Letter From the Editor

Everyone at Men’s Journal is still working remotely. The pluses of that situation are obvious: work from home or anywhere, no commuting, avoiding COVID, nap whenever. The big downside is that office camaraderie is no more. Discussing stories, face-to-face collaborations, figuring out where to get lunch, and keeping an eye on the ever-growing pile of junk on that one guy’s desk have been replaced with Zoom calls and an avalanche of emails.

As a result, I’ve found myself living vicariously through some of the events and people featured in these pages, who are doing all kinds of exciting, interesting, and challenging things with their lives.

The Olympics kick off July 23 in Japan after a year’s delay. Once again the USA is sending lots of top talent, including swimmer Caeleb Dressel. Heralded as the next you-know-who, the Florida native even broke his record in the 100-meter butterfly. The Games are also keeping up with the times, adding events like surfing, sport climbing, and skateboarding, where Nyjah Huston from Cali is expected to take the gold (page 48). Can you imagine making a living from skateboarding?

How about earning $31 million a year to throw bombs from downtown at the buzzer? “Our training was there’s the NBA three-point line, then we had a four-point line,” says Portland

Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard on the back page, explaining how he developed his phenomenal clutch shooting stats. “We would do a whole workout from the four-point line, and over the years it’s become easier and easier.” And when he’s not lighting up the court, Damian is making hit hip-hop tracks. Must be awesome to be that guy.

MJ’S executive editor, Dave Shively, got to fly to Canada’s northwest for an inspired exploration of the Yukon River. Dave and his team traveled not by canoe or kayak, but on standup paddleboards loaded with three days’ worth of provisions. Turn to page 41 if you want to join the expedition.

Then there’s Dave Bautista, the former WWE wrestler whose second act has been starring in blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy and the upcoming Army of the Dead. We spent the day at his home in Tampa and discovered that Dave’s work-life balance is pretty sweet. When he’s not taking care of business, he’s cooking for friends, washing down his ’70s Trans Am, or going online to add to his collection of classic BMX bikes. I had a tricked-out, nickel-plated Mongoose growing up but gave it away some 35 years ago. Hmm, kinda wish I still had it.

JAMES HEIDENRY

Editorial Director