Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
For many, the only thing better than vacationing in a top travel destination, such as Hilton Head Island, is being able to call that paradise one’s home and place of business.
However, while Hilton Head offers countless amenities that appeal to both visitors and residents, including beautiful beaches, a pleasant climate, countless cultural and culinary offerings, and beyond, maintaining and attracting businesses requires much more than award-winning aesthetics and attractions.
Hilton Head Island may be only 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, but the 2.5 million visitors that the intimate subtropical locale attracts annually enjoy miles of award-winning beaches, more than 100 miles of scenic leisure paths, 24 world-class golf courses, 350 tennis courts, more than 250 restaurants, numerous outdoor activities, noteworthy cultural offerings, a large number of shopping experiences and more. Most, if not all, will agree that Hilton Head is among the most family-friendly and popular vacation destinations in the world.
THIS MONTH’S COVER ARTIST HAS DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO THE COLORS AND LIGHTS OF THE SOUTH
You need only glance at this month’s cover to gain an instant appreciation for the works of West Fraser. His understanding of the unmistakable colors of the Lowcountry, the way the salt air tinges the setting sun with vibrant strips of orange and pink, the way a tangle of Spanish moss gently eases the light to the ground in a spiderweb of shadows, comes from roots that run deep.
THE FUN-LOVING HILTON HEAD ISLAND NATIVE TALKS ABOUT HIS TV SHOW ‘SOUTHERN CHARM,’ THE CHARLESTON TRAGEDY AND HIS LACK OF A 5-YEAR PLAN.
So you think you know reality TV star Shep Rose?
Actually, there’s a good chance you do.
The 35-year-old lives in Charleston now, but he grew up in Sea Pines, attended Hilton Head Preparatory School and returns home frequently to visit family and friends.
NEW LEADER OF LOCAL WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Since 2004, the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head has been the leading forum on the island for serious discussion of foreign policy. Today, the group is approaching 1,000 members — a milestone that reflects the island’s intellectual curiosity and desire for a deeper perspective on geopolitical affairs.
This fall, Lee Wilwerding begins his tenure as the council’s new president. Monthly recently sat down with Wilwerding to gather his thoughts and insights on the Council.
Construction on River Ridge Academy, the Beaufort County School District’s newest school, began last summer. The facility, which will teach kids in prekindergarten through eighth grade, is near the intersection of Bluffton Parkway and S.C. 170 and will open with an enrollment of about 900 students. The school will be home to the River Ridge Raiders, with school colors of purple, black and silver. Here are 10 questions Hilton Head Monthly asked new principal Gary McCulloch.
Fear is a funny thing.
That pit-of-the-stomach ball of white fire that builds in defiance of any rational argument can have the strangest effect on people. Some jump out of planes in pursuit of that shot of primal fight-or-flight adrenaline. Some race motorcycles. Some are content to merely scour the horror section of Netflix.
WANT TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT? TRY HOVERBOARDING ABOVE BROAD CREEK.
Marty McFly would be pleased.
Once just wishfully imagined in the 1980s classic movie “Back To The Future II,” the dream of the hoverboard is now alive and well on the waters around Hilton Head Island.
BLINK, AND YOU MAY MISS IT. “IT’S A REALLY FAST TRICK,” SAYS BRANDON ATKINSON, 28, OF HIS SIGNATURE MOVE.
The skateboarder calls it a “Boneless Big Spin Rock to Fakie.” That’s when he skates uphill, drops his foot, pops up his skateboard and spins before rolling downhill.
Perhaps the biggest sign that Dominique “Niki” Antunez is a gifted artist is that she’s decided not to pursue a degree in fine art.
“I like painting too much,” said the 2015 Hilton Head High School graduate. “I want it to be something I can relax with, something I can zone out the world with. If it’s required, there’s a whole other aspect to it. It’s something you have to do instead.”
