The glow of the afternoon sun was vibrant amber, as it slowly crept closer & closer toward the West and the warm Summer breeze swept through the crowd like an old friend. 

 

The beach was packed with people, tents, music, food, trucks, and epic vibes. The guards, dressed in their swim caps and shorts/briefs, warmed up in their groups. I looked up at my Dad and saw a hidden smile and a glimmer of pride in his eye. I could sense all of those memories flooding into his mind. He saw himself in them.

 

This was a staple of our Summer: The South Jersey Lifeguard Races.

 

My Dad, Grandfather, Uncles & Cousins were members of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol from the 50's - 80's. They all took such pride in being AC guards, and would tell us hilarious stories of their salty brotherhood. They also raised us with a deep respect and admiration for our Beach Patrols.

 

My Dad wore his ACBP hoodie until his death in 2022, when my Mom handed the oversized sweatshirt from days gone by down to my surf-obsessed grom, Grayson.

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I took ownership of Leiki in February 2023, almost exactly one year after my Dad passed. I wasn't aware that we created boardshorts for beach patrols, until I began moving forward with the sale. 

 

I remember the day I found out. I opened the paperwork on my laptop and began scrolling. I came to the first page that referred to beach patrols, and my heart began to race. I scrolled to the next page and saw it. It was a list of the Beach patrols that Leiki had serviced and right there on the list: ACBP. 

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So Leiki is more than a product to me. It is a destiny... a calling, generations in the making. It's a profoundly special honor and it's with this deeply rooted sense of purpose, that we continue to serve our guards by producing the highest quality boardshorts. 

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