Crazy for the Storm

By: Norman Ollestad

Narrated by: Norman Ollestad

From the age of three, Norman Ollestad was thrust into the world of surfing and competitive downhill skiing by the intense, charismatic father he both idolized and resented. While his friends were riding bikes, playing ball, and going to birthday parties, young Norman was whisked away in pursuit of wild and demanding adventures. Yet it were these exhilarating tests of skill that prepared "Boy Wonder," as his father called him, to become a fearless champion - and ultimately saved his life.

Flying to a ski championship ceremony in February 1979, the chartered Cessna carrying Norman, his father, his father's girlfriend, and the pilot crashed into the San Gabriel Mountains and was suspended at 8,200 feet, engulfed in a blizzard. "Dad and I were a team, and he was Superman," Ollestad writes. But now Norman's father was dead, and the devastated 11-year-old had to descend the treacherous, icy mountain alone.

Set amid the spontaneous, uninhibited surf culture of Malibu and Mexico in the late 1970s, this riveting memoir, written in crisp Hemingwayesque prose, recalls Ollestad's childhood and the magnetic man whose determination and love infuriated and inspired him - and also taught him to overcome the indomitable. As it illuminates the complicated bond between an extraordinary father and his son, Ollestad's powerful and unforgettable true story offers remarkable insight for us all

©2009 Norman Ollestad (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Great book.

Great book.
I grew up in Southern California not 30 minutes from Topanga Canyon and would head to the beach with my sister to watch the Surfers.
This book brought back so many memories.

Great story lacking performance

The author has a great story to tell, but writes with way too many dramatics. I wish he would have toned down his flowery writing and let someone else narrate.

good story line

good story line, moved along at good pace. love to listen to audio while driving.

Riveting

You couldn’t make this up. Increíble storytelling and writing. Every word hits home. I couldn’t stop listening.

Boy Wonder!

Aside from Norm Ollestad's monotone delivery of this audio book the subject matter is quite interesting. I am surprised that he lived through most of his dad's antics and predicaments!!

My Favorite Book

This book was well written and the author was a great narrerator. The author, though grown, did a great job of telling the story from his childhood perspective.

I could relate to the father and the boy. I loved the father and the boy from the beginning.

Very good book! Well written and well read.

I’m glad I took a chance in this one. I’m not into surfing or competitive skiing but this is a good listen.

Don't waste a credit

Narrator sounds the same if plane is crashing or he is sleeping. Boring and predictable.

Crazy For This Book

Because this book is mainly about a boy and his father, women might not find it quite as entertaining as myself. However, I must confess I found Tom Wolfe's "I Am Charlotte Simmons", about a girl, thoroghly entertaining. Although the story revolves around a plane crash, the adventerous stories of Norman's life leading up to the fateful moment, especially the trip to Mexico, maintain a high level of interest.

brutally beautifully honest

Norm is pretty dry. He lets the story do the telling. It won't disappoint.