Book review: All for a few perfect waves. The Biography of Miki Dora.

 Seen one to many guys with long blond hair wearing a Volcom T shirt and boardies? Been to one to many shops that have 25 boards and they're all 6'1 x 18 3/4 x 2.5? Seen one to many shots of Andy Irons somewhere hot with a million photographers?................Is surfing really that devoid of character and creativity?

 Reach for David Rensin's biography of Miki "Da Cat" Dora. Californian legend and anti establishmentarianist personified. The reason no one has inked out Miki's life before is the sly old fox is more secretive than an irish bishop in the Vatican, the truth just as hard to grasp.

 This book will have you laughing your head off, shaking your head disapprovingly, being impressed by focus but most of all, what endeared it to me was daring to dream. You could read this book if you weren't a surfer and for my money you would know a quirky corner of our beloved sports past that is genuinely "pure filth". I for one am a fan of this purely hedonistic, selfish, paranoid, thieving, lying lovable rogue. Grab a copy and sponsor a guy who has done a great job on a sticky wicket. Failing that, I've got one I'll happily lend you.

I couldn't summarise the book really, except to say this is a real Robin Hood story, there isn't  a man with more chinese whispers behind him and a cult following. A couple of quotes from a flick might include:

Ex girlfriend Barbara Sievers: On our first date, Miki had a long list of parties to go to, with the goal, I soon found out, to train me to "rifle hookers purses. pg 142

Gerry Kantor: One night in France Miki walked into this restaurant holding a copy of his FBI dossier.......pg 243.

Mike Hynson: The people I took LSD with considered it a sacrement. We planned for it and paired for it.....we were down in Mexico. We got in the ocean. We surfed  a little bit...Miki was as godly as he could be....pg 177.

Ron Smerling: We'd go into museums and he'd take spears right off the walls and pop wild animal heads into his coat. Then he'd go out and stick them in the car. I was scared shitless. pg193