A New Book on the History of Southern Surfing by Professor Steve Estes

Dr. Steve Estes, a professor of history at SSU, recently authored "Surfing the South: The Search for Waves and the People Who Ride Them" (University of North Carolina Press, 2022). Professor Estes Estes undertook a journey that stretched more than 2,300 miles, traveling from the coast of Texas to Ocean City, Maryland. Along the way he interviewed and surfed alongside dozens of people—wealthy and poor, men and women, Black and white—all of whom opened up about their lives, how they saw themselves, and what the sport means to them. They also talked about race, class, the environment, and how surfing has shaped their identities.