About the Author
Working-class American adventurer Devon Raney was born in Goleta, California, and currently lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife Rebecca and daughter Madrona. Devon fell in love with surfing and skateboarding at an early age and went on to spend most of his life riding a board of some kind. Devon has spent countless hours searching for good waves, smooth snow, and flowing skate parks. He spent a decade as a construction project manager before starting his own homebuilding company in 2007. A year later, in September 2008, Devon hit his head on the hard sand bottom while surfing in Northern Oregon. He lost 85 percent of his eyesight as a result of a genetic disorder triggered by the head trauma. Devon and Rebecca are the owners of YES Please! Coffee and have been successful business owners for nearly twenty years.
About the Book
Before a surfing accident caused thirty-three-year-old Devon Raney to lose all but 15 percent of his vision, he had already lived an extraordinary life. Time and again he’d gone against the grain to maximize time for his passions—surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding—bringing him into the direct path of colorful characters, unexpected adventures, and even the occasional brush with death. Through it all, Devon’s commitment to outdoor adventure never wavered. If anything, he learned to approach the other commitments he would make in life—as a husband and as a father—with the same passion and dedication he’d applied to board sports.
Devon navigates his visually impaired world in a way that makes it hard to recognize his disability. He remains active in the passions he has known since childhood although he takes a very different approach these days and often has help from a friend. Still Sideways is his memoir and second book.
Endorsement
"Devon’s story is a testament to the power of board sports as common ground as much as it is a story of perseverance. He embodies the joy of sliding sideways."
- Colin Wiseman, Senior Editor/Content Director of The Snowboarder’s Journal
"Devon demonstrates, via a life of courageous adventure and humble determination, that it's not what you've lost that defines you but what you do with what remains."
- Timmy O'Neill, cofounder of Paradox Sports
"Devon is a great voice for the visually impaired community, showcasing that not all blind individuals use canes or see just darkness. Visual impairment is a spectrum and Devon displays all colors of that spectrum."
- Justin Bishop, visually impaired skateboarder and inspiration for Project Bishop
Specifications
- 272 pages, full color throughout;
- over 60 photos
- dimensions: 14,6 x 21,6 cm (5 ¾ x 8 ½ inches)
- printed on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper
- hardcover book
- Made in Canada
Publisher
Patagonia
Materials
Printed on 100% postconsumer waste recycled paper
Made In Canada