Surfing Product Reviews

All For a Few Perfect Waves by David Rensin

"The audacious Life and Legend of Rebel Surfer Miki Dora"

We spent our late spring/early summer beach days reading this 475 page authorized biography of Miki Dora, and the book made a lasting impression. "All For a Few Perfect Waves" could interest not only surfers (with or without prior knowledge of Mike Dora), but also those looking for a story about a man of charm who lived his life to his will only. At times the book is full of off the wall capers that only could be pulled off by surfers in the 60’s. At times it is full of sad and pathetic accounts of Miki Dora swindleding those close to him.

For the most part Rensin lets those that knew Miki do the story telling. Over 50% of the book is the words straight up from interviews with family, friends, enemies, lovers, and observers of Miki’s life. Rensin lets those folks that knew Miki the most weave a great portrayal of the legend. From gritty personal details no one in their right mind would want written about them after their death, to heroic tales of a free spirit yet concentrated man on his own path.

The only problem we had with the book is Resin’s portrayal of surf industry giants like Quiksilver. We’re told Dora spent his entire life after the Golden Days at Malibu swearing off those that profited on surfing. Later in his life he did form a friendship with a Quiksilver executive, even receiving a stipend from the company. However we believe that the surf industry, and mostly Quiksilver in general, was given too trusting of a voice in this biography.

The book does leave a lasting impression, as we felt a loss when we came to the conclusion after Miki’s passing. You put the book down and reason with the fact there there will never be another Miki Dora, there will never be another Golden Days of surfing in California. Rensin paints such an accurate picture of the advanced psychology of Mike Dora, that we come away with an idea of how Miki would pass through our lives had we had the chance.  For us, were pretty sure we’d be enamored by his charisma and cat like grace, until we were swindled by him out of something, only to look back later on the experience and think, that was one amazing soul.

Website
Amazon ($17.13)

Below is an excerpt from the book provided by the publisher that sums up a classic Miki story:

PHIL GRACE:

I’d like to get him going to tell me stories. One day we did a trip in my old Oak Cadet panel van, which was quite slow, a diesel. It was Trudy and myself, and Miki in the back, in the fold out back-seat. We were plying him with a few beers. It was a two and a half hour drive on a slow road. One of the stories was fantastic. Half of it’s probably made up. It was concerning Charles Manson. He said that in Malibu, the Manson gang was hanging around and they were quite threatening. He wanted to get on the good side of the gang. He said, “I told them about this party that was happening next week in Beverly Hills. I got this guy and said, tell your leader, there’s a really big party, a lot of pickings for you: drugs, cash, women. Get your boys up there.” They went up there, stole cars, money, and drugs. Turns out it was one of the Beach Boys’ houses. Miki said he wanted to get back at the Beach Boys for, well … being the Beach Boys, and he also wanted to get in on the good side of the gang. The guy said to him, “Thanks for the tip, we’ll remember this.” And Miki said, “It’s just between us.” Wink wink, nudge nudge.

PETER DAY:

When Ovidio and I were doing our documentary, In Search of da Cat,” we were watching Dale Davies’ films as research and there’s a very strange outtake of Miki standing at the beach at Topanga Canyon with some Family- looking types. It looks a bit like Charlie Manson; a very odd-looking geezer. I used to kid Ovidio and say Miki knew Charlie. Ovidio was, “No way, man; there’s just no way he knew anyone in the family. They’re fucking miles apart.” I said, “No, stands to reason. Topanga Beach, Topanga Canyon. Up and down the road.”Eventually we were driving around with Miki in South Africa, and I said, “Did you know Charlie Manson?” I was trying to wind Ovidio up, who was in the back seat. Miki said, “Yeah, yeah. I knew Charlie.” It sounds improbable, but that’s the story he told us. Whether Miki was lying or not, winding up some impressionable filmmakers, I believe he did meet Charlie Manson. I believe all those people in that community knew each other.