Review of Surf the Wasatch
Posted: 21 Feb 2025, 16:14
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Surf the Wasatch" by Billy McClain.]
In Surf the Wasatch: Meditations on backcountry snowboarding in the Wasatch Mountains, Billy McClain takes you on a journey that mixes snowboarding down a Utah mountain with Zen and Tao principles. You will learn about the importance of timing, the Wasatch Mountain terrain, snowboarding thrills and risks, trees, the animals that live on the mountain, and many other things about bringing peace and harmony into your life. Billy relates how meditation, philosophy, and snowboarding helped him overcome many obstacles in life that other sources, like churches, energy vortexes, etc., could not.
The history behind snowboarding and how Billy's experiences tied in with the beauty of nature and life itself was interesting. I appreciate the author's descriptive writing style and the inclusion of beautiful pictures throughout the book, as this combination made me feel like I was on the mountain slopes with Billy. The information about the different wildlife found in the mountains was educational. I had always thought that the fur on ermines and hares was naturally white all year round, not just during the winter. Billy's experiences and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter provided many life lessons regarding flexibility to change, peace, harmony, gratitude, and more. I never knew there were so many different forms of Zen meditation. Zazen, Kinhin, and Koan are a few examples. I had always thought of meditation as sitting in one spot while self-reflecting, but it can be done while standing, walking, and doing many other activities.
This book's positive aspects, life lessons, and educational qualities deserve a score of 5 out of 5 stars. It is well-written, with only two minor punctuation errors that did not detract from my reading enjoyment. While reading this book, I found no negative aspects to report.
Anyone interested in snowboarding, meditation, and philosophy will enjoy this book. I must caution sensitive and younger readers that it contains minimal non-borderline profanity.
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Surf the Wasatch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
In Surf the Wasatch: Meditations on backcountry snowboarding in the Wasatch Mountains, Billy McClain takes you on a journey that mixes snowboarding down a Utah mountain with Zen and Tao principles. You will learn about the importance of timing, the Wasatch Mountain terrain, snowboarding thrills and risks, trees, the animals that live on the mountain, and many other things about bringing peace and harmony into your life. Billy relates how meditation, philosophy, and snowboarding helped him overcome many obstacles in life that other sources, like churches, energy vortexes, etc., could not.
The history behind snowboarding and how Billy's experiences tied in with the beauty of nature and life itself was interesting. I appreciate the author's descriptive writing style and the inclusion of beautiful pictures throughout the book, as this combination made me feel like I was on the mountain slopes with Billy. The information about the different wildlife found in the mountains was educational. I had always thought that the fur on ermines and hares was naturally white all year round, not just during the winter. Billy's experiences and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter provided many life lessons regarding flexibility to change, peace, harmony, gratitude, and more. I never knew there were so many different forms of Zen meditation. Zazen, Kinhin, and Koan are a few examples. I had always thought of meditation as sitting in one spot while self-reflecting, but it can be done while standing, walking, and doing many other activities.
This book's positive aspects, life lessons, and educational qualities deserve a score of 5 out of 5 stars. It is well-written, with only two minor punctuation errors that did not detract from my reading enjoyment. While reading this book, I found no negative aspects to report.
Anyone interested in snowboarding, meditation, and philosophy will enjoy this book. I must caution sensitive and younger readers that it contains minimal non-borderline profanity.
******
Surf the Wasatch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes