New book

SURFING enthusiasts and art lovers can now own a piece of Tasmanian surfing history with the release of Leigh Steven’s long-awaited memoir.

The master surfboard shaper and now Torquay local has published his first book, The Last Glide.

For six decades, Steven was at the heart of Tasmania’s surfing story.

From the early days of surf discoveries on the island to the rise of modern design, his surfboards carried generations of Tasmanian surfers.

The first commercial shaper of his kind in Tasmania, Steven made more than 10,000 boards, making a profound impact on the local and national surfing industry.

 

More than a memoir, The Last Glide is filled with photographs of his surfboards from more than 60 years of shaping, classic surf shots of Tasmania’s best surfers, images of his landscape paintings, personal reflections, and untold stories from discovering remote waves in Australia’s most southern state.

Son Joel said it was incredible to know his father’s story would be in print.

“His story is really well known in Tasmania but he is more of an underground mythical figure in surfing on the mainland, so for his surfing life to be documented in a book is really special.

“Also if it wasn’t written down and documented it could potentially fade away, so for historical purposes I think it’s really important that his contribution to surfing is there forever for people to read.”

 

The Last Glide also recounts Steven’s first trips to Bells Beach to watch the Rip Curl Pro.

“There is a cool little connection to Bells Beach and how Dad used to come over every Easter to watch the contest and hang out with all the surfers and take photos of the latest surfboards and take that design inspiration back to Tasmania,” Joel said.

“After watching Simon Anderson win Bells in the biggest waves ever on his new three-fin thruster design, Dad went home to Tasmania and shaped the first ever thrusters in Tasmania and the orders came flooding in.

“In the days before internet this is how it had to happen – travel and witness design progression and take that knowledge back to Tasmania.”

The Last Glide is available in selected bookstops and surf shops and online at thelastglide.com