Farewell To Ocean Minded

SAN DIEGO, California - Business is business and sometimes things happen. As of last Friday, October 10, 2014, Ocean Minded was forced to shut it's doors as it was being "absorbed" but parent company Crocs. As awful as a decision it may be, we want to focus on all the good that Ocean Minded has done and bid them a happy farewell.

Ocean Minded was more than just a footwear brand, it was a lifestyle. Ocean Minded was built on the principles of protecting our beaches, respecting the environment, and an overall love for the ocean lifestyle. More companies should aim for that. Since 1996, when Ocean Minded first began, they had been organizing community beach cleanups around the world in an effort to create awareness on the importance of keeping our earth clean.

In realizing that everything will eventually end up in the ocean, Ocean Minded even held additional cleanups in the mountains as well as on the banks in rivers and lakes. In 2014 alone, Ocean Minded had gathered over 7,000 volunteers to help out with 33 beach cleanups and were able to pick up over 15,000 pieces of trash on our beaches.

"The standup paddle industry has lost a great ally," said Andre Niemeyer, President of the SUPIA and Publisher here at Supconnect. "Ocean Minded for many years, has been deeply supportive of the athletes while also supporting the planet. I am deeply saddened to see this great brand be absorbed."

Ocean Minded has supported world renowned athletes such as Candice Appleby and Chuck Patterson, among others. "I have been honored and privileged to be a part of the Ocean Minded family since I was 13 years old, as it was my very first sponsor," Candice said via her Facebook Page. "It saddened me today as I went to head quarters to pick up a race board of mine that had been hanging on the wall for the past few years. It was hard to say goodbyes to the team of people who have been behind the brand for so long. Thank you all so much for your hard work, dedication, support and genuine love for the ocean. I will miss our family and everything that it stands for. Love you all."

As a community who loves the sport of standup paddling, we need to remember to keep our rivers, lakes, and oceans clean so that the generations after us will be able to enjoy it just as much as we do. Even though Ocean Minded will no longer be a part of our community, we need to remember and act upon Ocean Minded's motto, which is to "Live. Protect. Respect." Thank you for all that you have done to aid the growth of our sport and to help keep our planet pristine and beautiful. Your hard work will not be forgotten.