The salt-laced pages of The Surfer’s Journal aren’t just paper and ink; they’re a portal. Open one, and suddenly you’re not in your armchair anymore, but perched on a bluff overlooking a hidden reef break, the trade winds whispering secrets in your ear, the scent of wax and brine filling your senses as you wait for the next set to roll in. Meet Steve Pezman who along with his wife Debbee turned a vision into reality.
Steve Pezman: A Life Shaped by Surf
Early Life and Beginnings
Steve Pezman was born in Los Angeles in 1941, the son of a juvenile probation officer and an actress, and grew up in Hollywood and Brentwood. His family moved to Long Beach in the 1950s, and it was there, in 1957, that Pezman got his first surfboard, just before the “Gidget” movie ignited the surf craze.
By age sixteen, he was surfing the beaches of Orange County, including Seal Beach and the Huntington Cliffs, and soon became part of a tight-knit, pioneering surf community that predated the mainstreaming of surf culture.
Pezman’s early years were marked by an intense devotion to the ocean. He began skin diving in Alamitos Bay before fully embracing surfing’s spiritual and athletic challenges. He graduated from Wilson High in 1959, already known for his artistic talent and writing ability—skills that would later define his career.
His formative experiences included surfing legendary breaks like Trestles and making pilgrimages to Hawaii, where he rode big waves at Makaha, Waimea, and Sunset Beach during the early 1960s, a time when only a handful of surfers lived the North Shore lifestyle.
Shaping and Writing: The Foundation Years
Before his publishing career, Pezman shaped surfboards in Huntington Beach in the late 1960s, immersing himself in the hands-on craft and culture of surfing. He began writing articles for surf magazines, debuting as a contributor to International Surfing magazine in 1968.
His writing quickly gained attention for its thoughtful, soulful perspective on surfing—a reflection of his belief that “you are as a surfer as you are as a person. People surf the way they dance, the way they act. Personality is revealed”.
Surfer Magazine: From Editor to Publisher
In 1969, Pezman joined Surfer magazine as an editor and, within six months, was promoted to publisher—a role he would hold for over two decades. He took the helm at a pivotal time: the surfboard ad market had slumped during the Vietnam War, but a new surf lifestyle and clothing boom was just beginning to surge.
Pezman’s leadership helped guide Surfer through these transitions, cementing its reputation as the voice of the sport and culture.
During his tenure, Pezman interviewed icons and outsiders alike, including psychedelic guru Timothy Leary, and helped shape the magazine’s unique relationship with its readers. He became known for championing the soulful, artistic, and philosophical dimensions of surfing, rather than just its competitive or commercial aspects.
The Surfer’s Journal: A New Vision
In 1992, Steve and his wife Debbee Pezman—herself a former marketing director at Surfer—left their established roles to launch a radical new publication: The Surfer’s Journal. Their vision was to create a “National Geographic for wave-riding grown-ups,” a literary journal for surfers who saw their relationship with the ocean as lifelong and multi-dimensional.
As Pezman wrote in the inaugural issue, “A surfer grows into a waterman or woman. A person with a multi-dimensional relationship with the ocean… This publication is made for those grown-up surfers”.
The magazine broke with industry norms by focusing on long-form storytelling, expansive photo essays, and deep dives into surf history, art, and culture. It eschewed heavy advertising, instead charging a premium cover price and relying on reader subscriptions as its primary revenue source—a model that was almost unheard of at the time. “Our subscribers ended up being our major investors,” Steve noted, reflecting on the purity and sustainability of their approach.
The Surfer’s Journal quickly became beloved for its high production values, thoughtful content, and commitment to documenting the soul of surfing. It grew steadily by word of mouth, attracting an audience of passionate, discerning surfers, and became the only surf periodical in the U.S. by 2022, publishing in three countries and three languages.
Impact and Legacy
Under Steve and Debbee’s stewardship, The Surfer’s Journal set a new standard for surf publishing. The magazine became known for its “100-page well” in each issue, allowing stories and photo essays to unfold without the interruption of ads. Steve Pezman had an editorial philosophy that was expansive—once running a 50,000-word article on Nat Young, “like a book!”—and always prioritized depth over brevity.
The publication’s influence extended beyond its pages. Steve served as executive producer for The Surfer’s Journal TV show, was vice president of the Surfing Heritage Foundation, and sat on advisory boards for organizations like the Surfrider Foundation and the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association.
He also published several books and curated a collection of essays, Turn and Go!, chronicling five decades of surf writing and culture.
Personal Life and Philosophy
For Steve Pezman life has always been intertwined with the ocean. He and Debbee raised two sons—Shaun, who manages finances for the magazine, and Tyler, an artist and craftsman. The Pezmans have also been active in community service, supporting the Someone Cares soup kitchen in Costa Mesa, which serves hundreds of meals daily to those in need.
Pezman’s outlook on surfing—and life—remains grounded in the idea that mastery of the wave is also a journey toward self-mastery. “In surviving the wave circumstance, you learn lessons that you can use to survive the life circumstance,” he once reflected.
His writing and publishing have always sought to articulate the deeper meanings of surfing, offering a mirror for surfers to see themselves and their world more clearly.
Retirement and the Future of The Surfer’s Journal
After more than five decades at the center of surf culture, Steve Pezman has retired from day-to-day operations, entrusting the future of The Surfer’s Journal to Debbee, who resumed the role of publisher in 2022. As Steve himself once put it, “These things are like living organisms and you keep feeding them and changing their diapers long after they’ve grown up. If properly parented, they can and should be able to thrive without Mommy and Daddy hovering over them”.
Today, Debbee Pezman continues to captain the ship, ensuring that The Surfer’s Journal remains a beacon for surfers who see their passion as a lifelong journey—one that is as much about art, culture, and personal growth as it is about riding waves. Steve’s legacy endures in every issue, a testament to his vision, dedication, and the enduring stoke of a life shaped by surf.
As the sun dips behind the horizon and the tide pulls back, Steve Pezman has a story that reminds us that surfing is more than a sport—it’s a lifelong conversation with the sea, a culture, and a community. Through decades of shaping boards, crafting words, and building The Surfer’s Journal alongside Debbee, Steve helped preserve the soul of surfing for generations to come.
Now, with Debbee at the helm, the Journal continues to chart new courses, honoring the past while embracing the future. Their legacy is not just in the pages of a magazine, but in every reader who, for a moment, feels the salt air and hears the distant thunder of waves—reminded that the journey, like the ocean, is endless.
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