But danger lurks!

What’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold, of course, and the same investment fund managers, private chefs, social media CEOs, who furiously danced to Outkast’s Hey Ya! in 2003 have discovered a new way to freeze.

E-foils.

And The New York Times just published a wonderfully inspiring piece titled “That Person Floating Over the East River Is Riding a $12,000 Water Toy” which profiles Mr. Brian Sheehy, an investment fund manager living in Manhattan’s Upper East Side who, two years ago, saw something crazy on the internet.

“Videos of people who looked like they were flying over the water on futuristic contraptions.”

According to the Times, he became obsessed, purchased two as soon as they became available and taught himself to “ride the source.”

On every hero’s journey, after the hero has heeded the “call to adventure” and “crossed the threshold,” there comes the “tests and enemies.” Mr. Sheehy’s enemy was his wife, who has been driven crazy because there is no place to store the two e-foils in the Upper East Side apartment and they take up a lot of space so go on the deck, but her rotten attitude does not derail.

Mr. Sheehy stuffs his e-foil into Ubers, takes them to the East River and lives and flies above the water on his own futuristic contraption. Dreaming of someday making it around the Statue of Liberty.

He is not alone. Adam Kenworthy, private chef who appeared on Real Housewives of New York City cruises one, and Ritchie Lambertson, who started an e-foil school in the Hamptons, though he himself lives in Brooklyn.

Dangers lurk.

The battery might die, our heroes may get hit by a boat, pollution, impending regulation.

“The fishermen told me how dangerous the river is,” Mr. Sheehy told the Times. “It’s a famous dumping ground for bodies because they just disappear.”

Instructor Lambertson, who charges $450 for a private session, does his best to mitigate by not allowing students to e-foil the river until they have mastered calmer water.

All very cool but are you sold on the e-foiling life? Would you watch the World E-Foil League religiously or just catch it as you could?

Also, would you rather e-foil or have a super tricked out radio control boat? Like, the fastest radio control boat on the whole eastern seaboard.

Difficult questions for difficult times.

It's anti-depressive!

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and while BeachGrit is typically your go-to for light fun-making and updates on the ethnicity of Kelly Slater’s girlfriend, there are places and times to highlight real issues and the real people making a difference.

Florida’s Jamie Tworkowski has been involved with mental health and suicide prevention since 2006, and is also BeachGrit’s Volunteer Director of Typos. Before founding the non-profit To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), he worked as a Quiksilver sub-rep then Hurley rep in his home state.

This year, TWLOHA is rallying around the campaign Worth Living For and trying to raise 250k which would cover 3500 counseling sessions, as the vast majority of those who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental health condition, and 45,000 searches using the “find help” tool on twloha.com.

Those who participate have the opportunity to win a signed Caroline Marks’ signed contest jersey.

Students of professional surfing will know that Marks is one, maybe two, years from winning a World Surf League championship trophy, assuming the World Surf League exists in two years.

A wonderful prize, to be sure.

In any case, if you need any help at all, or know others who do reach out. TWLOHA is wonderful enough to make an old crank like me tear right up.

It’s anti-depressive!