The Art of Wave Riding

The Art of Wave Riding by Ron Drummond
 
***Winner of an Honorable Mention from The Fine Press Book Association Manhatten Fine Press Book Fair 2020***
 
The Story
Years ago, after seeing an original copy of The Art of Wave Riding up for auction online, I started researching the back story of this small non-fiction work that was clearly very sought after. Self published in a small edition in 1931, the book turned out to be one of the first books on the subject of surfing. Since it seemed to hold a special place in the world of printed surfing history, a fine press treatment was in order. It also felt like a perfect project to utilize an artist working in the photography medium, something the press had not yet tackled. The new editions aesthetic, from the choice of typefaces to the binding colors, pay homage to Californian surf culture.

The Artist
Kanoa Zimmerman is a photographer living in San Francisco. Book projects he has contributed to include Slow is Fast, Oaxaca, and Surfboards Hawaii. His underwater photography has been featured in The Surfer's Journal, Olo, and Victory Magazine.
 
The Book
Printed in an edition of 25 copies, it is 48 pages in length. The typeface used for text is handset 18pt Cooper Black, cast special for the project in-house on a Monotype Combination Caster. The sections headings are set in Delraye. The blue paper was custom made by the St. Armand Paper Mill, complete with a ``wave'' watermark. Kanoa Zimmerman's series of ten 35mm photographs were developed at Gamma B&W in San Francisco. The book is bound in-house, in a coptic style with orange thread over hemp cords. The cover is made from a variety of handmade paper colors from the St. Armand Mill. It is housed in a black slipcase.