Issue No. 08 Winter 2024

Hello all and welcome to our Winter 2024 issue. 

We've got another packed set of pages for you to endear as you find that place where you retreat to find warmth and comfort from the cold harsh climates that most of us experience this time of year. 

Jen Murphy is back to tell the story of famed big wave windsurfer and all-around athlete Sarah Hauser. Sarah holds back-to-back world records for the biggest waves ever windsurfed by a woman and shares the emotional struggles she battled to stay focused after learning of her husband's health diagnosis. Our friend Brian Bielmann returns to recount his visit to the Jersey Shore for the See.Hear.Now festival getting an opportunity to capture "the Boss" himself along with a number of other musical heroes during the shows. We're excited to debut the photography of Chris Burkhard in this issue as he brings us to the epitome of winter surfing through the icy cold images of Norway and the majesty of its Northern Lights by campfire light. If that wasn't enough, Chris Christie heads even further north to the freezing cold waters of the Arctic for a paddle adventure that takes in the majesty of the fjords of Greenland while staving off encounters with curious and potentially dangerous wildlife. 

Speaking of Greenland, we took a deep dive into the arrest and incarceration of Captain Paul Watson who was apprehended by Danish police when he stopped in Nuuk to refuel before continuing on a campaign to intercept Japan's newest whaling factory ship in the North Pacific. Watson is a renowned life-time environmentalist who was named by Time magazine in 2000 as one of the Top 20 environmental heroes of the 20th Century. Watson has been imprisoned in Greenland for over 100 days now for campaigning against the illegal whaling practices of the Japanese. The time has come to let that man go.

As we go to print, we find ourselves on the back side of a presidential election. I know this one was especially tough for many of the folks I spend time with on the water. Following the announcement of the election results, I was reminded of the teachings from our late friend Jay Nichols who talked about red mind versus blue mind. I hope that this new administration considers a blue mind strategy when addressing the issues that threaten our environment. Some things have been said by the incoming president elect that has me thinking otherwise. We have a lot of work to do to bring some balance to the planet and time is not on our side. There are a number of groups and organizations doing the necessary work and I pray that they receive the support and incentives necessary for them to be successful. Bringing clean energy and thinking to the industries that contribute most to pollution is of paramount importance to the health of our oceans. Does Donald Trump surf? If not, someone needs to get that man onto a board immediately ensuring that he falls deeply in love with the ocean in a way that is incomparable to any other person in human history. I'd like to offer a free life-time subscription and huge pat on the back to the person who does.

Thank you as always for all the love and support. See you on the water,

Russ