Trial Issue for December 2010/January 2011

contents ➼

south

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dec | jan 2011

fe atu r es

38

S o u t h ’ s gu i d e to o b s cu r e s p o rt s

60 66

t h e wo r l d ’ s f i t t e st m o d e l fitness guru jamie eason

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by k ate sta n for d

if tenni s and golf seem a bit too mundane , t r y t h e s e w i l d a n d wac k y s p o r t s .

➼

by A nna belle robertson

the fight of the dog this bulldog has learned some new tricks.

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by l au r en h u nsberger

70

p ow e r m e d i c a l cou pl e s

meet the city’s most gracious doctors.

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southmaga zine.com decem ber | ja n ua ry 11

contents ➼

south

|

dec | jan 2011

depa rtmen ts

[ LI V E ]

[ GO , STAY , SHOP ]

30,32

125

Parties, celebrations and anniversaries that were Scene in the South.

Take a trip across the Talmadge and venture into Hilton Head, Beaufort or Bluffton.

scenes of the south

over the bridge

42

the portrait of an addict

These Lowcountry residents share their stories of how they hit rock bottom and then found hope.

48

overseas adoption

Proving that being family doesn’t always mean sharing DNA, a few parents went across the world to create their oustanding families.

128

42 52

atl to sav

128

Find out where to eat, play, stay and shop when heading to the state’s capital.

130

flyin’ high

The best skiing in the South.

[ EAT ]

150

52

dine south

faces of faith

Try these dishes to dine for.

Religion in the South is a way of life and always has been, just ask these locals.

152

chef profile

Meet the city’s sushi master.

[ MEET ]

154

66

the model of fitness

Fitness guru Jamie Eason opens up about what being healthy really means.

162

stars of the south

making marks

Profiles on some of the medical community’s health care heroes.

This exhibit is good for the artists and the viewers.

82

70

fit after fifty

86

the power of art

Think painting skills are only useful for artists? Talk to the doctors at Memorial.

fight the fryer

The healthiset dishes in the city.

[ PLAY ]

70

Proof that athletics and fitness are not only for the youthful.

154

82

marathon madness

Although it’s months away, you better start training now. Don’t worry, here’s a guide to help you.

178

mouth of the south

164

t h e s ou t h ’ s f i n e st ph y s ic i a n s meet the doctors

164

➼ pag e 9 0

The new CEO of Memorial Health speaks out about health care reform.

S ou t h ’ s h ot t e st g i f t s ➼ pag e 1 4 0

publisher’s letter dec | jan 2011 4,000 Days & counting...

About the Covers

D e a r R e a d e r s , T h e h e a lt h o f t h e b o dy a n d t h e s ou l a r e i n e x t r ic a b ly l i n k e d, at l e a st t h at ’ s w h at I be l i e v e .

See, I’m in what you might call a special club.

There are a lot of us. Perhaps someone you know is a member. Or maybe you just suspect they are.

Some of us are extremely driven and successful. Some are highly intelligent. Some are famous.

High-powered corporate lawyers, finance wizards, authors, artists of every stripe, athletes, farmers, mail carriers, they’re all here. You might recognize names like Sir Anthony Hopkins, Betty Ford, Michael Brooks, publisher, with wife Frankie.

Robert Downey Jr., Eric Clapton and Ernest DineSouth 2010 had yet another Hemingway just to name a few. These are only successful year.This event is growing exponentially and our expectations a handful of millions around the world that are high for 2011. Thank you. to all the openly claim their membership to this club. Many vendors and attendees for making this one of the South’s greatest annual events. of us are risk-takers. We like to push boundaries, See more photos on page 30 & 32. and, often enough, that serves us well. Our members have achieved some amazing things. We are devoted fathers and mothers, loyal business partners, innovators, benefactors, scoundrels, malcontents and deadbeats.

Just like every other human swath of America. What we have all come to realize is that we are all, unequivocally and undeniably, addicts and alcoholics. As much as the root of our disease lies within the body, the treatment lies in the soul—that undefined part of our psychic physiology that can give us the will to resist an adversary that lives with us every day of our lives.

“Just for today.” That’s where it starts. And starts again with each one of those days.

It’s just three words, 12 letters, but those words can cut a formidable adversary down to size and unlock strength we never knew we had. It is, indeed, good for the soul. That’s the way it’s been for me since 1999, the year I finally realized that there was something different about me. The year I decided to get well. In that time, I’ve met many other members of our club on the journey to sobriety, some of whom were on the brink of death. I’ve seen doctors tend to the wealthy and the homeless alike. We’ve shared the same rooms and eaten the same food. We had little in common except the desire to get well—first the soul, and then the body.

You don’t have to be an addict to take something from this. There’s plenty of adversity to go around these days. So, before you read this issue, graced with some of the finest doctors in the South, along with a story on addiction written and photographed by a fellow club member, Peter Fossick (“They Came to Believe” [page 42]), I humbly remind you to do a check-up on your soul.

It’s worked for me for over 4,000 todays and counting. Many thanks and keep reading,

Michael Brooks, Publisher-Creative Director

R.I.P. 14

cover: Ebonee Moore photographer: Roxy hair & makeup: Karaline Meese, Chellie Heckman

art director: Bonnie Youngman ighlighting the beauty of both high-fashion accessories and the human body, Ebonee posed with some of the season’s hottest jewelry.

H

cover: Herschel Walker photographer: Esther Lin/ STRIKEFORCE erschel Walker, one of Georgia’s most heralded athletes, opened up to South about his latest pursuits in Mixed Martial Arts fighting and the real reason why he continues to do thousands of push-ups every day.

H

cover: Carmela and Chris Pettigrew photographer: Tim Johnson art director: Michael Brooks

T

his dual-doctor power couple is dedicated to keeping the community healthy in many different ways.

cover: Jamie Eason photographer: Noel Daganta outing the title of The World’s Fittest Model, Jamie shares her secrets on how to stay healthy while living in the South, a place glorified for its slow pace and fried foods.

T

In memory of my cousin, Tyler Creel [1979-2010]

southmaga zine.com decem ber | ja n ua ry 11

photo g raphy by sebastia n pi n z o n

editor’s letter dec | jan 2011

Thank Goodness for Doctors In a r ecent issu e of Esquir e, Dr . Mehmet Oz , t h e su per h ero -l i k e ph ysici a n t h at sou rce s a l l of h i s k now l e d ge a b ou t a n t iox i da n t s a n d

cure-alls straight to Oprah, the aforementioned magazine and the audience of his TV show on a regular basis, announced that during a routine screening his doctors found he was in the beginning stages of developing colon cancer.

As the most famous doctor in the country, Americans by the millions have trusted him with their health and wellness for years and consider him an ultimate authority in medicine. So, the news that someone as well versed in medical issues, not to mention as physically fit, as Dr. Oz isn’t immune to cancer was very scary—at least to me. The title of the article he penned, “The End of Immortality,” says it perfectly because his recent scare seemed to cement the fact that despite our most valiant efforts, the number of acai berries we eat or miles we run, immunity simply doesn’t exist. It’s a big, bad world and cancer is only one of the many afflictions that can harm the human body. Luckily, there are a few good people out there that have our backs. Thank goodness for doctors.

In creating this year’s Health and Wellness Issue, we talked to many of the local lifesavers that help keep our family and friends safe, and they all have inspirational stories. For example, like Dr. Oz, Dr. Dan DeLoach is a longtime physician and health nut who years ago found himself on the opposite side of the operating table with a serious cancer diagnosis. Luckily with the help of his wife and the support of his Savannah peers, he survived and now lives his life with a whole new perspective. He, again drawing a parallel with Oz, amazingly came to understand his illness as a blessing. After getting over the initial shock, he decided to use his battle as a constant reminder that each day is a gift and allows it to encourage him to do great things with his skills and talents. As the recently named president of the Medical Association of Georgia and a devoted missionary, DeLoach now travels the globe in search of people who are in need of a healing hand. (Read more about DeLoach in “Power Couples” [page 70].)

All this being said, I certainly don’t believe, and I’m sure Dr. Oz and all the doctors in this issue would agree, that watching your diet and maintaining a daily exercise routine are anything to sneeze at. Just check out fitness phenom Jamie Eason (Kate Stanford’s “The World’s Fittest Model” [Page 66]) and the Georgia-bred football, MMA and reality series hero Herschel Walker ( “The Fight of the Dog” [Page 60]) and you’ll see the very real positive effects of staying active and healthy. Because after all, although immortality is an impossible goal, being able to play with your kids, hike a mountain, live a life without mediation, or just take a deep breathe, is a beautiful thing.

Lauren Hunsberger, Managing Editor

publisher/creative director Michael Brooks ➼ mb@thesouthmag.com managing editor Lauren Hunsberger ➼ lauren@thesouthmag.com art director Bonnie Youngman ➼ bonnie@thesouthmag.com advertising art director Hannah Clough ➼ hannah@thesouthmag.com account executives Kristine Ireland Compton ➼ kristine@thesouthmag.com Lane Linahan ➼ lane@thesouthmag.com Heather Myrick ➼ Heather@thesouthmag.com circulation and financial manager Jessica Lund ➼ Jessica@thesouthmag.com marketing director Erin Wessling ➼ erin@thesouthmag.com web editor Allison Bramlett ➼ allison@thesouthmag.com web developer Omar Mendez ➼ omar@thesouthmag.com sales assistant Victoria Turner ➼ victoria@thesouthmag.com fashion editor Mitchell Hall copy editor Kerri O’Hern contributing writers David Gignilliat, Samantha Carroll, Susanna Hickman Bartee, Kelly Skinner, Peter Zink, Annabelle Robertson, Peter Zink, Jim Reed, Wendy Marshall, Lizzie Rushing, contributing photographers John Fulton Photography, Chris Hornaday Sebastian Pinzon, Shawn Heifert, Tim Johnson, Mike Byerley, Nicole Rule, Kala Minko, Mark Jackson, Shot by Roxy, Peter Fossick, Christine Hall, David Strohl editorial interns Allyson Pratt, Kate Stanford, Travis Morningstar, Ezra Salkin photography interns Sebastion Pinzon, Philip Campbell, Lauren Lanier south tv Colden Raisher, Daniel Friedburg south magazine is published bimonthly by bad ink, brooks advertising design, inc. reproduction by any means of the whole or part of bad ink without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. views expressed in the editorial pages do not imply our endorsement. we welcome your product news. include prices, photos and digital files with your press release. please forward product samples and media kits to reviews editor, south magazine, 116-A bull street, savannah, georgia 31401. we cannot be responsible for unsolicited product samples. subscription rates: u.s.: $19 for one year; $28 for two years; single copies: $3.95. change of address notice: six to eight weeks prior to moving, please clip the mailing label from the most recent issue and send it along with your new address to: south magazine, change of address notice, 116-A bull street, savannah, ga 31401, attn: circulation

south magazine: A Division of Bad Ink 116 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401 phone: 912.236.5501 fax: 912.236.5524

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southmaga zine.com decem ber | ja n ua ry 11

photo g raphy by sebastia n pi n z o n

contributors dec | jan 2011

B.S. in international relations. He moved to Savannah just under three years ago and digs the laidback lifestyle and historic atmosphere the town offers. When he’s not sampling a new dish or confessing his sins to the keyboard, he enjoys sailing in Wassaw Sound and the Atlantic Ocean with his sailboat “Serenity.” read

world. He has also been a regular contributor video producer for BBC World Service. He has degrees in mechanical engineering and film and television and owns a photo studio in Los Angeles’ fashion district. Prior to his career in photography, Noel served in the US Navy for several years. His website is daganta.com. see noel’s

peter’s wor k in “fight the fryer”

work on the jamie eason cover.

[page 154].

Fashion editor Mitchell Hall studied fashion design at Savannah College of Art and Design before making Savannah his home. As a 6th season contestant on the Emmy-awardwinning series Project Runway, Mitchell honed his styling skills on the famed Macy’s accessory wall where his keen eye for “making it work” inspired his fellow fashion designers. Mitchell has worked as the creative director for Savannah’s favorite women’s store and freelances as a stylist, fashion designer, personal shopper and wardrobe consultant. see

Mitchell Hall

Peter Fossick studied art and design in the UK and France. He is an artist, designer, educator and entrepreneur having lived and worked in Europe, China and the USA. Peter is now based in England having recently completed his first novel that he wrote while living in Savannah. He is now writing his second novel and is preparing an exhibition of his portrait photography. As a photographer and writer he’s interested in the extremes of the human condition and is currently working on a series of portraits of rock musicians, music industry personalities and movie actors. r ea d a nd

Peter Fossick

see peter’s work in “they came to believe” [page 42].

Peter Z i nk

A Southern C alifor nia native, Peter g r a d ua t e d f r om West Point with a

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southmaga zine.com decem ber | ja n ua ry 11

Currently living in Stockton, California, Mike Byerly has two careers, one as a high school teacher and the other as a photographer. While he shoots a variety of types of photos, he specializes and has a strong passion for fitness and beauty photography because they often meld together. He’s been shooting since 2005 and is excited to continue developing his passion. SEE MIKE’s m i k e by e r ly

work in “the world’s fittest model” [page 66].

mitchell’s wor k in “the a natom y of an accessory” [page 132].

noel dag a n ta

Noel Daganta is a Los Angeles based photographer and filmmaker. His photography has been published by leading fitness magazines around the

M a r k J a c k s o n Mark Jackson is a photographer of 18 years who recently came off two years of sailing through the Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas with his wife and three kids without any substantive trauma. He returned to northwest Arkansas where he shoots advertising and editorial work from his Fayetteville studio.

Despite his preoccupation with leisure, he loves his photographic work and the creative process.see m a r k’s wor k in “the fight of the dog” [page 60].

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