Making Mavericks: The Memoir of a Surfing Legend

I also really liked the movie. Exciting story of a young
man who intensely pursued his passion of finding the biggest surf
wave and his mentor who taught him how to surf and be the
best he could be. The man conquers this wave, only to die
a couple of years later, at about age 22, free diving in the
Maldives. But the book leaves the reader with hope, talking
about how his friends and family honored him by developing
the phrase "Live Like Jay" in memory of his passion and zest for
life. It reminds me of the book Broke Hungry and Happy, the story
of an extreme kayaker, who was dedicated and passionate about following
his dream of kayaking the world, He died at age 24 in a triathlon, but
left his friends and family the same message and hope: follow your
dreams, do what you love, and live life to the max. In his case,
the slogan, "Do it for Dave" came to life.

Caught this movie by accident. Didn' think it would be any good because of my past experiences with inspirational movie. But the casting of Butler was enough to sparked my interest. After 5 minutes into this movie, I was hooked. Butler's portrayal of Frosty reminded me of Star Wars' Obi Wan Kinobi. The teacher/student relationship remind me of Luke Skywalker and Obi. LOL.

I always wanted to surf but was discouraged by bad experiences with surfer dudes who take up a job teaching newcomers how to surf. They just kind of go throu the motion but not really give a damn if the students get it or not.

I bought Frosty's book looking for insight into the mind of an old master surfer. How he sees surfing and life. I was not dissappointed. Now I will suit up and go out there to surf again. With youtube, I got all the tips I need to start surfing again w/o paying these surfer dudes. Come to think of it, surfing can't be taught. You have to just go out there and figured it out by trials and errors.

Gripping read. Well presented. Loved it. Especially because I am from that part of California. I didn't surf (I was into hang gliding). But I could see the parallels between these two intense sports.

I read this in almost one sitting, completely captivated by it. It's a beautifully written story about truly heroic people.

Frosty as a human being seems to be refreshingly real and I am inspired by his story of following his dreams despite all adversity, which is something I always strive to do. I have always been fascinated by the sport of surfing, it must be such an amazing rush! I am only about a third of the way through the book but I am enjoying it immensely!

Alot of his memories and words of wisdom he learned from his childhood remind me of my own upbringing. I can't wait to see the movie!

This book is an amazing look into the life of a man who has had his fair share of tragedy, dedeat, victory and joy. Frosty Hessons' story is one that shows that this life is what we make of it. Our tragedies, our failures are not what define a person, it's how we handle what life throws at us that does. LIVE LIKE JAY, and I plan to from now on, giving my all and learning from each new experience and reveling in the joys and vicrories while reflecting on the lessons learned from my failures and those who come in and out of my life. Life is a gift and way too precious to waste. PLEASE READ!!!

This is a wonderful and inspiring book that everyone from pre-teen on will enjoy.
Even if you're not a fanatic surfing fan (which I am), this book will leave you
better for having read it. Most of all, it's a true story written by Frosty Hesson.
If you haven't seen the 2012 movie "Chasing Mavericks" please watch it and
read this book as well. One of the best I've seen and read in a long time.
Frosty Hesson is an amazing man and deserves every penny he's earned
from this book and the movie. Viva la Frosty!

A REVIEW OF MAKING MAVERICKS, A MEMOIR OF A SURFING LEGEND BY FROSTY HESSON
Making Mavericks by Frosty Hesson is an enjoyable read. It is a mixture of memories and of Hesson’s own philosophies about human nature and endeavors and about sports coaching. The subtitle, The Memoir of a Surfing Legend, is ambiguous because the bulk of the book is autobiographical, but the latter part of the book is about Hesson’s relationship with Jay Moriarity. Both are surfing legends. Both are interesting people. Hesson’s reflections about himself and Moriarity are both endearing.
The backbone of the book is Hesson’s coming to understand certain principles about life, athletics, relationships, and coaching. From his earliest memories to his coming to terms with Moriarity’s death at the end of the book, he builds ideas that he claims shape his own definitions of success, health, and direction. Throughout the book, these concepts are italicized, and the last four pages of the book—the Epilogue—are a restatement of those ideas.
Hesson seems to be a secular humanist in that he excludes God and spiritual reality from his musings, and he dwells on the importance of human capability and the strength people can demonstrate in dealing with their life situations and personal development. He stresses the significance of the mind and correct thinking. He also emphasizes independence and individualism in lifestyle decisions, clear decision making, and careful commitments in relationships. He makes no attempt to answer the big questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? What happens after death? Is there a God? Who is Jesus Christ?
A major feature of Hesson’s remembrances seems to be dealing with pain and loss, especially the death of close family and friends. These losses included his mother and his father, his wife of 19 years, and of Moriarity. His reactions were strong and deep emotionally. In each case relief seemed to come from throwing some sort of internal switch that basically said that a person must stand up and take responsibility, moving on to take what life has to deal us. “In life you have a choice: Either you’re going to continue on, or you’re going to stop right there…” (page 304)
Surfing can be dangerous, even life threatening. Hesson considers himself lucky—lucky to have survived. He says that life on the edge can be exciting. Highlights of the book include Hesson’s first encounter with the big waves at Mavericks, his first experiences on the swim team, learning construction, and beginning surfing. All took guts and at times were either devastating or thrilling. He also described dealing with his parents’ illnesses and eventual deaths and his father’s alcoholism. These definitely shaped his character.
Equally exciting is the description of Moriarity’s wipeout at Mavericks.
The book resorts to coarse language occasionally, notably in dialogue or Hesson’s self-talk. It has been years since I saw the film on Moriarity’s life, but I had trouble correlating my memory of it with Hesson’s memoirs. It seemed like chapters 40 (last visit with Moriarity) and 41 (a favorite memory about Moriarity) were out of order.

Having never surfed nor having an interest, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and the everyday life lessons that can be learned within the pages. I've since passed it on to my boys to read and hopefully gain as much from it as I did. I really feel that this should be required reading for students or at the very least, coaches of any sport should have their players read it. Highly recomended.

great book! I really enjoyed reading about frosty, jay and mavericks. I highly recommend this book. the movie is very different from the book so read it!