Enduring a Brand Legacy
When I returned home to California this past February, I received an invitation to an exclusive friends and family store closing presale. However, this was in no way a going-out-of-business sale. Strolling down the bistro lit walkways of Downtown Ventura's historic Main Street promenade, I made my way to my familiar haunt. The warmth of the coconut vanilla scent I remembered all too well welcomed me back to what is now a legend of a surf shop. The craft paper shrouded storefront windows read, "Private Event" in a hastily but artistically scribed warning.
WetSand began as an online surf product retailer created by husband and wife team, Chuck and Candy Menzel. With the help of their artist/designer daughter, Shannon Menzel, they created a local legacy that formed a unique, signature personification of men's and women's surf style for this little corner of the world. Having designed for Patagonia and Roxy previously, Shannon was the fashion buyer and visionary for the WetSand brand's design direction. Situated right between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the artsy surf town of Ventura is just far enough removed from Los Angeles to retain an urban edginess, while honing a rugged, laid-back beach vibe inspired by the mix of blue and white collar demographics of the city. Laughter with close friends, mellow indie music and conspicuous conversations filled the air as we drank locally crafted beer and sipped wine as we received first dibs on the discounted prices of Shannon's always carefully curated brand selections. Acacia Swimwear, Mink Pink, Free People, Brixton, Billabong, Deus Ex Machina and more, were all up for grabs.
Having worked for the Menzel family, I know they always have something creative and innovative up their sleeves, so closing the brick and mortar shop after almost 9 years was a strategic move for them to begin their new "secret project" they have in the works. Despite the shop closing, the WetSand brand, blog and surf forecasting website, www.wetsandsurf.com, still prevails and continues with regularly updated content. It will interesting to see what comes next from WetSand in this new adventure for the local legends. ❂
(Written Spring 2016)