Too accustomed to fairly recent images of Californian surfers and skateboarders, it might come as a delightful surprise to see that adventurous subcultures have always shaped the landscape of the “Golden State”. A book released by Tom Adler, a publisher rooted in West Coast culture, titled “California Surfing and Climbing in the Fifties” uses text, paraphernalia, colour and black and white imagery gathered from a variety of photographers and private collections, in order to reconstruct the everyday life of the pioneers of surfing and climbing in 50s California. Reduced in size, yet rich in content, the book captures the spirit of a small group of individuals who have, ever since, shaped both activities, from the first ascent of Yosemite’s Half Dome northwest face to the first waves ever successfully ridden at Waimea Bay.
