Beyond the Board

From surfing legend Maya Gabeira comes this awe-inspiring memoir for teens about chartering your own course and making wavesBeyond the Board is the untold story of living legend Maya Gabeira who-at 25-broke her back and went on not only to recover but to hold the record for highest wave conquered by any big-wave surfer in the 2019-2020 winter season. Gabeira has been heralded as one of the top surfers of her generation, male or female-a legend in the making. But who is the ferocious personality beyond the board? Gabeira's memoir will chronicle her journey from a determined yet anxiety-plagued adolescent to the indomitable champion, Guinness World Record-holder, and role model she is today. Often called "Super Woman of surfing," Gabeira didn't pick up a board until age 15; before that, she was a ballet dancer. Just two years later, she left her home in Rio de Janeiro in order to chase waves around the world, toting a single backpack and waiting tables to get by. As a teen, Gabeira carved her own path, and her story is a remarkable one: a passion-driven young woman who learned never to flinch-even in the face of death.