Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks

Have you ever seen a big wave? One that’s twenty, thirty, forty, even fifty feet tall? Here’s a better question: Would you ever surf a big wave? Sarah Gerhardt did ― and this is her story.

Growing up in Hawaii, Sarah learned to surf — but on little waves, the kind that most people surf on. But the bigger they were, the more fun she had! So she slowly started surfing on bigger and bigger waves, until eventually she was regularly surfing on waves 50 feet high.

It was hard being a female surfer, though: she had to use gear that was meant for men, and plenty of people didn't think she could ever surf a really big wave... like the ones at the Mavericks surf break in California. But in 1999, after years of practice, she rode the biggest wave of her life — and became the first woman to conquer Mavericks. This stunningly illustrated picture book is a tribute to the excitement of surfing, the power of the ocean, and the determination of this female surfing trailblazer.