Cindy Gibson Named Standup Paddle Magazine's Managing Editor
Oahu-bred standup paddler Cindy Gibson has been named managing editor for Standup Paddle Magazine and in this new position will manage production deadlines, search for opportunities in expansion, development, web and marketing; and help to develop creative ways to implement “out of the box” growth.
Gibson, who’s athletic background includes competitive trail running and open ocean swimming, has transformed into a top open-division paddler taking top two finishes in competitions such as the Battle of the Paddle 2010 and other key races in Hawaii. Her business savvy comes from working in Hawaii’s business community over the last six years with one of Hawaii’s leading business and trade reporting publications.
Says Gibson on her role, “I’m really excited about where SUP is going. Its potential cross-over appeal and application to sports, fitness and outdoor adventure activities has only begun to be imagined and realized. I knew I had to be involved in making these connections and moving this potential forward. I look forward to applying my passion and business experience to make this happen through working for Standup Paddle Magazine.”
Says Publisher Reid Inouye, “From our small start-up in 2009, the magazine has grown along with the industry and will continue its growth. Cindy will help elevate us to a higher level. It will also take me away from the day-to-day operation that I’ve been involved with since Day One. As we move the office to Southern California, it will help me be really connected with clients, build new relationships, increase circulation and put us into what I call ‘phase two of expansion.'”
And what is this expansion? “I can’t really discuss much of our plan but I can say the SUP market will go through an identity phase over the next five years. One that will be similar to what skateboarders did back in their day to create their own “culture.” Skaters did not want to be known as surfers. Paddlers are no different. They want their own identity and have deep roots physically and environmentally as watermen and women for this water-based lifestyle.
“That said, we’ll expand our media beyond current destination, fitness, enviro-awareness and fashion in ways no one has seen before. Like a friend once told me, to discover new oceans, you have to loose sight of land, and with Cindy (Gibson) involved, it’ll allow Standup Paddle Magazine to nourish and feed this community creatively. We’ve just planted the seeds over the last three years and when it does flourish, it’ll be bigger than anything we’ve seen in over the last 50 years.”
And on any given weekend, don’t let this managing editor fool you, she might just race pass you on the last buoy turn of a 10-miler. But it’s her competitive nature of saying, “Sorry, strictly business.”