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As a kid, I used to read SWS from cover-to-cover; as all of you must remember, at that time back in the 60's it was still a fishing magazine that actually covered beach fishing as much as the boat stuff. It definitely wasn't a shill for the boat companies!
I was especially into the articles about the Race, Nauset, and the rest of the backside; I was an upper Cape kid, hanging around Popponesset and with no fishermen in my family and driving aways off in the future, all I could do was dream about that "place" and all the magic it created in my mind's eye.
Eventually, when I was involved with OTW as associate editor whose main job was coming up with story ideas and getting writers, and in some cases convincing folks that writing didn't hurt, I got the chance to see the mecca for myself. Sure, it had changed, but that first issue featured Tony Stetzko, both on the cover and in words, and eventually I met up with Emilio and he introduced me to George Carlezon. George took me out on the beach, introduced me to the "sand people" (I'm borrowing this term from Capt. Brian Horsley down in North Carolina!), and I was in heaven. I was like a dog hanging out the window - in fact, if I had a tail, I would have wagged it off.
Since I spend far more time on a boat than on the beach, I see the mecca more from the water and I guess that's better. It still looks special and I can always see it as open for business as opposed to being closed for birds and badges, which should never have happen to legendary spots like Nelson's.
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