Peter Troy OAM was the legendary first Australian surfer to explore the world with a surfboard under his arm. This book reveals hundreds of letters and postcards he regularly sent to his parents in the 4 years from 1963 on to 1966, describing his many amazing experiences on the road. Plus maps he kept, stories about friends he made, photos and so much more. 

Edited and compiled by Brendan McAloon and Sean Doherty, the first hard cover edition sold out almost immediately, and now finally this Limited Edition Paperback edition has been released by his wife Libby Troy. Get in quick before this edition sells out too. 

An original and influential Victorian surfer from the early 1950's pioneering Bells Beach, Troy left Australia by ship in 1963 and roamed the planet with a 9 foot plus surfboard under arm, from Europe to Hawaii, South America to Africa, introducing surfing to Brazil and discovering untold perfect waves, like Nias in 1975 off the coast of Sumatra. He was a pioneer, comparing lugging his balsa longboard around the globe to "travelling with a grand piano". But his surfboard was his letter of introduction, and his trail-blazing adventures etched his name into surfing folklore, inspiring a generation to look beyond their local beach. He documented every step of his remarkable journeys in letters home, which remained undiscovered until his untimely death in 2008. This is his story, of his first 4 year odyssey as he hitch-hiked into surfing history.

As a respected surfer, Peter was selected to demonstrate boardriding at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Peter went on to co-found the first Bells contest in 1962. He was European Champion in 1963 and went on to compete at Makaha in Hawaii and the World Title in Peru. In 1981, he was instrumental in developing a plan to create the Australian Surfing Museum in Torquay. In 2007, Peter was further recognised when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Peter passed away in 2008.