“What I sensed was an energy far older and more powerful than anything I had known. It was the source of the sound I had heard in the distance and that sound was made by waves.”
NEIL STEBBINS
Writer. Surfer. Skier. Sailor.
Pilot. Car Guy. Editor.
Photo by Bob Barbour
READING THE WAVES
Surfing Stories – Fact or Fiction
The first book in the Neil Stebbins Collection, Reading the Waves is a compilation of Neil’s most notable surf fictions and essays from his prolific writing career. His characteristic wit and precision style cover a range of surf-related themes, from ripping commentaries on the commercialization of surfing to whimsical flights down the line of his imagination.
The twenty-eight pieces in Reading the Waves are meant to be read in no particular order. Choose away as you see fit. They amount to Neil’s gift, to a lifetime of surfing with friends. His way of paying it forward in the best way he knew how — with his remarkable writing skills.
Stories by Neil Stebbins
You don’t so much read the stories by Neil Stebbins as mind surf through them. Each story is like discovering a new break. You know it’s going to be good, yet you’re still surprised by how good it is. That’s how Neil’s stories are constructed, to let your imagination paddle into them. Take a quick drop into the first sentence, then enjoy the ride all the way to the unexpected end.
About Neil
“A wordsmith and consummate editor.”
“It will hit us hardest when our inboxes remain empty from Neil in the months and years to come. Many of us at Powder, ISki, and Surfer magazines had the honor of having Neil Stebbins as an editor, friend and writer of tremendous wit and depth, some for many decades.
We will deeply miss our erudite friend who sailed, surfed, and skied the world, piloted planes, test drove and reviewed speedy cars. Neil was a Renaissance man who read, wrote and lived life voraciously. His emails were a weekly, sometimes daily array of new ideas, artists, books, movies, blogs, travel journals and wonderful absurdities.”
— Tina Cole
“Neil wrote close to the bone. Precision prose. His short stories are lessons in how to achieve maximum effect with the fewest words. He always found room for humor. That was his release valve, in a way. A quip over a tirade will do just fine to get the message across, thank you.
Words last when they impart insight. Neil’s gift to readers were his insights into the mysteries of the human condition and, in his book “Reading The Waves”, the magic of surfing.”
— Kevin Naughton
“Neil would ask his writers to pitch him a story or suggest writing about something mentioned in a conversation. He never changed a word. That was highly unusual then as it is now. He believed in our voices and gave us that uninhibited freedom in our writing. He did not interject his thoughts or direct his take into any of our written work. His own writing was concise and delightfully wry, his photo captions priceless.
It was a pleasure and honor to write under Neil’s editorship.
— Tina Cole
“As a life-long contributor to Surfer magazine and the first editor in chief of Powder magazine, Neil had the good fortune to spend lots of time in the company of surf and ski bums. He was equally at ease in both camps, albeit too disciplined to be a card-carrying member in either. Ultimately, his first love was the ocean.”
