As I write this letter, we are in the middle of an unprecedented global pandemic. By the time you read this, the world will be different than it is now and this rapid, disruptive change will likely be the new normal for months to come. It feels impossible to write this letter without addressing something that will have a profound effect on every single one of us. 

While I am well aware of the immense challenges and suffering that the coronavirus has unleashed upon us, I find solace in contemplating what the future could hold if we choose to use this moment in time as a reset: a minimum basic income, universal heathcare, flexible and remote work, paid leave, an earth that can breathe again because we slowed everything down. 

It’s fitting that the theme of this issue is Making Waves, as our way forward will be created by people who are willing to challenge the status quo. If it wasn’t obvious prior to this crisis, it certainly is now: the way in which we have chosen to exist is fundamentally flawed. We devalue human beings simply because of the size of their paychecks, we prioritize profits and a growing GDP over people, and the majority of us have been barely hanging on by a thread that has unraveled potentially to the point of no repair.      

While we did not set out to curate an issue in response to COVID-19, this issue contains stories about the people who have always challenged taken-for-granted beliefs that have held us back in so many ways. There is so much we can learn from them as we reimagine the future. 

From Kanoa Greene who never saw a woman like herself on a surfboard, to Christina Lustenberger who has carved out her own place in big mountain skiing, to two friends who didn’t allow a border to stop them from creating a life-long bond with each other, this issue is dedicated to the individuals who push back. We’ve also featured more than a dozen businesses, including Karukinka, a fledgling outdoor brand out of Chile (who helped to make this issue possible), who have always challenged business as usual. The beauty in all of this is what emerges from their seemingly small acts of resistance. 

Now that we have all been forced to slow down, there’s more time to absorb the words, photography, and art of our contributors. I hope that as you flip through the pages of Issue 6, you are inspired to think about how you can make waves during this historic time. It’s what is going to get us to the other side.