Our One and Only, Mr. Neil Stebbins

A Heartfelt Tribute to One of Powder Magazine's Most Influential Editors

Words by Tina Cole / Photos and captions by Bruce Benedict

Message to Neil

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 had the honor of knowing 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.

Neil was a wordsmith and consummate editor. He 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.

Neil had a big hand in making Powder what it became and remains to this day. He combined Powder’s powerful photography with writing that surprised and hooked the readership with the free form, unencumbered written word. Neil set the bar high and kept it there.

It was and continues to be outrageously fun.

As it should be.

Neils’ third-floor apartment overlooking the ocean in San Clemente. I still remember staying there, hearing the waves all day and all night. It was magical, and nothing I’d ever experienced before. He was the editor of POWDER at the time, and I asked him why his place was full of surfboards and not a single pair of skis. I don’t recall an answer.

Dog tired with Karra in Arctic Finland.

“Long Thong Ago” at the Worst Western Hotel, Fraser, Colorado.

Chamonix giddy.

Foxing around.

The K2 Performer side of Neil.

We had fun. We had headaches inside the ice cave at the top of the Aguille du Midi, Chamonix.

Dreaming of being Dog Tired, Anywhere, USA.

To be fair…I did say “ski close to me.” Whistler Days.

Yup…by God we shall ski in Russia! We had some wild rides where they urged us to have “Sisu perkele” which they said roughly means to go crazy between the lines.

“Very Foreign Correspondents” enjoying Reindeer Stew for lunch waaay beyond Salla ski resort (lift/s), over the border into Russia.

On board our very own helicopter up in Canada at CMH covering a Willy Bogner catalog shoot. Left to right, Anke, Yarra, Stebbins, John Eaves, Willy Bogner, Marcus Wasmeier, Gotardine Tillman and Ace Kvale. On one of the last days, Willy said “Put away the cameras, now we ski for fun.” And we did!

Neil

Enjoying the view. Chamonix, France.

Neil passing the coveted Arctic Reindeer Driving Test near Salla, Finland. Way up dere.

Thinker Sailor Surfer Guy (From le Carré Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy).

Thank you Neil,

From All of US

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Neil Stebbins skyrocketed the direction of Powder in its formative years from 1975, onward through 1986, with his unique blend of smart, relatable, irreverent and ALWAYS FUN perspective, providing a voice that resonates within Powder's pages to this day. Neil passed on the morning of March 18, 2024 with a dear friend by his side and others all over the world thinking of him.