LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
4/30/2007 11:23:26 AM by
JIMMY’S WORLD
As a lifelong football fan, I almost choked on the pork rind I was eating when I saw Jimmy Johnson on the cover of Wave and read the article inside. I had no idea he was as passionate about fishing as he is about football. Great job! Great cover! Great article! Touchdown!
— Frank Kellogg
Football Fanatic
Oklahoma City, OK
Editor’s Response: Looks like we should have added a disclaimer on the article! Glad you didn’t choke on that pork rind! I must say I had the time of my life meeting and interviewing J.J. As fierce as he’s been on the field, he’s one of the most down-to-earth and humble men I’ve ever interviewed. Here’s a photo of me interviewing him on his private beachside residence in the Keys. I’m proud to add him to my resume with other legends I’ve interviewed including Maya Angelou, Mariah Carey, Bill and Hilary Clinton, His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama and several Miss Universes. Stay tuned for my interview with boating and fishing aficionado President George Bush, Sr.
SURF’S UP
I love your magazine and was impressed with your feature a few issues back on the best volunteer organizations on, in and around the water. I wanted to share with you some of the work I’m doing around the world through the i-to-i organization. Riding turquoise-blue waves on a surfboard is how many unwind from the daily grind. For poor children in South Africa, it’s a much-needed empowering experience that I want to help them gain through my love of “therapeutic surfing.” Instead of turning to crime, they catch a wave. In addition, the kids learn how a business operates by working at the school’s café and learning to write grant proposals. One graduate of this program is now on the International Surfing Tour.
— Katie Christopher
International Volunteer
Denver, CO
Editor’s Response: Thanks for your inspirational letter. I did some research on you and i-to-i and discovered that not only are you changing lives in South Africa, but in January 2006, you took part in an i-to-i adventure in Jaipur, India, where you replanted natural vegetation, observed migratory and resident birds, and increased conservation awareness at schools. Way to go! I encourage all our readers, clients and contacts to go to MeaningfulTravel.com to join i-to-i’s 5,000-plus volunteers in contributing to the organization’s more than 500 projects in 30 countries, totaling more than 1 million hours of service opportunities worldwide. In my opinion, there’s no better way to spend a vacation than by making a difference.
NAVY NIGHT
I want to thank you for the great time you showed me and the rest of the American and German Navy out on South Beach! I wish we could have continued on with you after the last venue we visited. I enjoyed talking to you and your contacts very much and am sure that the evening had only just begun. I hope we can continue a dialogue. At the very least, I hope I can provide you a vision of the Navy you may not have seen before. I appreciate you taking the time to advise me a little on how best to pursue my writing. I have included the introductory piece of one of the stories I’m writing. I’m looking forward to your thoughts!
— LCDR Stephen F. Fuller
Executive Officer
USS MAHAN (DDG 72)
Editor’s Response: Stephen, I’m glad I had the opportunity to show you and your comrades around town. I read over your story and I think most publishers in America would consider you a seasoned novelist. I’ll forward your draft to a couple of my editorial and publishing contacts. Maybe next time we meet you’ll be a published author! Best of luck and keep me updated on your worldly travels.
TRAVEL A-Z
I enjoyed reading your article entitled “Travel A-Z” in your April issue in which you cleverly linked each letter of the alphabet to a “not-to-be-missed” water locale in the world. However, I must disagree with two of your selections, namely, the choice of destinations for the letters “B” and “I.” For the former, there’s no water-based resort better in the world than the seven-star Burj
Al-Arab Hotel in Dubai. As for the letter “I” the overwhelming and magnificent Iguazu Falls, bordering on Argentina and Brazil, and rivaled only by Victoria Falls in Southern Africa, should have gotten recognition over a man-made ice hotel in Canada. Here’s a photo of my wife and I enjoying the wrath of Devil’s Throat at Iguazu Falls. Thanks again for such a unique way of using the alphabet!
— Paul S. Sudack, M.D.
North Miami Beach, FL
Editor’s Response: Thanks for the suggestions and for reading Wave! The Burj Al-Arab graced our Nov. 2006 cover and our sister luxury lifestyle magazine based out of Dubai called & (AndpersandMag.com) has featured the property in several issues. Between both magazines, I’ve recommended that particular resort one too many times, although I agree with you that it’s one of the best resorts on the planet. I will definitely incorporate Iguazu Falls into a feature I’m working on entitled “Waterfalls of the World.”
WAVE WRITES >> The Wave team would love to hear your thoughts on our magazine, tournaments, events and website content. Submit your Letter to the Editor via email to Editor@WaveLife.com with an accompanying high-resolution image of yourself on, in or around the water as well as your name, title, city and any relevant organizations you represent. Your words and photo may be featured in an upcoming issue. Submissions may be edited for brevity, clarity and typography. Due to high volume, we will not be able to respond to all letters.