Beyond the Dream

When one of the world's most recognizable surfers, Joey Buran, paddled out to the world's most famous surf spot, Banzai Pipeline, on December 17, 1984, he knew his immediate destiny lay before him. For twelve years, he'd lived and breathed one dream—winning the Pipeline Masters, the world's most prestigious surf contest. It was the Super Bowl and World Series of surfing.

An hour after paddling out, Joey emerged from the warm Hawaiian waters victorious, conquering his greatest pursuit. But where to go from here? What does a 23-year-old do when he has already achieved what he knew to be his life's purpose to that point?

Welcome to Beyond the Dream: From the King of Pipeline to a Life of Serving and Inspiring Others, the much-anticipated memoir of Joey's enthralling journey from the California Kid adored by the surfing world to a highly respected minister nationwide. Written with fast-paced, bluntly honest, riveting storytelling that mirrors his surfing style, Joey shares his career-defining victory at Pipeline, to creating the United States' first professional surfing tour—then hitting a dark and rough spell that nearly cost him his life.

He emerged to find his spiritual calling as a well-respected minister on both coasts, serving others rather than his own career goals. This included creating the popular Worship Generation movement and church in 2000, aided by future music superstars Jeremy Camp and Phil Wickham.

And Joey went surfing again. Did he ever! In 1998, he won the World Masters Championship in thunderous 15-foot surf in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. In 2009, he received the highest honor in his sport, being inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame. Eight years after that, he coached Team USA to the World Surfing Championships title.

One of the most striking aspects is the author's narrative voice—it's as if we're back on the beach with him in the 1980s, toes in the sand, Joey keeping an eye on a ball that's moving in many directions. Now, the ball bounces toward finding and giving ourselves as women, men and youth in our daily lives. He writes in a heartfelt manner about how his maturation as a man, husband, parent and grandparent, minister, and sports coach effected a deep shift from serving himself as a professional athlete to serving others. As motivational and inspiring stories go, his story illustrates what is possible when we believe in ourselves, work harder than the people around us, and place absolute faith in God to guide us along our destined path—parts of Joey's Eight Pillars of Success which will leave readers asking for more.