Rating: 
Summary: Only surfing book worth rereading...
Review: ...there is some significant information in this book that doesn't show up in other fluffy beginner's books.For example, I'm new to surfing (been out about 8 times), and I've reached the point where I'll get killed if I continue doing push-ups through waves of any reasonable size. I keep coming back to this book because this is one of the few beginner's manuals in my stash which tells you about "Scoot 'n Shoot" and "Slice 'n Duck" to deal with paddling out through larger and larger waves. The book is essentially split into a beginner's section (on how to catch waves, paddling out, being in trim, etc...) and then an intermediate/advanced section on cross-stepping, turning, cutting back, noseriding, etc... I mean it's really wonderful to have a book that shows me what I can look forward to, even though I don't expect to be doing 360's or floaters anytime soon. I've yet to find a book this comprehensive on longboarding - I dare say that if I were stuck on an island in the South Pacific with nothing but my stick and one book, this one would be it. If you can overlook the shortcomings of this book, I'm sure you'll get something out of it. I continue to get hints out of the book after every reread... ...advice in the book begin to make a lot more sense after some experience. Oh yeah - the lingo in the book makes it a little difficult for the first time read, but with the glossary in the back, it's not that bad. In fact, wouldn't you rather learn what "digging a rail" really means so you can communicate with your fellow surfers in their language?
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Primer
Review: A good primer gets novices into the sport but doesn't swamp them. This does the trick. Pray for surf!
Rating:
Summary: Good, with one (serious) caveat
Review: A good, no-nonsense book that should have beginning longboarders up and annoying shortboarders in no time flat. Werner covers the basics without any mystification, cutting through the crap and helping people understand just what that 747-sized piece of expoxy doing under their feet. Two (I lied) quick caveats: 1) Werner's style isn't for everyone, however, replete as it is with somewhat self-conscious "wannas" and "gottas" and "doyas." You either nod along, or toss the book across the table. 2) For a beginner's book, it is somewhat strangely deficient in really getting inside how a board is trimmed. From Werner's point of view as a long-time surfer it may feel as straightforward and logical as he describes it, but from a beginner's point of view there are all sorts of painful subtleties that Werner glosses over. Too bad.
Rating:
Summary: Overall, a very good book for novices.
Review: After reading the others reviews, I was a little hesitant to order the book so I found the book at a local store and flipped through it. I liked it and bought it. I've been surfing for about 9 months and was looking for guidance learning to cross-step and ride the nose. I'd tried to search the web but all I found was information on longboard skateboards. Although it's simliar, there are some big differences, so I ended up buying the book. The book gave me the instruction I was looking for regarding how to position my board in the wave and my feet on the board during cross-stepping and nose-riding. It also gave me some good points on surfing waves in general and turning. I found the more advanced tricks a little harder to understand but I think I have the concepts down and am looking forward to trying them out. I think some of the other reviewers were a little hard on the book for its "lingo." Like any specialty, surfing has its own vocabulary and in order to describe it succinctly you might need to learn a few new words, so be it. Overall, I think this is a very good book for a novice.
Rating:
Summary: Overall, a very good book for novices.
Review: After reading the others reviews, I was a little hesitant to order the book so I found the book at a local store and flipped through it. I liked it and bought it. I've been surfing for about 9 months and was looking for guidance learning to cross-step and ride the nose. I'd tried to search the web but all I found was information on longboard skateboards. Although it's simliar, there are some big differences, so I ended up buying the book. The book gave me the instruction I was looking for regarding how to position my board in the wave and my feet on the board during cross-stepping and nose-riding. It also gave me some good points on surfing waves in general and turning. I found the more advanced tricks a little harder to understand but I think I have the concepts down and am looking forward to trying them out. I think some of the other reviewers were a little hard on the book for its "lingo." Like any specialty, surfing has its own vocabulary and in order to describe it succinctly you might need to learn a few new words, so be it. Overall, I think this is a very good book for a novice.
Rating: 
Summary: Some useful parts, but much less than it could be
Review: As a longboarder, I found this book quite disappointing, and at times even insulting. Mr. Werner treats longboarding as an inferior form of surfing that only people unable to shortboard would bother with. He seems to feel that all longboarders secretly wish to be shortboarders, and he spends a lot of time discussing the ways in which one can do shortboard maneuvers on Bill Stewart's modified longboards. The interviews with Bill Stewart are the worst part of the book. To listen to Mr. Stewart one would think that he invented the longboard, rather than just an interesting variant. This book does have a number of useful tips and photographs, and is worth looking over at the library. However, it is critically flawed by the author's failure to present longboarding is an art form in its own right, rather than just the next best thing to shortboarding. Many supurb surfers prefer longboards, and feel as I do that classic longboard surfing has a lot more artistic and spiritual potential than does most shortboard surfing. Watching a great longboarder hang ten sends chills down my spine; I've never seen a shortboard maneuver that could compare. If you are stoked on longboard surfing, I highly recommend watching videos of Joel Tudor and classic surf movies like *The Endless Summer* and *Big Wednesday*.
Rating:
Summary: Some useful parts, but much less than it could be
Review: As a longboarder, I found this book quite disappointing, and at times even insulting. Mr. Werner treats longboarding as an inferior form of surfing that only people unable to shortboard would bother with. He seems to feel that all longboarders secretly wish to be shortboarders, and he spends a lot of time discussing the ways in which one can do shortboard maneuvers on Bill Stewart's modified longboards. The interviews with Bill Stewart are the worst part of the book. To listen to Mr. Stewart one would think that he invented the longboard, rather than just an interesting variant. This book does have a number of useful tips and photographs, and is worth looking over at the library. However, it is critically flawed by the author's failure to present longboarding is an art form in its own right, rather than just the next best thing to shortboarding. Many supurb surfers prefer longboards, and feel as I do that classic longboard surfing has a lot more artistic and spiritual potential than does most shortboard surfing. Watching a great longboarder hang ten sends chills down my spine; I've never seen a shortboard maneuver that could compare. If you are stoked on longboard surfing, I highly recommend watching videos of Joel Tudor and classic surf movies like *The Endless Summer* and *Big Wednesday*.
Rating:
Summary: If you surf, or plan to surf, read this book!
Review: Doug Werner has written a wonderful beginner's guide to anything and everything to do with longboarding. An extremely easy read, Longboarder's Start-Up has photos and descriptive text that literally walks you through the basics of longboarding. From the design of the board and how it effects different aspects of your ride to paddling out to standing up to shredding the wave on a vicious cut-back, Doug's casual style and crisp humor give the feel of receiving a world-class surfing lesson from your local surf bum. Interviews with pros and loads of great action shots make this as interesting a read as your favorite surf mag, only you don't have near as many pictures of beach babes. Altogether, this is a great addition to your library. Don't forget to bring it on your next beach trip.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the read ... And a second read
Review: It is a very informatitive book, It helps you identify what type of long board you will need to get the most out of your surfing, It also goes into great detail on how to get up, trim, and ride the board.
Rating:
Summary: Hope you already know how to surf...
Review: This book is written by a shortboard surfer who has taken up longboarding and is written exclusively from this perspective. If you know how to surf or have some working knowledge, the book has some good points. If you're a rank beginner, this is not your best bet for learning. As a beginner longboard rider, I found useful information about evaluating a longboard design (picking a board). The surf ettiquete section explains the basics but lacks visual guides for the rank beginner. Much of the remainder of the book describes how to perform shortboard type manuvers on a longboard - not of much use for the beginner. I agree with another review that the language of the book is in true surfer lingo (dude). That may be ok for the surf culture but seems unprofessional when reading an instructional book. In all, I found better information, free, surfing the web for info. The info included diagrams of wave structure and formation, and surf ettiquete. I'll probably purchase a true instructional video and sell the book back.
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