Description
Book SynopsisSurfing and the Philosophy of Sport uses the insights gained through an analysis of the sport of surfing to explore key questions and discourses within the philosophy of sports. As surfing has been practiced dynamically, since its beginnings as a traditional Polynesian pursuit to its current status as a counter-culture lifestyle and also a highly professionalized and commercialized sport that will take part in the Olympic Games, it presents a unique phenomenon in the world of sport from which to reconsider questions about the nature of sport and its role in a flourishing life and society. Daniel Brennan examines the foundational issues about defining sports, their role in conceptualizing the good life, the aesthetic nature of sport, the place of technology in sport, the principles of Olympism and surfing’s embodiment of them, and issues of institutionalized sexism in sport and the effect that might have on athletic performance.
Trade Review"Reading this book felt like catching a long mellow wave on a summer’s evening: being gently pushed along through a wealth of philosophical literature framed by smooth, beautiful, and original writing. Daniel Brennan knows his philosophy and his surfing and has managed to weave the two together seamlessly. This book enables both the philosopher and the surfer to understand each other’s craft and its value."
-- Emily Ryall, University of Gloucestershire
"What a pleasure to read an expert perspective on surfing through the lens of philosophy. This book adds layers of philosophical depth to the experiences surfers have been championing for years."
-- Craig Sims, Bond University
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Surfing and Sport
Chapter 2: Waves and Wipeouts in Utopia
Chapter 3: Drawing Lines on Waves; surfing and the aesthetics of sport
Chapter 4: Making Waves: Surfing and Technology
Chapter 5: Surfing’s Olympian Moment
Chapter 6: Surfing like a Girl: Sexism in Surf Culture and Feminine Motility
Chapter 6: Surfing like a Girl: Sexism in Surf Culture and Feminine Motility
Conclusion
Bibliography
About the Author
