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Ghost Wave: The Discovery of Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth Kindle Edition

by Chris Dixon (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 295 ratings

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“Takes us to a place of almost mythic power and tells a story that unfolds like a long ride on a killer wave . . . compellingly written.” —Sebastian Junger, New York Times–bestselling author

Rising from the depths of the North Pacific lies a fabled island, now submerged just fifteen feet below the surface of the ocean. Rumors and warnings about Cortes Bank abound, but among big wave surfers, this legendary rock is famous for one simple (and massive) reason: this is the home of the biggest rideable wave on the face of the earth.

In this dramatic work of narrative nonfiction, journalist Chris Dixon unlocks the secrets of Cortes Bank and pulls readers into the harrowing world of big wave surfing and high seas adventure above the most enigmatic and dangerous rock in the sea. The true story of this Everest of the sea will thrill anyone with an abiding curiosity of and respect for mother ocean.

“A terrific, deeply researched tale about a truly wild place. You couldn’t make up Cortes Bank, or the characters who’ve tried to make it theirs.” —William Finnegan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life

“A first-rate account of an amazing phenomenon and the people who tried to conquer and exploit it. A great read.” —Winston Groom, New York Times–bestselling author of Forrest Gump

“After reading Chris’ most excellent account of the monstrous waves of the mysterious Cortes Bank—the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific—I never thought I would ever consider riding a wave like this. But after surviving a five-foot, head-first fall from the stage earlier this year, I think I might be ready.” —Jimmy Buffett

Editorial Reviews

Review

1. "Ghost Wave takes us to a place of almost mythic power and tells a story that unfolds like a long ride on a killer wave. I can't imagine doing what those surfers are doing out there on Cortes-and I can't imagine a finer book about them. This is a beautifully researched and compellingly written book. I read it straight through from the first page. Terrifying."- Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm

2. "A terrific, deeply researched tale about a truly wild place. You couldn't make up Cortes Bank, or the characters who've tried to make it theirs. Chris Dixon takes us out there. He gets us amongst it."--William Finnegan, author of Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life.

3. "Ghost Wave is a first-rate account of an amazing phenomenon and the people who tried to conquer and exploit it. A great read."-Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump

4. "After reading Chris' most excellent account of the monstrous waves of the mysterious Cortes Bank-the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific-I never thought I would ever consider riding a wave like this. But after surviving a five foot, head first fall from the stage earlier this year, I think I might be ready."-Jimmy Buffett

5. Mystery-shrouded, invisible from shore, riddled with hazards real and imagined, the Cortes Bank is a sort of Rubicon. Only a handful of surfers have crossed to the other side. In Ghost Wave, Chris Dixon traces the Bank's maritime history, the fanciful civilization of Abalonia, and absolute madmen who chase shifting peaks in the open ocean. " - Scott Hulet, Editor, The Surfer's Journal

6. "...fascinating and expertly researched...the heart of the book is surfing, told in a manner satisfying to both hard-core practitioners and curious outsiders." -Bruce Jenkins, The San Francisco Chronicle

7. "You approach Ghost Wave expecting a story about a wave. What you leave with is a new, perhaps previously unknown fascination with indigenous peoples, and natural sciences, addiction psychology and crackpot entrepreneurialism.all presented with a positively Melvillean wrath to emphatically measure the true Everest of the Pacific against all other bathymetric monsters." - Surfline.com

8. "Journalist Dixon, founding editor of Surfermag.com, has written an engaging, multifaceted story of an obscure locale off the California coast that draws the most daring big-wave surfers in the world...his insider knowledge brings the allure and danger of this turbulent locale to life." - Publisher's Weekly

9. "This is an outstanding and riveting work that is not to be missed, and easily one of if not the best book of its kind." -Eastern Surf

10. "excellent...an expansive history of a submerged island 100 miles off the southern coast of California, as well as an in-depth study of big wave surfing and some of its most extreme practitioners." -Charleston City paper

11. "It's hard to say which is more interesting here, the stories of the surfers, explorers, divers, and sailors drawn to Cortes Bank or the history of the bank itself. Either way, terrific reading." - Booklist

12. "If you are looking for a great read that tells a story of utter devotion to the ocean, its mysteries, and its dangers, then Ghost Wave...is definitely the book for you... This is definitely a book for anyone wanting to get a grasp on the unpredictable oceans and see into the terrifying yet exhilarating lives of big wave surfers." -PlanetSave

13. "4 out of 5 stars" - The Waterman's Library

14. "Ghost Wave is an information-packed homage to those who dare to try." - American Way magazine

About the Author

Chris Dixon's work has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Men's Journal, Surfer, and Surfer's Journal. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

From AudioFile

1. "Ghost Wave takes us to a place of almost mythic power and tells a story that unfolds like a long ride on a killer wave. I can't imagine doing what those surfers are doing out there on Cortes-and I can't imagine a finer book about them. This is a beautifully researched and compellingly written book. I read it straight through from the first page. Terrifying."- Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm

2. A terrific, deeply researched tale about a truly wild place. You couldn't make up Cortes Bank, or the characters who've tried to make it theirs. Chris Dixon takes us out there. He gets us amongst it."--William Finnegan, author of Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life.

3. "Ghost Wave is a first-rate account of an amazing phenomenon and the people who tried to conquer and exploit it. A great read."-Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump

4. "After reading Chris' most excellent account of the monstrous waves of the mysterious Cortes Bank-the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific-I never thought I would ever consider riding a wave like this. But after surviving a five foot, head first fall from the stage earlier this year, I think I might be ready."-Jimmy Buffett

5. Mystery-shrouded, invisible from shore, riddled with hazards real and imagined, the Cortes Bank is a sort of Rubicon. Only a handful of surfers have crossed to the other side. In Ghost Wave, Chris Dixon traces the Bank's maritime history, the fanciful civilization of Abalonia, and absolute madmen who chase shifting peaks in the open ocean. " - Scott Hulet, Editor, The Surfer's Journal

6. "...fascinating and expertly researched...the heart of the book is surfing, told in a manner satisfying to both hard-core practitioners and curious outsiders." -Bruce Jenkins, The San Francisco Chronicle

7. "You approach Ghost Wave expecting a story about a wave. What you leave with is a new, perhaps previously unknown fascination with indigenous peoples, and natural sciences, addiction psychology and crackpot entrepreneurialism.all presented with a positively Melvillean wrath to emphatically measure the true Everest of the Pacific against all other bathymetric monsters." - Surfline.com

8. "Journalist Dixon, founding editor of Surfermag.com, has written an engaging, multifaceted story of an obscure locale off the California coast that draws the most daring big-wave surfers in the world...his insider knowledge brings the allure and danger of this turbulent locale to life." - Publisher's Weekly

9. "This is an outstanding and riveting work that is not to be missed, and easily one of if not the best book of its kind." -Eastern Surf

10. "excellent...an expansive history of a submerged island 100 miles off the southern coast of California, as well as an in-depth study of big wave surfing and some of its most extreme practitioners." -Charleston City paper

11. "It's hard to say which is more interesting here, the stories of the surfers, explorers, divers, and sailors drawn to Cortes Bank or the history of the bank itself. Either way, terrific reading." - Booklist

12. "If you are looking for a great read that tells a story of utter devotion to the ocean, its mysteries, and its dangers, then Ghost Wave...is definitely the book for you... This is definitely a book for anyone wanting to get a grasp on the unpredictable oceans and see into the terrifying yet exhilarating lives of big wave surfers." -PlanetSave

13. "4 out of 5 stars" - The Waterman's Library

14. "Ghost Wave is an information-packed homage to those who dare to try." - American Way magazine

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005RDIGH4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books LLC (October 21, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 21, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 18174 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 280 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #569,154 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #21 in Waves & Wave Mechanics (Kindle Store)
- #29 in Hawaii Travel Guides (Kindle Store)
- #95 in Waves & Wave Mechanics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 295 ratings

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Chris Dixon

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Chris Dixon is a senior writer for and the founding online editor of Surfer magazine. His writing and reporting regularly appears in titles as diverse as The New York Times, Garden & Gun, Outside, The Surfer's Journal, Popular Mechanics and Men's Journal.

Bookwise, Chris is the author of the book Ghost Wave, the Discovery of Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth. He is a contributing author to Taschen's newly published Surfing: 1778-Today, and is a contributing writer to New York Times Bestselling works, The Southerner's Handbook, and 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada, from the editors of The New York Times. His writing also appears in the anthology, The Big Juice: Epic Tales of Big Wave Surfing.

His next ocean-related book will be published by Chronicle Books in 2017.

More of his work can be seen at his online portfolio

http://chrisdixonreports.com

and

http://thescuttlefish.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

295 global ratings

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Julie

A great read that is not just for surfers.

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2012

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I found Chris Dixon's book to be a fascinating account of the submerged island named Cortes Bank. These offshore banks are usually great fishing grounds, but Cortes Bank additionally offers giant ocean swells that break with massive power and force.

More than just an account about big-wave riding at Cortes Bank, Chris Dixon offers up a fascinating history drawn from the annals of time. When I finished the book I felt that Cortes Bank must be a truly mystical spot on the planet earth. Not only have ships been accidentally wrecked on Bishop Rock, but also intentionally in order to create a new country.

Along with the historical viewpoints the book focuses on a group of big-wave surfers who have made it their number one priority to chase large swells around the world. The chapters of their expeditions to Cortes Banks are very riveting. Some trips were done in lavish style but most of them seriously challenged their minds and bodies. The challenges weren't just faced at the deep-water break but also traveling to and back from the spot. This made me respect their core beliefs in meeting intense conditions and situations that can change on a dime.

Chris Dixon's style of writing illustrates that he researched thoroughly the subject matter for the authoring of this book. He writes clear, crisp and concisely which makes the book understandable to both surfers and non-surfers. A great read that is worth picking up and diving into.

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The Waterman's Library

Great book that captures the pure spirit of big wave riding...

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2011

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My first real exposure to Cortes Bank came courtesy of Dana Brown's movie, Step Into Liquid, showing Mike Parsons endlessly dropping into a ridiculously large wave. I had heard of the Bank before that, but nothing really captured the dynamic nature of the place like that clip. Over the past decade, there have been articles here and there about the Bank and that session in particular, but it's Chris Dixon's new book, Ghost Wave, that really pulls the wave and its history into clear relief. Dixon's book is a well-written, engaging history of the Bank from its possible early Native American "discovery", to its role in the sinking of ships, and on through to its performance in some of the most exciting water theater around. Readers not interested in some of the book's drier history would do well to at least pick up the book at the point where, in 1965, a couple of audacious, and slightly nutty, entrepreneurs attempt to scuttle a boat and establish a new nation named Abalonia on top of the Bank. Moving past that bit of hilarity, Dixon begins chronicling the Bank's recent surfing history, and the book's pace and intensity accelerate. In particular, Dixon does a great job delving into the psyche and motivation of the surfers who ride the Bank. In fact, unlike in Susan Casey's book The Wave where the surfers are described ad nauseum as fearless, almost godlike, hellmen, Dixon's approach is much more honest, portraying the surfers` in stark HD, capturing their glory along with all their warts....and there are plenty of warts to go around. Whereas I couldn't see Casey's book appealing to surfers or scientists, I can say with a high degree of confidence that Dixon's fine book is one that all surfers will enjoy. More reviews at The Waterman's Library.

2 people found this helpful

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Beau Smith

Perfect Storm Of Adventure And Science

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2012

Verified Purchase

All my life I've been a student of surf culture and related topics. I've picked up every book I could find on the topic and made a few piss poor attempts at mastering the longboard, (Think bear on a bike in the circus) needless to say, there's a reason why I'm landlocked in West Virginia. Big Wave surfing has always been a interest of mine and up until a few years ago, printed subject matter was a bit hard to come by. Ghost Wave by Chris Dixon is without a doubt, the best big wave book I've read yet. It captured me on three levels, surfing, the science of rogue waves and it was character written so well, I felt as though I was there with everyone mentioned in the book.

Ghost Wave would make an incredible documentary film or even an action film based on these events. This book will stay in your personal library. You will want to re-read it over and over. You may, as I did, research the events and people in the book to entertain and educate yourself on the topic of Big Waves. I look forward to Chris Dixon's next book whatever it maybe, I'll buy it. The guy can write!

I hope you enjoy Ghost Wave as much as I have. Money well spent and reading time enriched.

Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch

4 people found this helpful

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Fadetogrey

I Cried then Laughed and was Gob Struck the whole way!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2014

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I just finished reading Ghost wave and I must tell you that I am disappointed……..that it’s FINISHED. What the hell am I to do now? I certainly don’t expect a Ghost Wave 2 in 3D. I was absolutely riveted and this is the only time I was content when the doctor or dentist was late for my appointment. I carried that book everywhere and in the mornings often almost spooned mouthfuls of cereal into my ear. I shed tears in front of my family when I read out loud of Pete Davi’s tragic and last paddled into shore. We cracked up from the ranting of Long and Twiggs as they bobbed among 60 to 70 ft ft waves, “I say this is my ski and you can get #$%#@”.
I paused literally spooked to turn the page as you gave a spectacular account of the January 4th Cortez session. My eyes were wide open from Captain Mac Rae's maritime journeys to page 242. You brought me close to the awesomeness Mr. Dixon. The Awesomeness of nature’s deep power and the power of ‘men”. I won’t say you should be proud because I know you are. …and you should be. THANK YOU CHRIS DIXON for the wonderful work of creative insight. PS. If you ever write about K2 or Everest or anything else that is watery I WILL READ IT.

7 people found this helpful

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Henry Gladwyn

Very interesting once it gets going

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2013

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This book cannot make its mind up about being a book about big wave surfing, or a book about the cortes bank. I really wish the author had focused on the surfing element more because that was fascinating stuff. The storied tale of Cortes, to me at least, was less so. A slight shift in emphasis would have produced for a me a more enjoyable read.

That said, once it gets into the big wave surfing tale it's enthralling. There are some enjoyable side swipes at 'The Wave' by casey, which I enjoyed (both the book and the swipes) and a slightly more nuanced presentation of the big wave riding than one would noramlly see. As the author points out, big wave srufing is (by the standards of 'extreme' sports) quite safe. To my mind this makes his description of the surfers and their work all the more compelling. I cannot view them as modern day dragon slayers, but when they are presented as extraordinarily committed athletes, pushing the edge of their abilities, they are far more compelling.

I'd recommend the book, but skip the first quarter!

One person found this helpful

Andrew Bell

An excellent read, unputdownable

Reviewed in Australia on December 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

An excellent read, unputdownable....I just wanted more and more. A great insight into a surfing hoodoo and the unfathomable characters that make this epic leap out of the pages and swallow you up like a giant wall of thundering whitewater!

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