
Title : Surf Flex: Flexibility, Yoga and Conditioning Exercises for Surfers (Sport Flex Series)
Author : Paul Frediani
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : This book LITERALLY saved my life!
First of all, I'll review the book, then I'll tell you how it saved my life...
As a 31 year old surfer, I knew that I wasn't getting any younger, I also wasn't getting any better at surfing. I needed a lift, one that could help me on days I couldn't get to, or it wasn't worth going in the water. This is it. Paul Frediani has written quite possibly the most important single book for surfers, ever published.
The book is a comprehensive training guide on flexibility, strength, suppleness and balance, written exclusively with surfers in mind. With contributions from top surfers, and watersports experts, it is also full of inspiring titbits.
The book is broken into four main training disciplines, Flex time, the Surf Flex workout, Cardio Conditioning and The Wahine (woman) workout.
The Flex time section is a basic yoga guide and guide to stretching and flexibility exercises. The exercises are accompanied by clear photos, and are a good starting point. (I would heartily recommend "Yoga - Learn Yoga - Beginners Class 1" video, available from amazon as an excellent beginning companion.)
Cardio conditioning is a section of beach, pool and dry land workouts to get your heart pumping and your body working. I heartily agree with Frediani that all surfers need to be good watermen and need to swim at least a mile. This will help you get there.
The Wahine workout, (wahine is Hawaiian for woman) is specifically designed to help women build their upper body strength and to avoid knee injuries specific to women. Highly commendable, and yes, some of the exercises are good for blokes too.
The piece de resistance is the superb Surf Flex section. This is a section designed exclusively to meet the needs of surfer. You will need a Swiss ball to make the most of this section, (imagine a space hopper with no ears.) You can get them from any good sports shop, or Argos, for about £15. Money well spent! You carry out different moves, whilst balanced on the ball, such as sit-ups, knee tucks, and even practice balancing on the ball, sitting, kneeling and then standing. This all works on the core muscles and impoves your neuromuscular system, (your balance in other words.) It is superb.
This will improve your surfing, no question, but it may be more important than that...
Feb 2003 I was surfing with friends in North Devon, and after a good days surfing, we were coming to the end of our second session. It was a pretty big day, easily overhead, and with strong offshores. Tired but happy I decided to get out back for one last blast when I was caught in a rip and dragged into the imact zone. Try as I might I couldn't escape. To make matters worse my leash ripped off and I was left stranded with 6 footers dumping on my head and no board. I am convinced that it is only the fact that I had been following this training regime that I am alive to talk about it. The strength, determination, and cardiovascular power I needed that day came as a result of this book. The doctors actually said that if it were not for the fact that I was extremely fit I WOULD have died. Now that is an endorsement!!

Title : Snowboarding Skills: The Back to Basics Essentials for All Levels
Author : Cindy Kleh
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Lots of useful tips.
A well laid out book which covers the basics but also offers tips on technique and common riding problems for more experienced snowboarders. Better than a lot of the other books on offer

Title : The All-mountain Skier: The Way to Expert Skiing
Author : Mark Elling
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Top notch - still a reference book for me
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons !

Title : Surfing: A Beginner's Manual
Author : Wayne Alderson
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A practical and clear introduction to the sport.
Wayne Alderson's book covers all the important issues necessary to give anyone who wants to start surfing a fun, safe and informed introduction to this sport. The book takes the beginner through the fundamentals in good detail with clear photographs and illustrations. Since the author is British it is geared to surfers in the UK. However it has a very sensible approach to learning the fundamentals of surfing that anyone can benefit from. It also covers all the ancillary issues such as equipment selection, safety and surfing weather in practical detail. Above all it is easy and fun to read. With more advanced techniques also included it provides support even to intermediate or advanced surfers wanting another angle on surfing at their level. I have surfed in the UK, in Japan, Indonesia and Australia and I find myself using this book as a reference time and again to help refresh and move my surfing to the next level. Read, surf and enjoy.

Title : The World Stormrider Guide: Vol 2 (Stormrider Guides)
Author : Antony Colas
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : well I know where i'm going surfing!
this book has shown me alternative surfing spots to Hawii! I now know what plane I need to save up for and catch!

Title : Caught Inside: a Surfer's Year on the California Coast
Author : Daniel Duane
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Great mix of wildlife, wild Calfornia and surf philosophy
I am a non-surfer but was totally absorbed by Duane's writing. In contrast to much sports writing, the great achievements are a subtext - it sounds cliché, but what underpins the book is Duane's choice to make a total change of lifestyle to achieve a dream and live more truly. Duane writes with a sensitive awareness of self and the environment that surrounds him. Sufficiently mature to be aware of when in a moment of anger he had become that which he hated and apologise for it, balanced by enough childlike humour to describe an otter 'backstroking' past him. His observation of the Californian coast is eagle eyed, from the mustard flowers and worn Cyprus trees to the seals, otters, birds and big cats that inhabit the world he shares. And then there's the surfing...! All in all a great book, if you liked El Capitan you will find this similar but much more fluid.