Lynne Cox Book Yoshi Inspires

 

Sea Turtle's Amazing Journey!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Long-distance open-water swimmer Lynne Cox never fails to inspire and motivate with her fiction and non-fiction books about extraordinary achievements and acts that connect living beings to one another. 

 

Her latest children's book, Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius, will have you cheering for the title character as she battles against impossible odds to return to the place where she was born and lay her eggs. An ocean journey that will require her to swim 23,000 miles!

Based on a true story, this book of courage and determination chronicles Yoshi's adventure, swimming a record-breaking distance for any being, single-mindedly striving toward her goal. 

Cox’s writing style is both descriptive and lyrical, characterizing Yoshi at birth as “just the size of a smile.” Later her beautiful shell grows into “the shape of a heart.” And swimming “in the vast ocean, she was just a dot.” 

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti are longtime fans of Cox and continue to be in awe of her accomplishments in the sea and on land, as a record-breaking swimmer, talented author, and motivational speaker.  

Whether Cox is writing about her own adventure swimming with a whale calf that's been separated from its mother, the antics of an elephant seal in New Zealand who becomes part of a small town's community, or the heroics of an Italian water rescue dog, she draws you into the story.

 

Yoshi, illustrated by Richard Jones, will enthrall children and adults alike, spinning a beautiful story about the wonders of nature. Like Cox's other works, it also highlights the innate drive of living beings to survive and the importance of family. 

 To learn more about Lynne Cox and her other books, see this SurfWriter Girls story: SurfWriter Girls: Swimmer Lynne Cox is the Write Stuff 

 

  

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Roy Gonzalez – A Vibrant Virtuoso

 

The Artist of a Thousand Canvases

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Legendary film star Lon Chaney (1883 -1930), known for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, was dubbed "The man of a thousand faces" because he could immerse himself in any role.

 

Roy Gonzalez might be called "the artist of a thousand canvases" for his epic creations in surf and skate art, comic books, music album covers, murals, media, brands, fashion, and more.

Infusing each artwork with his own electrifying style of kinetic energy, Gonzalez' paintings are the personification of "mind-blowing" art, interweaving vibrant colors with minute details. 

In addition to using his art to share his view of the beach and music worlds, his Roy’s Real Tales stories series tells about his life experiences and how they shaped him, hoping that others can learn from them.   

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel were fortunate to be seated next to Gonzalez at a California Surf Museum annual gala in Carlsbad, CA, and to hear his stories firsthand.

 

Surprisingly mellow for someone whose artworks are filled with so much excitement, Gonzalez was enjoying soaking up the surf vibe in the room.

 

Waving to the surfing greats passing by, he talked to surf artist Ron Croci and Phyllis Tracy, a “Gidget” 1960s Malibu Beach scene regular, and enjoyed the ohana – sense of family – that was all around.

Calling himself “a Rebel with a Pen,” Gonzalez is an original, who loves to point out life’s absurdities and poke fun at convention.

 

An iconic artist who is full of surprises, much like Frank Sinatra’s famous song “My Way,” Roy Gonzalez puts his own spin on life and this painting of the blue-eyed crooner.  

 

It’s a spin that’s wild, irreverent, and filled with a passion for living each moment to the fullest.

  

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Surfrider's Wave of Victories in 2023

 

Protecting Oceans, Waves and Beaches

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The nonprofit Surfrider Foundation is an advocate for the world's oceans, waves, and beaches, organizing beach cleanups around the world, educating people about protecting the environment, and helping to make the beach accessible to all.

 

In 2023 it hosted 1,200 beach cleanups in the U.S. alone and removed almost 100 tons of trash, keeping it from entering our oceans and waterways. 

Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force monitored water pollution levels at 500 sites to protect the safety of ocean-goers and communities alike.

Surfrider volunteers showed people how to plant Ocean Friendly Gardens that don’t pollute the environment.

And it helped restaurants create Ocean Friendly Restaurants that use sustainable food-handling and service methods.   

 

Throughout the year Surfrider won major legislative victories in pushing bans on single-use plastics, which frequently end up in the ocean.

It also helped improve coastal access to beach spots so everyone can enjoy the ocean.

 

Since it was founded in Malibu, CA in 1984 by a group of surfers, Surfrider has fought to keep the beaches clean and safe for everyone.

As it enters its 40th year, Surfrider's grassroots, volunteer network is committed to making a positive difference in the quality of our beaches and to ensure that each new challenge is met. By becoming a friend of the ocean, you can help, too!      

 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Jacqueline Guerrero - Fitness and Food!

 

New Beginnings in the New Year

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

January is a time for new beginnings. With so much turmoil in the world, it's easy to forget all the positives and the people who are looking to the future to create better lives.  

With that in mind, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel are excited to focus on someone close to home, Sunny's niece Jacqueline Guerrero, a twenty-something who is juggling the roles of wife, mother, and entrepreneur.   

 After Jacqueline and her husband Sean both completed service in the Navy recently, they moved back home to SoCAL to be close to family and to raise their two young children, Theo and Mila. 

Now, with a degree in health sciences and the can-do spirit that comes from her Navy training as a nuclear power technician, Jacqueline has launched not one, but two businesses:

JG Fit personal training and Lil J's empanadas.

 

When she's not lifting weights and helping people to get in shape, she's lifting 50 lb. bags of flour to make the tasty empanadas her family and customers keep asking for. 

 A competitive rower and water polo player in college, Jacqueline has always been interested in fitness and strength-building. So, her personal training business is a natural.

 

As for the empanadas, her Filipino recipe is just too good not to make it a business. SurfWriter Girls agree. And, she never has to worry about having too much inventory. Sean and the kids are always ready to gobble up any extras. 

 

It's often said that young people today aren't as hard working or motivated as previous generations. But, when you look at what Jacqueline Guerrero is doing and see how animated she gets talking about her businesses, it's clear that she's got her eyes on the prize. 

 

And husband Sean is on board, too, supporting her aspirations and following his own post-Navy career path. For this young couple in the New Year, it's "Full speed ahead!" 

 

Happy New Year to All

Anchors Aweigh!

 SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

 

Ho! Ho! Ho! The Day Before Christmas

 

A Surfrider Christmas Story

By SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

 It was the day before Christmas and all through the beach

The seagulls were flying and eating everything in reach.

The stockings and beach cleanup bags were hung by the recycler with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Photo by Ric Magdaug

The surfers were all up from their beds

While visions of waves danced in their heads.

Tony and Seth and Mike and Jeff were out at the shore gathering litter

And Gilbert was making sure the morning coffee didn’t taste bitter.

 When out past the breakers there arose such a clatter,

The Surfrider volunteers strained to see what was the matter.

Off down the pier they raced like a flash,

Fearful that the vision they saw might crash.

For there in the light of day what did appear,

But a surfing Santa without his reindeer.

Toes on the nose, he was lively and quick.

Shooting the curl, it really was St. Nick!

Decked out in his red hat and board shorts by Hurley,

He shouted, “Cowabunga, dudes! I got in early.”

Before anyone knew what to say,

Santa was well on his way.

His white beard flowing, he shifted his sack,

Leaving the surfers to stare at his back.

 Over the roar of the waves, they heard him chuckle with glee,

“Don’t worry. Tomorrow your presents will be under the tree.”

 Wishing you these gifts of the holiday season:

Family and friends, clean beaches and joy without reason.

 

Photo by Greg Kishel

SurfWriter Girls Sunny & Patti

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another website, contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com

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