From sunlight glinting through tubes of surf to longboards piled up on woody station wagons, nothing brings the golden age of American surfing to glorious break-filled life like the photographs of LeRoy Gannis. A surfer first and a photographer second, Grannis lived and rode among the people he snapped and it shows in the incredible intimacy of the images he captured during two decades watching the world’s best show off their skills on the breaks of California and Hawaii. This re-edition of his classic collection showcases pictures that shaped the image of the surfer lifestyle – from catching the perfect wave at San Onofre to wiping out on the north shore of Oahu, from fans massing at surf contests to surfers queuing up on the sand waiting to hit the water. Vibrant, energetic and lyrical, Gannis captured not just the excitement and the beauty of the sport, but also its hypnotic, bittersweet romance. This collection is a must-have for anyone who’s ever looked out at the waves and wondered.

Surf Photography Of The 1960s and 1970s by LeRoy Gannis (£30, Taschen)