Hundreds Gather To Honor Lifeguards

Yesterday, members of the community gathered to honor the San Diego City Lifeguards and to remember the 13 victims of the 1918 drowning at Ocean Beach. To honor the lifeguard community, a bronze statue was unveiled in front of the Ocean Beach Lifeguard Station. Designed and sculpted by Richard Arnold, the statue (who he says is not modeled after anyone) is to honor all lifeguards who risk their lives everyday for the safety of our community and remembrance of the 13 victims from 1918.

On May 5, 1918 in Ocean Beach, 13 lives were lost. With unusual conditions and rip currents that day, hundreds of beach goers were warmed to stay out of the water. Over 60 lives were saved that day including 5 swimmers saved by Henry Hanson. Unfortunately, Henry didn’t make it and we will forever thank him along with the other Police Lifeguards and brave civilians who saved several lives.

The attendance of the dedication included Mayor Bob Filner, Council members Kevin Faulconer and Lorie Zapf, Lifeguard Lt. Greg “Buc” Buchanan, Lifeguard Chief Rick Wurts, legendary surfer and personal friend Jim “Mouse” Robb, along with several other well-respected community members.

Come down to our Pacific Beach location for Channel Islands Demo Day Saturday, May 18, 2013! Test the best from Channel Islands from 9 AM – 1 PM! See you there!

One For One

TOMS- if you haven’t heard of this one-for-one shoe concept then you might as well be living under a rock! TOMS was founded by American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, in 2006 when he befriended children in an Argentinian village and found they did not have protection for their feet. He came up with a one-for-one concept where every pair of TOMS that is purchased, one will be provided for a child in need. This motto has held true today and TOMS has improved the “Giving Pairs” of shoes to accommodate the kids in need. We hear customers ask if the pairs they buy are the Giving Pairs and the answer is no. TOMS has updated the giving pairs with a wider fit for comfort and a thicker sole and heavier canvas for longevity. Other shoes in the works are a winter boot for colder climates and an athletic shoe for urban environments. With your continued help, kids in need will continue to get the proper shoes to protect their feet! TOMS is carried in all 5 South Coast locations for mens, womens, and kids. Check out www.toms.com/our-movement for their entire story.

Why you should be in the water now

Surfing has been around for… God only knows how long! If you never thought it was “your thing” maybe you should reconsider! Here are 10 reasons you should go surfing:

1. Its great exercise! Surfing uses muscles in your body that you probably didn’t know existed! Who doesn’t love having an 8-pack?
2. Its low impact for your body. Rather than lifting, sprinting, squatting, and doing all those other exercises that gym people do, grab a long board and hang ten!
3. Surfing is unlike any sport out there! When you’re standing in the wave, the experience is unreal!
4. When your stressed, try paddling out and separating your self from land. Have you looked to land from the water? Its a completely different perspective and your thoughts will become so much more clear.
5. Even if you aren’t stressed, being out in the water is good for you mentally. Just like  Yoga, surfing is used for meditation. There is nothing to focus on but the wave.
6. People go to the beach because its hot! So what better way to cool yourself off on a hot day than to go surf!
7. Yes, you need a board but once you have your gear, its free! The ocean doesn’t charge you a cover and you don’t have to buy a lift ticket!
8. No two waves are the same! The experience is different every time you go!
9. Have you smelled surf wax before?! Its amazing! Enough said.
10. One word: Babes.

What’s your top reason to get out in the water?

Get her something other than flowers

Whether its your mom, wife, or sister, moms love surfing too so here 7 ideas for the women in our lives:

1.  Roxy rashguard
2. Dakine leash
3. Future Fins
4. Creatures of Leisure deck pad
5. Dakine board bag
6. South Coast surfboard by Dan O’Hara

Stop into South Coast Ocean Peach or Pacific Beach to pick up any of these items. Is your mom not a surfer mom? Check out South Coast Wahines blog or any Wahines location for your Mom Day gift!

Come down to Pacific Beach this Saturday, May 11, 2013, for Demo Day! Try out Rip Curl wetsuits and Firewire surfboards! See you at our South Coast PB location at 9 AM!

Reef Redemption

Reef has always been known for their comfortable sandals but what you may not know is they have a tremendous heart and a whole line dedicated to helping others! Reef Redemption is a line specifically for supporting environmental and humanitarian groups. Their hopes are that with 1% of Reef Redemption sales, they can help preserve our waves, beaches, and surrounding communities. Reef employees also participate in weekly beach clean ups and always try to do their own part in keeping our sand clean.

Another way Reef is helping world wide is the We Heart Collection. We Heart is a collaboration between Reef’s design team and artisans in developing countries from around the world. Reef purchases these artisan’s handmade crafts and incorporates them into their product (example: Reef’s Bella Costa ballet flats). Reef’s goal is to create a platform for these deserving artisans to grow successful businesses. To read more about their efforts in cleaning beaches and helping world wide, please visit www.reef.com/redemption or stop into any of our stores for Reef and let’s help in any way we can, one sandal at a time!

Sanuk and Operation Smile

Sanuk is known for incorporating comfy products in their sandals such as beer koozies and yoga mats. Their creative edge has done more than put sandals on feet! Sanuk has stood by their motto “Smile…Pass it on” by teaming up with Operation Smile to give back smiles to individuals with facial deformities including cleft lips and cleft palates. For 2 years, they had provided donations to help over 500 individuals around the world! With your support in buying Sanuk products, they can continue to help change the lives of hundreds in need! For Sanuk products, visit any of our 5 South Coast locations or click on Sanuk Operation Smile for information on their partnership. Smile… Pass It On.

Happiness is just a pair of sunglasses away

Spy is at the top of the inventing field with their spring release of Happy Lens. Happy Lens is new technology that not only improves vision and performance, but elevate your mind and mood! Here are the awesome things Happy Lens can do for you:

• patent-pending lens technology formula
• provide 100 percent UV protection
• block more than 99 percent of glare
• provide remarkable contrast
• depth perception and color enhancement

For the super-techy sunglasses fans, SPY states this:

Happy Lens  is designed to “harmonize” with the body’s physiological preference for a specific color transmission, optimized through the important wavelengths between 450 and 500 nanometers, where the “uplifting” effects of blue (“happy”) light are most prevalent. Long-wave blue light is the part of the spectrum that studies suggest promotes balance in the body, which most traditional lenses block to a large extent. More specifically, exposure to sunlight —especially long wave blue light— has been stated to foster positive physiological changes; raising mood and alertness. Furthermore, studies behind light therapy suggest that it harnesses blue light to regulate hormones that maybe related to certain emotional conditions. This positive physiological “uplift” from long wave blue light exposure became the inspiration for the SPY Happy Lens™ technology.

Pick up your SPY Happy Lens from any of our South Coast locations or check out our online selection and get Happy!

A New Brand Helps A Big Cause

Look good, do good, feel good. The People’s Movement believes in addressing today’s problems and creating solutions. They believe that if the continued use of single use plastics isn’t stopped soon, there won’t be much of a world left to stand in. This is why People’s Movement introduced the Clean Act collection: removing plastic bags that pollute the island of Bali and up-cycle them into reusable totes, wallets, and fabrics for their shoes. With every pair sold from the  “Clean Act” collection, $1 will be donated to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a group dedicated to stopping plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on humans, animals, and the environment! You can support this great cause by swinging by South Coast Wahines Ocean Beach and check out the latest People’s Movement footwear or go to www.thepeoplesmovement.com for information on how you can help!