Quotes heard on the beaches from Australia to Zimbabwe:
“This is one of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL stories I have ever read. There is so much there. It is so metaphysical, and yet so beautifully “of this world.” It is a great “teaching story,” in the tradition of great literature. And it is a coming of age story, and a love story, and of course a heroic journey. I am almost speechless with appreciation and admiration. You have not only written a book for our times, but a book for eternity.” – Janie ‘Alex’ Noble, spiritual teacher/life coach.
“Surfers have been reading and treasuring Kevin Naughton’s work for 40 years. Now the rest of the world can get in on the fun. Trout Rising is warm, wise, adventurous, soulful, and always funny — just like Naughton himself.”–Matt Warshaw, former SURFER magazine editor. Author of The Encyclopedia of Surfing and History of Surfing.
“The book is a wild ride. It flies higher, faster, farther than any book-for-young-adults I’ve read, including The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. There’s a wide world of knowledge and experience helping give this book its frame, its tensile strength. Thanks for letting me read this. It was a blast.” – William Finnegan, surfer/writer.
“Wow! My new favourite character is Trout! What a unique gem of a story – I LOVED IT! Couldn’t put it down, felt like I was tube-travelling in my mind reading it. The imagery is popping, such a great piece of work, a soul’s journey that taps into the psyche on so many levels. I imagine it’s going to feel different every time I read it. Really felt it was one of the best stories I’ve read in a long time, so fresh and exciting but totally accessible and humble. It’s a must read for EVERYONE.” – Easkey Britton, 5x Irish Women’s surf champion.
“This book is incredible. It will be fiction to some, and non-fiction to others, but all will love it.” – Donavon Frankenreiter, professional surf / traveler / raconteur
“Trout Rising is required reading for anyone who ever held a surfboard and wondered what it was all about.” — Craig Peterson, surf travel photographer/writer
Murphy’s Bookstore/Tonnta magazine review
Siopa Leabhar O’Murchú
Trout Rising/A Surf Novel by Kevin Naughton
Many surfers would be familiar already with Naughton’s writing from his Surfer magazine articles, along with his humorous recounts of Mexico and Easkey in previous editions of Tonnta. In the 1970s and 80s he travelled around the world with surf photographer Craig Petersen exploring and documenting exotic surfing locations well before the budding surf travel industry made them popular.
But making the jump from magazine contributor to novelist is a quantum leap that many would-be writers have sadly fallen to their authorial deaths in trying. With Trout Rising however, Naughton has spring boarded seamlessly into the world of fiction writing and produced an imaginative and really well-crafted work abounding in New Age sensibilities and surf wisdom.
The story is about a young Californian surfer Trout, an honest lad from out of town, who is learning to surf but is ostracised by the local surf community. One day while surfing Trout discovers a genie in a bottle that, as tradition would have, grants him three wishes. So yes, this book is pure surf fantasy. But once you suspend your disbelief, turn the pages and go with Trout on his amazing journey, a whole new and exciting world of surfing adventure opens up before you.
Trout’s journey with a bunch of otherworldly ‘soul’ surfers takes him wave riding, beautifully described with keen insight and authority, to some incredible locations including Ireland, Hawaii, South African and Australia.
Along the way Trout becomes a fantastic surfer and falls in love with a striking Spéirbhean while discovering the mysterious secret to the identity of his new friends.He also meets The Shaper, a God-like identity, who guides him to the Labyrinth where Trout must overcome his fears and find his way through a maze of choices to help enlighten himself and save his new love.
The book races towards a most satisfying conclusion and is well set-up for another instalment. I look forward to going on more adventures with Trout as there is a bit of him in all of us who travel, surf and imagine. In short, this is a brilliant first novel suitable for readers of all age. Surfing literature finally has its first fully-fledged surf fantasy writer.
Five pint rating.
Trout Rising 
So stoked its published. Enjoyed the heck out of it in Baja when Glen Horn let me read it.
I’m muy stoked too, Boots. Hope you get a chance to read the book version with revisions and improvements. Let me know what you think.