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Some world records are better than others. But the next attempt at the world land speed record will be something special. Andy Green hopes to be the first man to drive a car at 1,000mph – that’s about four-and-a-half times faster than the current F1 cars. We met him and his team as they take their first trip on the road to glory. Not quite so fast, but equally adept at the wheel, is David Coulthard, who put a souped-up prototype Mercedes- AMG GT through its paces at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg; we called shotgun. Also in Austria, we’ve got the incredible story of the man who ran further than 36,000 other racers across the globe to win the first Wings For Life World Run. All this and much more. We hope you enjoy the issue.

Thank you for picking up the first edition of the Charisma+2 Quarterly. I created this as a means to showcase gamers, models, and industry professionals who fully realize that, yes, we are gamers, but also real people too! If you would like to have a printed copy of it, please visit Cplus2magazine.com/issues Sometimes we need inspiration, sometimes we have some hope to give. At times, we just want to be fun and silly or play games and cosplay. Other times, we simply want to discover the real story of the lives behind some of the industry’s leading professionals (such as will be showcased in our column, “Level Up IRL”). We also get emails asking, “whatever happened to___ (model)?” You will get to read about some of the incredible things our former and current models have been doing. Eight years ago, I made a very conscientious choice to uplift spirits, provide safe haven, and create possibilities for girls (now guys too) in the gaming industry. I had Three Rules: No Jerks, No Drama, and Always Be Professional. These tenants still stand and have brought together some of the finest guys and girls I have ever met. Each decision at Charisma+2 has been based with some crucial foundational questions in mind. Will this: encourage the hopeless? represent without bias the strengths of those who apply? instill a strong business ethic that can be carried over into the workplace after they move on? benefit those less privileged? and make sound business sense? In addition, choosing to have strict authentic geek standards, narrowed me to reject non-gamer Playboy and mainstream models who would have brought in significant revenue, but not complied with the other requirements. It may have taken a bit more work to get the agency where I wanted by sticking to my principles, but I do not regret it because it meant I was able to keep my self integrity and that of my agency. Going forward in 2015, we look forward to expanding our celebrations of some fabulous geek girls and guys who are friends of Charisma+2 featuring the crafts, charity work, and excitement of people just like you!

This past year seemed to move by in a blink. And while I dread getting older, I look forward to the fact that a new year means a dozen new issues of my favorite magazine. This month is all about healthy living and, being the paragon of sedentary lifestyle that I am, I learned a ton. For example, I learned that coffee, while delicious and required for daily activity, is not an acceptable food group. That said, I still encourage readers to take a peek at Tess Catlett’s feature on Relevant Roasters (page 14), a new roastery in Memphis’ up-and-coming arts district that packs a bunch of tasty and rare beans that you won’t find anywhere else. And speaking of things with a disputed position on the food pyramid, we’ve also got a feature on the sometimes-a-fruit-but-not-really goodness of tomatoes (page 88). Then there’s our main features for this month, a pair of beautifully designed and fun pieces on living an active life in the MidSouth without breaking too much of a sweat. Not many can say they spent their whole work week studying golf (page 62) or observing yoga (page 68), but these sort of fun diversions are pretty much par for the course for Click’s staff. In the spirit of good health, we’ve eschewed our normal cocktail feature this month in favor of a delicious smoothie from So Fresh Mobile Juice Bar, The Blueberry Matcha (page 20). I had one of these myself and rest assured, it’s somehow tastier than any milkshake. So from all of us here at Click to the rest of the MidSouth: Have a great 2015. Love what you do, do what you love. And I promise we won’t judge if you break a resolution or two. Read on,

Tennis is a game of motion. Ambitious stars and absorbing story lines will make this Australian Open an ongoing adventure. The first Grand Slam of the season begins a fertile month for fresh starts, but this Australian Open is about renewing ongoing power struggles. Five-time champion Serena Williams aims to return to the final for the first time in five years and retain her top spot. No. 2 Maria Sharapova warmed up for Melbourne winning Brisbane and can close the gap on Williams with a deep run. French Open finalist Simona Halep and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who each won hard-court tune-up titles, are both capable of playing deep into the second week as is two-time champion Vika Azarenka, now a dangerous floater who renews her annual Australian Open rivalry with Sloane Stephens in the first round. A recharged Venus Williams will try to sustain the form she showed winning her 46th career title in Auckland. On the men’s side, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic is back at his most successful Slam playing for a fifth Australian Open title as Stan Wawrinka launches defense of his first Grand Slam title. Roger Federer tries to extend an astounding run of 11 consecutive Melbourne semifinals, while Rafael Nadal aims to shake the struggles he’s experienced since falling in the Wimbledon fourth round. Australia offers the prospect of arrivals and departures. Contesting his 19th consecutive Australian Open, 2005 finalist Lleyton Hewitt may be making his Melbourne farewell. A wave of young Aussies, including Nadal’s Wimbledon conqueror, Nick Kyrgios, and Thanasi Kokkinakis are intent on making their mark. Spin is vital to the pro game—it makes the dynamic angles, dipping passes and devious drop shots possible—but in Melbourne players can’t feign preparation. A sometime sweltering sun and steamy conditions can drain the desire and legs from even the fittest specimens in the field. You can’t fake fitness down under. The journey through Oz can be demanding, but the ride is often rewarding. We hope you enjoy it and this preview issue.

We are the past, present and future. Look at the history of wakeboarding and you’ll see the longest-standing brand in the sport is Hyperlite. Born in 1991 on the shores of Lake Sammamish, Hyperlite has always been and continues to be a pioneer in the wake industry. As the sport of Wakeboarding grows, we grow with it - evolving our brand and creating revolutionary products. We are free riders, contest riders, boat and cable riders. No matter your style or preferred method of pull, our diverse product line is designed to help elevate your riding. The result of thousands of hours of research and development from an innovative team of shapers, riders and manufacturers, we are focused on providing you the highest quality equipment that’s engineered to keep up with the ever changing landscape of our sport. We are pro athletes who inspire, families who play together, and friends who share a passion. Our focus has always been on the sport - how to push the limits, make it grow, and help others discover the sheer joy of standing sideways on the water. Every ounce of our brand is devoted to wakeboarding and the riders who love it as much as we do. Trust our heritage, get to know our team, and look forward to what’s next from Hyperlite. We are Wakeboarding.

Another year has come and gone and January always tends to be a little quiet with everyone focused on New Year’s resolutions and catching up from the holidays. Lucky for you, there are still several options when it comes to being entertained or getting involved in the community for those of you who aren’t slowing down. Check out our calendar of events and absorb all the great info in this issue, but don’t stop there. Visit our website and sign up for our email blast so you can stay informed of weekly specials, promotions and area happenings. We had a lot of fun working with High 5 Productions on our cover story featuring the trend in facial hair. Sporting their own burly look and knowing their talent behind the lens, they were the perfect partners to have on this project. Moving on to being active, hundreds of young professionals have been a part of the kickball frenzy for the past few years. Our city now has a soft foam dodgeball league, which is a great way to make new friends and stay active. One of our favorite local artists, Davis Nix, has released his first album. You can read all about his success and make plans to attend some of his concert dates in Now Hear This. If helping others was one of your resolutions, our article about Friendship Mission is a must read, as they are looking for more support and volunteers. As always, the LIST is a great way to get to know some local entrepreneurs and executives making their mark in Montgomery. If you know someone that deserves recognition, please visit our website and fill out the nomination form. We are excited about our new interns, Jessica Klinner from AUM and Bethany Wilson from Troy, both of whom will be great assets to our team. Be sure to say hello to them when you see them out and about. Thank you for being a loyal reader and for starting another year with us!