Dimensions
154 x 232 x 29mm
Darren 'Daz' Longbottom was born to surf. The son of surfing pioneer and board maker Rossco, and brother to legendary big wave specialist Dylan, Daz paddled out with world champions from the earliest age. He was one of the over excited 'access all areas' grommets behind the rope when the World Tour rolled into Australia.
From those first surf experiences in Cronulla where they belonged in the waves alongside the very best in surfing, the Longbottom brothers would have to adjust to life as outsiders, finding their places in a new line up further south in Kiama.
Friendships were made in the ocean and on the soccer pitch. Dylan went on the road as a 'free surfer', while Daz went into a successful career within the surf industry, learning all aspects of the trade and setting up a successful business. Both brothers still found their way to go out and surf the most iconic breaks around the world. But this passion for waves would very nearly cost Daz his life, and would test his resilience and determination in unimaginable ways.
When Daz Longbottom said goodbye to his wife and baby daughter to go on a surf trip with friends to the remote Mentawai islands of Indonesia, it was the fulfilment of a long-held ambition. But he could never have imagined just how difficult the road home would be, or how his life would be changed so profoundly.
This is the tale of a freak accident, a terrifying rescue and the long and painful journey home. It is a story of coming to terms with the life-changing consequences that began with riding a single wave.
