring passion for the sport.

As a fan I have made every effort to keep this reprint of Drummonds’ pioneering work as genuine to the original book as possible. These are scans from the actual pages of the real book, not a retyped manuscript. Having been letter-pressed, you’ll see pagination errors left in from the original manuscript. Unfortunately I don’t have the means to re-print the book as a lithographed cover and letter-pressed text, and if I did the expense would be exorbitantly prohibitive. That said, you’re getting the truest representation of this work in almost 100 years with this book! Apart from this introduction, this book has been recreated from images of the original book carefully re-constructed here.