In surfing, the drop is the initial, thrilling descent down the face of a wave, like I the perilous slide into addiction. But in surfing, the way down can be the way up. Thad Ziolkowski knows this intimately. A lifelong surfer, he has been sur-rounded by addiction since boyhood. In this unique, groundbreaking book-part addiction memoir, part sociological study, part spiritual odyssey-Ziolkowski dismantles the myth of surfing as a radiantly wholesome lifestyle immune to the darker temptations of the culture, and discovers among the rubble a new way to understand and ultimately overcome addiction. Combining his own story with insights from scientists, progressive thinkers, and the experiences of top surfers and addicts from around the world, Ziolkowski demonstrates as never before how catching a wave is a unique means of riding out of the darkness and back into the light, a lesson that can be applied to other forms and activities to free us from the lethal undertow of addiction.