Author: Mike

Another Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and the debt we owe to those who gave their lives and continue to put their lives on the line for this country grows. Even though Wildwood, New Jersey isn’t among the places where Memorial Day is said to have been born, we still celebrate and honor our Veterans as well as anyone. Thousands came from Pennsylvania and New York to spend the weekend on our beautiful beaches, enjoy our entertaining boardwalk atmosphere, and some even had the joy of surfing some waves (Yes, there were some waves this weekend).

Last week, the state of Hawaii gave us the great news that surfing would now be recognized as an official high school sport. The Governor of Hawaii quoted: “From Duke Kahanamoku to the thousands of residents and visitors who surf both recreationally and competitively, the sport is rooted in our culture and way of life.” It makes me smile to think that in this generation, a student can be handed a Billabong rash guard and a Rusty Surfboard, with the full intention of surfing his or her heart out, fueled by school pride. This may seem like a small achievement, but to the people who keep surfing close to their hearts, this is a huge step forward. Hopefully states like California and Florida take similar steps, making the sport of surfing more accessible to those who might look at it with disregard. Maybe, in the next ten years, we will have a more socially open outlook on the sport surfing. A sport in which we can all shine.

Some states seem to have forgotten the meaning of Memorial Day—where there used to be parades and events honoring our fallen soldiers, there is now simply a three-day weekend and plenty of barbecue. Here in Wildwood, there are a few opportunities to honor our true patriots. For example, on Monday, May 28th Wildwood held a Memorial Day wreath laying ceremony at the American Legion Post 184. The Police Explorer Troop then laid a wreath in the ocean behind the Wildwoods Convention Center, honoring those who died at sea. On Wednesday morning, May 30th, North Wildwood will hold a ceremony at the Veterans Monument on 1st and New York Avenues—just another chance to take a moment out of our lives for those who gave all of theirs.

One company whose patriotism runs deep is O’Neill, as they have provided the US surf industry with an explosion of innovation for over the 60 years they’ve been in business. From wetsuits the surfboards, O’Neill has continued to expand surf culture through their engineering and commitment to the industry. Without such dedication surfers wouldn’t have products such as the O’Neill Gooru wetsuit or the O’Neill Heat 5mm Round Toe Wetsuit Booties.

 

As a major retailer, we at KONAsports face difficult daily decisions on which product is of the utmost quality to be housed in our store. You don’t make it over 40 years in any business by supplying sub-par product to customers. That’s why when it came to deciding on new eyewear, suppliers Kaenon (KAY-nun) were a no brainer. Kaenon sunglasses are designed in Newport Beach, CA and hand-painted in Italy.

How did Kaenon start? In 2001, two brothers took it upon themselves to create a better sunglass. They developed a proprietary polarized lens and wrapped it in unique frame styles and color treatments to suit their active lifestyles. They quickly realized, for the first time, one pair of sunglasses could fulfill both on and off the field necessary qualities. The creators of Kaenon live by one truth — Never Compromise. With this philosophy, and a steadfast commitment to their values, Kaenon has made the impossible, possible. Using their SR-91 technology, Kaenon has created a new polarized material, for its eyewear lenses, that performs in every situation.

After the superior clarity of SR-91 lenses came to light, Kaenon continued to introduce industry-altering SR-91 polarized corrective lenses. Today their prescription eyewear is produced to rigorous quality control specifications, supported by excellent customer service, and delivered promptly. All of their polarized sunglasses are warranted for one year from the date of purchase (void without proof of purchase) against breakage caused by defects in materials or manufacturing. Not to mention all SR-91 lenses come with a lifetime warranty that covers cracking or spitting of the lens at drill-mounts, or elimination of the inner polarizing film and the lens material. All this ensures your experience with Kaenon will surpass that of any other sunglass company.

Who wears Kaenon? World-class athletes ranging from sailing to golf, from baseball to fishing, have taken to Kaenon shades. Kevin Youkilis, of the Boston Red Sox, wears Kaenon’s Hardcore model. 2006 Olympic Gold medalist, alpine ski racer Julia Mancuso prefers the Burnett style of shades. Mancuso is the only American woman to win three Olympic medals (two silvers in 2010). Joining the likes of these fine athletes is also well-known cyclist Mark Weir, who has won more than 19 competitions, in addition to setting numerous records. Weir prefers the Arlo style. Join the ranks of these top-notch athletes by ordering your own pair of Kaenons from KONAsports.com…

 

Back in the 19th century New Jersey was known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”. This nickname was earned due to the estimated 5,000 shipwrecks that occurred along the shoreline. Needless to say, it wasn’t an attractive travel destination. (That’s where lighthouses come into play, but that’s a whole other story.) In an attempt to change this mindset, and make the shore a safer place, Atlantic City created the “Constable of Surf” position. These people were essentially Atlantic City cops in beachwear. After seasons of supervision, numbers indicated that vacationers were, in fact, safer with a “Surf Constable” on duty. Industry savvy even in the 1890’s, Atlantic City became the first beach in New Jersey to employ full-time lifeguards, allowing the city to flourish in the summer months. Guarding lives became an integral part of the City’s growth.

Now, lifeguards are stationed on nearly every beach along the coast and continue to be a main source of safety for all vacationers. Most communities actually have their lifeguards sworn-in to the police department. Some geographic locations call for lifeguards to assist in mountain rescues and can sometimes function as a primary EMS provider. Since New Jersey beaches have become even more of a summer vacation destination (Thanks MTV!), lifeguards are a very important component to life here at the shore. Not only do they protect swimmers and enforce rules, but they always look good doing it too! It doesn’t hurt when you’re able to perfect your tan every day at work, or if you’re rocking these Native shades.

As much as we love to embrace it, we also need to protect ourselves from the sun’s harsh UV rays. The human understanding of the sun is still developing—with so many anomalies, a lot of the sun’s behavior remains unexplained. Still, current technology allows UV protection to not only exist in sunglasses, but also in hats and clothing. Items such as our Kona Rashguard help to protect us from the sun’s harmful rays, while keeping up with trending fashion. With the trending incline in extreme weather conditions, this kind of technology is definitely something to consider this summer, along with sunscreen.