Newsletter
Strangers at the Train Station
12/18/25
12/18/25
HALF / LIFE
December '25
Today's email: ~ 410 words | 2 min read
The Crew That Found Us
This spring, I got a message from a crew in Rowayton, Connecticut. They'd found us through YouTube and Instagram and wanted to know if I'd come out and do a lesson.
So I booked a trip to see my daughter in NYC and tacked on a detour to meet some people I'd never met before.
Let me say that again. I hadn't met them. I'd be staying with them. Across the country.
Chris Bean picked me up at the train station. We met Volckert, Eliana, and the rest of the Mahalo crew at the dock. And just like that, we got straight to foiling.
The foiling in Long Island Sound was unlike anything I'd done before. Yacht foiling. Glassy water. A completely different vibe than what I'm used to on the West Coast. It was an absolute blast.
But we didn't stop there. We played padel. We played tennis. I ended up staying for Porch Jam, which is apparently a Rowayton tradition I didn't know I needed in my life.
All of that was fun. But here's what I'm actually grateful for: the people.
This crew had an energy I connected with immediately. Wonderful enthusiasm for life. The kind of people who say yes to things and figure out the details later. An instant fit.
We keep in touch often now. And that's the thing about taking a chance on strangers. Sometimes they don't stay strangers for long.
Looking Ahead:
In 2026, we're doing a tow-in foiling trip together. I'm already looking forward to it.
And honestly, that's probably just the beginning. The Rowayton Crew, now officially the Half-Life CT Outpost, are the kind of people I want to do more with. So I will.
Your Turn
Have you ever taken a chance on a group of people you didn't know? Maybe a trip, a class, an event where you showed up solo and left with a crew?
What group are you planning to do something with in 2026?
Hit reply if you want to share. I read everything.
Gear In The Wild
Holiday Gifts to be Enjoyed Year-Round
What's Happening on the Channels
HALF / LIFE on YouTube:
Also Popular on YouTube:
The One Ski Quiver 2026 | Best All Mountain Ski Buying Guide Looking for the one ski to rule them all? In this year's Half-Life 2026 One Ski Quiver Guide, we break down the best all-mountain skis that can do it all! Whether you're chasing fresh lines or carving up hardpack, this is your ultimate buying guide for the most versatile skis of 2026.
HALF / LIFE on Instagram
Follow @halflifet.5 to stay in the loop.
Tag us in your next session and we'll repost the stoke.
Stay in Motion
Whatever risk you took this year, big or small, I hope it taught you something. And whatever you're chasing next year, I hope you go after it.
This is week three of four December check-ins. Next week, we're closing out the year with something bigger: community, and what it actually means when people show up for each other.
Until then, keep moving.
All the best,
-Tim
HALF / LIFE
P.S. If you know someone you think would really enjoy this email,
click the link below, fill out the form, and send them your kind of stoke!
Copyright (C) 2025 HALF-LIFE. All rights reserved.
HALF / LIFE
December '25
Today's email: ~ 410 words | 2 min read
The Crew That Found Us
This spring, I got a message from a crew in Rowayton, Connecticut. They'd found us through YouTube and Instagram and wanted to know if I'd come out and do a lesson.
So I booked a trip to see my daughter in NYC and tacked on a detour to meet some people I'd never met before.
Let me say that again. I hadn't met them. I'd be staying with them. Across the country.
Chris Bean picked me up at the train station. We met Volckert, Eliana, and the rest of the Mahalo crew at the dock. And just like that, we got straight to foiling.
The foiling in Long Island Sound was unlike anything I'd done before. Yacht foiling. Glassy water. A completely different vibe than what I'm used to on the West Coast. It was an absolute blast.
But we didn't stop there. We played padel. We played tennis. I ended up staying for Porch Jam, which is apparently a Rowayton tradition I didn't know I needed in my life.
All of that was fun. But here's what I'm actually grateful for: the people.
This crew had an energy I connected with immediately. Wonderful enthusiasm for life. The kind of people who say yes to things and figure out the details later. An instant fit.
We keep in touch often now. And that's the thing about taking a chance on strangers. Sometimes they don't stay strangers for long.
Looking Ahead:
In 2026, we're doing a tow-in foiling trip together. I'm already looking forward to it.
And honestly, that's probably just the beginning. The Rowayton Crew, now officially the Half-Life CT Outpost, are the kind of people I want to do more with. So I will.
Your Turn
Have you ever taken a chance on a group of people you didn't know? Maybe a trip, a class, an event where you showed up solo and left with a crew?
What group are you planning to do something with in 2026?
Hit reply if you want to share. I read everything.
Gear In The Wild
Holiday Gifts to be Enjoyed Year-Round
What's Happening on the Channels
HALF / LIFE on YouTube:
Also Popular on YouTube:
The One Ski Quiver 2026 | Best All Mountain Ski Buying Guide Looking for the one ski to rule them all? In this year's Half-Life 2026 One Ski Quiver Guide, we break down the best all-mountain skis that can do it all! Whether you're chasing fresh lines or carving up hardpack, this is your ultimate buying guide for the most versatile skis of 2026.
HALF / LIFE on Instagram
Follow @halflifet.5 to stay in the loop.
Tag us in your next session and we'll repost the stoke.
Stay in Motion
Whatever risk you took this year, big or small, I hope it taught you something. And whatever you're chasing next year, I hope you go after it.
This is week three of four December check-ins. Next week, we're closing out the year with something bigger: community, and what it actually means when people show up for each other.
Until then, keep moving.
All the best,
-Tim
HALF / LIFE
P.S. If you know someone you think would really enjoy this email,
click the link below, fill out the form, and send them your kind of stoke!
Copyright (C) 2025 HALF-LIFE. All rights reserved.
