IslandVibesIOP.com 4 This month’s cover photo shoot found us on Front Beach at the Isle of Palms County Park. The lifeguards on duty were participating in the bright morning of the South Carolina sun, adhering to the physical demands of running a mile in 7 minutes, 45 seconds and swimming 500 meters in under nine minutes. The entire staff greeted our photographer, Rachel Basye, with friendliness and smiles while the oppressive heat and humidity continued to climb. Salt. Sun. Sand. Sounds like the recipe for an easy, relaxing, carefree summer. For most of us, that is true. For an oceanfront lifeguard – not necessarily. Of course, their days include all of these things, but they also include much more – responsibility, physical fitness, mental fortitude and the ability to keep calm under pressure, to name just a few. Staying alert and hydrated throughout their 10+ hour shifts was paramount among the list of requirements for the guards on duty during our most recent photo shoot. The IOP lifeguards work Island Vibes Vol. 4, Issue 7, July 2026 PUBLISHER BILL MACCHIO PUBLISHER@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER JAZZY JORDAN ASSISTANT@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ART DIRECTOR BETHANY LONG COPY EDITOR COLIN MCCANDLESS BRAND AMBASSADOR SONYA BUCKHANNON SONYA@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM PHOTOGRAPHY RACHEL BASYE COOPERRIVERPHOTOGRAPHY@GMAIL.COM DIGITAL MANAGER ALLYAH HARRAR ALLYAH@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ELLEN KERR ELLEN@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM WEB EDITOR GEORGE CONKLIN CONTRIBUTORS RYAN BUCKHANNON • ELLA DUANE LAURA FOGARTY • ALLYAH HARRAR BELLA HARRAR • CARI LAWSON • L.C. LEACH III COLIN MCCANDLESS • KIMBERLYN NAYLOR PHILLIP POUNDS • SARAH ROSE SALES REPRESENTATIVES STACEY MCLOUGHLIN STACEY@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM MARNIE BONN MARNIE@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ADMINISTRATION & BOOKKEEPING GINGER SOTTILE BOSS DOG REGGIE DISTRIBUTION ISLE OF PALMS • WILD DUNES • GOAT ISLAND • DEWEES ISLAND • U.S. POST OFFICE • HARRIS TEETER • CVS • FOOD LION ASHEVILLE/HENDERSON AIRPORT ALL SC WELCOME CENTERS DIRECT MAIL VIA US POST OFFICE Homes on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island Affluent neighborhoods rotated monthly Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Asheville, NC Buckhead, Druid Hills, Decatur, Atlanta, Georgia Island Vibes is published locally by a team of independent contractors. Island Vibes is published 12 times per year by Islands Publishing LLC. 1013 Chuck Dawley Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Copyright © Islands Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction electronically or in print format without the expressed written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited and a violation of U.S. copyright laws. Content, including editorial, advertising or comments, that threatens, harasses or degrades others may be revoked or refused from print and online publication at the sole discretion of Island Vibes. Inquiries to: Island Vibes P.O. Box 22617, Charleston, SC 29413 Proud Member of the IOP Chamber of Commerce and A South Carolina Press Association Award-Winning Publication. About the Cover By Laura Fogarty At lunch, I sat beside Win Walker, who I’ve known since the late 1990s when he owned IOP Real Estate and we worked together on marketing projects, including a condominium marketing program and, later, Mount Pleasant Magazine. Before long, we were swapping stories about the early days, remembering people, businesses and ideas that helped shape our island community. Those conversations reminded me that while Isle of Palms has changed over the years, the things that matter most haven’t. We’ve watched neighborhoods grow, businesses evolve and From the Publisher There are moments in life that remind you how fortunate you are, and sometimes they’re as simple as walking into a room filled with familiar faces. That was how I felt when I attended the June Isle of Palms Chamber of Commerce meeting at Islander 71. The conversations were lively, the atmosphere was welcoming and before long I found myself talking with people I’ve known for more than four decades. Opportunities like that have become rare, which makes you appreciate them even more. I spent a while catching up with Sandy Stone and before long, we were reminiscing about his father, Don Stone, who worked tirelessly to build Island Realty. He had a sharp business mind, but more importantly, he loved his family and believed in the future of Isle of Palms long before much of the growth we see today became reality. He understood something that’s still true today: our home belongs to a community worth investing in. Today, his legacy continues through his grandsons, Alex and Eric Stone, who carry the family business forward. families welcome new generations. Yet through it all, one thing has remained constant: the people. The families who have built businesses here. The volunteers who give their time. The neighbors who become lifelong friends. The newcomers who quickly discover what makes this island so welcoming. They are the reason Isle of Palms has always felt like more than just a beach town. As you flip through this issue of Island Vibes, I hope you’ll see more than stories about places and events, but also the people behind them. The ones who shaped this island yesterday, continue shaping it today and will ensure it remains a special place for posterity. Positively yours, Bill Macchio Publisher From Left to Right: Richard Miller, Landyn Marunich, Gary Boone, Finn Mears, Sophia Hoffmann with staffing shortages, among other challenges, but maintain a collectively positive, upbeat, humble attitude. Three-year lifeguarding veteran Sophia Hoffman described her experience on and around the stand. “Lifeguarding on the Isle of Palms was recommended to me by a friend and I really had no clue what I was getting into, and I ended up loving it!” Hoffman explained what a distress call might entail. “I always call over my supervisor. ‘Stand # to sup # can you meet me urgent.’ If they don’t get there in time, I call in, ‘rescue rescue.’ Calling over the supervisor is always helpful because they’re generally on their way if they’re not there already. From there I decide what equipment would be best for a rescue – buoys (cans), can and fins or a board. Going out, I assess whether the subject is actively moving, therefore when I get there I know what to signal to the other guards on the beach.” Hoffman continued, explaining common misconceptions regarding lifeguards. “People think we’re just here for some sun. As much as it is nice to be out on the beach, we have responsibilities even when on break, when we’re Photo by Rachel Basye Continued on Page 5. FROM THE TEAM Don Stone and his grandson, Eric Stone in 2014.
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