35th Anniversary Rafting Adventure
Better late than never!
You may recall that last summer was Softstar's 35th anniversary... or maybe you don't since we were all a little distracted by a global pandemic, murder hornets and pretty much all of the west coast burning.
We had an abundance of festivities planned for our milestone anniversary, including a big sale, public celebrations with our local community, a rafting trip for our staff and possibly some mention of renting a mechanical bull. We were still able to run the sale online, but all of the other plans sadly had to be either cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Now, one year later, we are still unable to host a community celebration and we're starting to think the mechanical bull may not fit in our showroom. We did, however, manage to check one item off the list by taking our staff on a grand rafting adventure!
A few weeks ago, all of the shoemaking elves took a day off of work to meet up at the entry point into Oregon's beautiful McKenzie river. We managed to fill 3 rafts loaded with snacks, sunscreen and an impressive selection of water guns. Each raft was helmed by a trusty guide who expertly navigated us through our day-long river voyage. We enjoyed relaxing floats in serene settings, got soaked fighting class 3 rapids and saw a variety of wildlife (mostly eagles). And yes, the water guns were used to their full potential.
Now that Covid restrictions are returning we're not sure when we will be able to enjoy another outing like this again. We are grateful we were able to complete the trip when we did, and we fortunately have many photos to remember it by. Here are a few highlights from the trip that we're excited to share with you.
Thank you for supporting Softstar through 35 years... here's looking to 35 more!
Martin is a lifelong runner who began wearing minimalist shoes over 10 years ago when he found they alleviated his chronic foot pain, which eventually disappeared completely. He further studied proper running form through a series of workshops taught by the inventor of Correct Toes Toe Spacers, Dr. Ray McClanahan DPM. Martin has collaborated with several health care professionals to collect and share peer-reviewed studies that show the benefits of minimalist footwear. In his personal life, Martin loves living in the Pacific Northwest because it allows him to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities year-round, including hiking, cycling, rock climbing, surfing and snowboarding.