Ramon Navarro, a third-generation subsistence fisherman and farmer who lives on the coast of Chile at Punta Lobos, learned to surf on a busted surfboard left by a visiting surfer.  Since then he has become one of the top-ten big wave riders.  Editor Chris Malloy created the book The Fisherman’s Son: The Spirit of Ramon Navarro, which focuses on Ramon’s rise to big wave fame and how Ramon is using that notoriety to make his voice heard on activism issues. 

He has used his surfing accomplishments to protect his home break and he is admired around the world as an environmental activist: he fights resort development on the point, the building of pulp mills along on the coast and sewage pipes that pollute the ocean off Pichilemu.  Contributors to the book include surfers Gerry Lopez and Josh Berry as well as musician Jack Johnson.  This book is autographed by Ramon and part of the book and film proceeds will be used to support Ramon’s environmental efforts.

A personal favorite as worked in Santiago, Chile for 6 months in 2014 and while I have been to the coast several times, I have yet to get to Pichilemu.