Kanga is more than a surf biography—it’s a surfing odyssey of vision, conflict, and - ultimately - personal transformation, told through the life of one of surfing’s true pioneers.
Kanga – The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns on the outset is an powerful blend of sports biography and surfing history. It follows the extraordinary life of Ian “Kanga” Cairns, a dominant surfer who emerged from the shores of Western Australia to challenge the world's most powerful waves in Hawaii—and who was pivotal in transforming surfing into the global sport it is today.
In the early 1970s, professional surfing was still in its infancy. Driven by his own passion and ambition, Ian joined a small, determined tribe of surfers who dreamed of traveling the world in search of perfect waves, and the possibility of turning their lifestyles into a living. Against the odds, they made it happen. This is their inside story.
Told in two volumes, Kanga: The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns details the rise of professional surfing from its roots in the 1950s to its explosive growth into a billion-dollar industry with Olympian athletes. Cairns offers a raw, firsthand account of the highs and lows, the rivalries, the politics, and the sacrifices behind surfing’s evolution.
Volume 1 traces Kanga’s journey from a teenager in Sydney and Western Australia to becoming a dominant force on Hawaii’s North Shore. Along the way, he faces not only monstrous waves but internal and external battles while pushing for respect, independence, and a way to make surfing more than just a pastime. His mission hits an explosive turning point in 1976 as major shifts rock the sport. Within weeks of each other, the Bronzed Aussies, International Professional Surfing (IPS), and the notorious Black Shorts all emerge—all vying for influence, power, and control in the growth of professional surfing. As tensions rise, the stakes grow deadly serious. Kanga finds himself firmly at the center of it all, winning events in massive surf while navigating fierce turf wars that will shape the future of competitive surfing.
Volume 2 reveals Kanga's powerful story of downfall, redemption, and resilience. After relocating to California to expand the Bronzed Aussies and work on the cult surf film Big Wednesday, Kanga renews his legacy by coaching a new generation of American surfers. He founds the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), directly challenging Fred Hemmings and the Hawaii-based IPS. The resulting power struggle becomes personal, political, and once again dangerous.
In 1986, it all unravels. A massive riot at the world’s biggest surf contest sparks Kanga’s rapid fall from grace. He resigns as ASP’s CEO and retreats to Western Australia, only to face a string of painful personal failures.
But this story doesn't end there.
In 1991, Kanga returns to California with a mission to rebuild his life. Facing new rivals and old ghosts, he navigates an industry that’s now a commercial maelstrom where the heart of surfing is sorely lacking. With the massive strength and stubborness that births champion athletes, Kanga battles to reclaim his legacy.
Scarred but wiser, Ian Cairns stands today as a living legend whose influence helped define the modern day sport of competitive surfing. Kanga: The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the sport’s progression—from the shortboard revolution to today's high-performance surf culture, wave pools and hardships. It is the history of the professional sport, told by the man who stood at the center of this great revolution.
Book Specs:
- Vol 1: 464 pages
- Publication date: April 16, 2018
- Language: English
