ABOUT THE BOOK

Captain Liz Clark spent her youth dreaming of traveling the world by sailboat and surfing remote waves. When she was 22, she met a mentor who helped turn her desire into reality. Embarking on an adventure that most only fantasize about, she set sail from Santa Barbara, California, as captain of her 40-foot sailboat, Swell, headed south in search of surf, self, and the wonder and learning that lies beyond the unbroken horizon.

In true stories overflowing with wild waves and constant challenges, at the whim of the weather, of relationships sweet and sour, of nature’s marvels and colorful cultures, Liz captures her voyage in gripping detail in her memoir, Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening, sharing tales of sailing in high seas, of solitude and surprises, of finding connection to the earth and commitment to living in harmony with it. She witnesses how her dream leads her to understanding the unity of all things.

More than ten years and 20,000 miles later, she’s still out there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Captain Liz Clark is a surfer and environmentalist who has been sailing the seas on her 40-foot sailboat, Swell, since early 2006. She is the author of Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening (Patagonia, 2018). Liz fell in love with surfing while earning her BA in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara. After college, she turned her dream of sailing the world into reality, sailing south from Southern California through Central America and the Pacific Islands. For more than a decade, she has kept her nomadic ocean lifestyle going through writing, blogging, photography, representing conscious brands, and earning recognition as a surf adventurer, environmental activist, and captain. She hopes to inspire people to live their passions and reconnect with nature and our inherent oneness. She was featured in the film Dear and Yonder (2009), and was nominated for National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2015.

STORY IDEAS

  • Steer With Your Heart, Live Your Dreams: Liz Clark’s discovery that being true to yourself is always the best course
  • Solo at Sea: The fears and gifts that come with solo travel (handling bad weather alone, safety when surfing alone, facing sexual harassment, learning to enjoy your own company)
  • Protecting the Environment: Practical, Immediate Solutions to Make a Positive Difference in the World
  • The Sea Sisterhood: Rather than being in competition with her fellow female surfers/waterwomen, Liz has surrounded herself with fearless, confident women who only want the best for each other
  • Staying afloat financially as a nomad, and how low-budget travel has pushed Liz to connect with more people, use local transportation, waste less, and become more resourceful
  • Liz’s Adventures with Amelia the Tropicat: Finding a connection to all living things, learning to let the wild stay wild, and Liz’s fundraiser to bring more veterinary care to French Polynesia in Amelia’s memory
  • Eating for the Earth: Liz has embraced an organic plant-based diet, to reduce her impact on the planet, and has found it to have a profound impact on her health
  • Take The #PlasticSwearJar Challenge: Commit to reducing dependence on single-use plastics
  • Safer sunscreen tips (one drop of sunscreen can contaminate enough ocean water to fill 6 Olympic-sized swimming pools!)
  • World Oceans Day is June 8, 2018

BOOK TOUR DATES

Wed 3/28 Patagonia Honolulu – Honolulu, Hawaii

Thurs 3/29 Patagonia Haleiwa – Haleiwa, Hawaii

Mon 4/2 Patagonia Cardiff – Cardiff, California

Tues 4/3 Hobie Surf Shop – Laguna Beach, California

Wed 4/4 Woman’s Sailing Association – Seal Beach, California

Thurs 4/5 Patagonia Santa Monica – Santa Monica, California

Fri 4/6 Patagonia Ventura – Ventura, California

Sat 4/7 The Sandbox – Santa Barbara, California

Sun 4/8 Bang the Drum – San Luis Obispo, California

Tues 4/10 Patagonia Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz, California

Wed 4/11 St Francis Yacht Club – San Francisco, California

Thurs 4/12 Proof Lab Surf Shop – Mill Valley, California

Sat 4/14 Big Wave Challenge Event – Bend, Oregon

Mon 4/16 Patagonia Portland – Portland, Oregon

Thurs 4/19 University Book Store – Seattle, Washington

Tues 4/24 Patagonia Austin – Austin, Texas

Wed 4/25 Patagonia St Paul – St Paul, Minnesota

Thurs 4/26 Patagonia Chicago – Chicago, Illinois

Mon 4/30 Patagonia Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tues 5/1 Patagonia Bowery – New York, New York

Thurs 5/3 Farias Surf & Sport – Ship Bottom, New Jersey

Fri 5/4 Cinnamon Rainbows – Hampton, New Hampshire