Randy Vance-Editor-In-Chief Of Boating Life Magazine

Being the editor of one of the most popular boating magazines sounds like fun doesn’t it? Testing all the latest shiny new power boats of every size, shape and description. It certainly sounds better than a lot of other jobs out there. Well, depending on who you talk to in the boating industry, it is for the most part. But there are those times when it can be considered work. Perish the thought!

            I recently had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Randy Vance, editor-in-chief of Boating Life Magazine. If you currently read Boating Life, then no further explanation is necessary. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, what in the heck are you waiting for? Just poke through a copy. Read an article or two and you will immediately see that Randy and all of the staff do more than just “play”. There is quite a bit of effort and hard work that goes into each publication. Yuck! I mentioned that horrible word again. Work!

            I can't get by with just one boating magazine.  I currently read eight boating magazines each month. That’s at last count anyway. I have a certain bias towards Boating Life. That should be obvious since I went pounding on Randy’s door. But a large part of my ongoing interest in Boating Life Magazine is because of the obvious commitment of Randy and his ability to keep the magazine headed in the right direction. There is a lot more that goes into it besides just cranking out a magazine. I can give you a personal example. In my quest for a new boat two years ago, a review in Boating Life convinced me that boat I was leaning towards was the way to go. Of course he was happy to hear that. However something struck me as being a little odd. Randy has probably been on a hundred boats since then, but the review was still clear in his head. Two years ago! Come on. Nobody’s that good are they? I can’t even remember my own birthday. Yet once a month a dark cloud  appears on the horizon.

            Can you spell the word deadline? Probably one of the most feared words to an editor. You can only put things off for so long, then its crunch time. In the course of talking about his role in getting each issue put together, Randy did reveal a deep dark secret. He admitted to being a bit of a procrastinator. More likely it’s that there are three or four million things that need to be taken care of. It’s kind of hard to do them all at once. Things can get even more complicated when you’re not sitting in an office with all the tools at hand. There is one major problem when it comes time to test those shiny new boats. They have this nasty habit of not coming when you call them. You have to go to them. Shame on those boats. Randy figures he spends about 40% of his time on the road. Keep in mind that picking the day you want to test is not always your choice. It depends on several factors; is the boat available? Will the weather cooperate? And remember, every boating magazine is going to try and  get their hands on new models before everyone else.

            So when the day is done and the boats are back on the trailers, would you feel like getting up the next morning and actually want to find the time and energy to take your family out boating? Be honest. It would certainly be understandable if you didn’t feel up to it. Most people wouldn’t. There are quite a few dealers, service technicians, instructors and salesmen in the marine industry that rarely go out on their own powerboats. Many don’t even own one! Too much of a good thing. But as you probably guessed, not the man. Free time (what little there is) will most likely be used to take his family out boating.

          Randy was quick to point out that he had to share credit for Boating Life's success. "This magazine works for two or three very big reasons besides my effort. Robert Stephens, Editor, is a genius at commissioning the visual elements and assigning many of the stories. Sue Whitney is the most dedicated managing editor, too, with plenty of inside savvy on recreational boating plus the ins and outs of editorial flow. Finally, our art director, Seth Olsen is an avid boater with a personal interest in the game and an awesome knack for making the layouts show his personal interest."

           So do yourself a favor. Go grab a copy of Boating Life Magazine and I know you’ll agree with me. It is without a doubt one of the best magazines out there, largely in part due to the efforts of Mr. Vance. Randy, take a bow

                                                Visit www.boatinglifemag.com

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