20-03-2025
Horry County leaders, Shibumi co-founder weigh in after tense meeting
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A day after Horry County leaders nixed a proposal to put wind-driven devices on its beachfront, key players in that debate are explaining their positions.
Councilmembers on Tuesday voted 9-3 against setting up a trial period that would have allowed Shibumi Shades and similar products on the county's 14-mile shoreline, mostly over public safety concerns.
'We've said no repeatedly, and here's the reason. Why why do we want to introduce something that is believed to not be in the best safety interest of people,' councilman Michael Masciarelli said Wednesday. 'When you were raised, your parents probably told you, 'don't drink and drive, don't smoke.' Just because somebody else is doing something, doesn't mean we have to.'
Surrounding communities like Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach allow Shibumis on the beach during the off-season, while Surfside Beach permits them year-round.
Among those who spoke out against Horry County's potential experiment with them were privately run lifeguarding companies who feared obstructed sightlines could delay response times during emergencies.
'If somebody does die as a result of them, are you going to be that person to apologize? Am I? Our county attorney? I'm not going to be that person,' Masciarelli said.
The most dramatic moment of Tuesday's meeting came during a heated exchange between Masciarelli and his council colleague Dennis DiSabato, who was in favor of allowing Shibumi onto the sand for a one-year trial period.
At one point, Masciarelli implied DiSabato's vote was politically motivated — possibly driven by campaign contributions. News13 checked state campaign finance records, and found that DiSabato never received money from the wind-driven device industry.
'I think there's enough evidence from other areas of the country that have beaches to show that they are not a hindrance to the line of site for police officers or lifeguard, and I think they're just a safer product,' he said. 'As far as the comments made by Mr. Masciarelli, they were completely out of line. They were baseless, they were offensive, and I felt I needed to respond to it in the moment.'
Shibumi Shade co-founder Dane Barnes claims his products are indeed safer than the average beach umbrellas rented out by local companies such as Lack's and John's Beach Service.
'The safety record of Shibumi is crystal clear,' Barnes said.
News13 reached out to Lack's and John's and are waiting to hear back.
A third firm — Beach Service Limited — will continue to blunt the ends of its umbrella poles for public safety.
Barnes believes having mass amounts of beach umbrellas won't make things better on Horrry County's beaches.
'A woman has died from a wind-blown umbrella on all three county beaches. Countless people have been hurt and numerous lawsuits have been filed against the beach services,' he said.
Barnes said Shibumi is able to see who purchases their devices through their website, roughly 2,000 customers not including those on Amazon and other distributors have purchased a Shibumi in Horry County.
Barnes said Shibumi will keep fighting for their devices to be used in Horry County
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Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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