
Title : "Time Out" Ski Guide (Time Out Ski Snowboarding Europe)
Author :
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Best European Ski Guide by Miles!!!
Working out where to go skiing has always been a bit like Russian roulette: most of the time you get away with it but sometimes you have a nightmare of a trip. Not any more. This book helps you make an informed decision on where, when and what to do when you get there. It includes all sorts of info such as which runs to take on, which restaurants to eat at or which bars to frequent. And because all the European resorts are covered, once you've decided where to go this season, you can get to thinking where you want to go next time around as well!!
Love it.

Title : The World Stormrider Guide (Stormrider Guides)
Author : Antony Colas
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Nice on the book shelf but not a bible
Nicely presented with statistics and the such like , but a 'world summary' more than a world guide.Any core surfer is going to know about most of the places presented anyway. Also some strange choices - Israel ??! and Pernambuco ?? I lived in Brazil for six years and can definetly state that Pernambuco has the WORST surf in Brazil.Keeps you busy in the down time and the photos and oceanography info are excellent .

Title : Learn to Surf
Author : James MacLaren
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : It is the best.
It gives you all the information you need, even how to get along with your fellow surfers.

Title : The Stormrider Guide: Europe - Complete Colour Atlas and Guide to All the Surfing Locations in Europe
Author : Oliver Fitzjones
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Indispensable
You must buy this book if you're planning on going further afield than your regular break. I spent 8 months in France and found some great spots on the back of this book. And when you're stuck at home, you'll find yourself drooling over the pictures and mentally planning your way around europe!

Title : The All-mountain Skier: The Way to Expert Skiing
Author : Mark Elling
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : It just clicks ater reading this book!
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For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send!
The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board.
I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks!
The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions.
I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems.
One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised.
There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less.
By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift!
This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price.
Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.

Title : Surfing Europe (Footprint Surfing Guide)
Author : Chris Nelson
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : awesome
I've just bought this book and I have to say it's the best surf guide out there. Its got more spots than my Stormrider but it also has info on places to stay, surf shops, tips from top surfers, stuff to actually read - I don't know why no one's done this before. I'm off to France next week and this will definately be on my dashboard. Nice one.

Title : Allen and Mike's Really Cool Telemark Tips (Falcon Guide)
Author : Allen O'Bannon
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Drop the knee, not the bomb...
I'm the illustrator of this groovy book. If the following sounds like shameless self promotion...it is. 109 amazing tele-tips, what more could you ask for? I personally subjected my ski partners to my less than subtal research technique, I bugged 'em by asking every concievable question and making 'em try (almost) every tip in the book. The winter of 97/98 involved getting up in the morning and going backcountry skiing, then coming home and drawing bizzare cartoons of what subtal telemark insights I uncovered durring the day. The results are in this little book. People actually stop me on the street and thank me for improving their tele-skiing! If you telemark (beginner or expert, doesn't matter) you need this book; for example there is a funny cartoon of a guy puting a penny in his butt...really! Strange but true, this is a valuable tool to perfect this beautiful style of skiing. 'nuff said...Mike Clelland!

Title : Allen and Mike's Really Cool Telemark Tips (Falcon Guide)
Author : Allen O'Bannon
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Along side Parker's book telemark heaven is just a turn away
Relevent tips and humourous illustrations make this one of the most approachable books, in not just telemark, but all spheres of skiing. All you now need are snowy mountains.

Title : Caught Inside: a Surfer's Year on the California Coast
Author : Daniel Duane
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Accessible, reflective and informative
Following Duane from the fringes to the heart of (Californian) surf-culture feels like a personal experience. He writes poetically but avoids cliche by being self-effacing and objective. 'CI' combines diverse literary sources with the simple but physical sensations of surfing; but these are kept in perspective by Duane's reverence for the nature that envelops him. Beautiful.

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 : 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!!