Summer 2020

Everyday Heroes:

Creating a Publisher’s Note is never easy. This one is no different. The past 4 months have been mind blowing, frustrating, dark and heavy. When we pushed the Spring Issue of Standup Journal to print, the brushfire of the coronavirus was racing across the globe. We narrowly eked out our Spring Issue before doors began to close, and finally the country shut down.

Lock down. Quarantine. Virus. These are the words that have become commonplace. Here in New York, we’ve witnessed unspeakable things, tragedies and numbers that defy the human capacity for understanding. To say that it has been hard is relentlessly inadequate. We are crushed, in full surrender, grief stricken by the staggering amount of losses incurred due to COVID-19.

Here, at Standup Journal, we seek to give you the happy news. To offer respite from an often chaotic world by bringing you to the water, in full glossy, robust color and highlighting the inspiring people who thrive in it and on it. However, in times like this, it seems more than appropriate to address the reality, the state of our economy and the real concern American citizens are facing. We love you all.

This issue of Standup Journal is dedicated to each and every one of you, the everyday heroes who are right now putting food on the table, showing up for work in hospitals, post offices, grocery stores and more to keep the economy going. We rely on your massive shoulders to bear our weight. And, we thank you.

Within each and every one of us is an everyday hero. Each man & woman holds the innate capability to unfold their greater inner strength to uphold the people around them. We see you and know you are there.

Our Summer Issue, planned months ago, leans heavily on the people we know who have, day by day and brick by brick, built their family business (See “Infinity Surf: 50 Years of Shred”), and moved out of their comfort zone to try something new (Maria Andres: Roughing it Among the Rivers & Ancient Rock Formations). There are those who’ve risen through the ranks to achieve lifelong dreams (Erik Logan’s interview on becoming World Surf League’s new CEO) and the inspired among us who take the time - every day - to clean up our beaches to help preserve the environment (Russ Scully in “My Story of Plastics”). Thank you. Thank you all for showing us that it is in the everyday tasks and our intentions, when aligning our actions with our truest values we believe that draws out our hero status.

There is no magic, no golden wand to confer who is a hero and who is not. We each decide, moment by moment and day by day, to pick up the gauntlet and turn the wheel, through sweat and tears, in the direction that we want to go. I hope the issue in your hands can inspire you, to rise up, get out on the water where solace and serenity speak, and decide for yourselves which direction you wish you go. We will meet some of you on the road to a happy destiny. Others, we will cheer on from the sidelines, sending nothing but positive vibes and heartfelt hoots of gratitude.

In this moment, the United States is at a crossroads, a desperate turning point and, I believe, it is up to each & every one of us, to choose wisely what we will do next. What will you stand for? How will you protect your family? How can we restore the strength and integrity of the American people through our love of water, each other and the values we hold dear? What part will your inner hero play out in the coming months?

We’d love to hear. All letters to the editor are read, taken to heart and considered. Please keep writing. We hear you.

Aloha,
Evelyn