Community Update: Crandon Park Watersports Operations

To our friends, riders, partners, and stakeholders in the South Florida wind and wave sports community,

Recently, there has been understandable uncertainty, concern, and public discussion surrounding the Miami-Dade County bid process for the watersports concession at Crandon Park. Given the importance of this venue to our community, we believe it is appropriate to provide context, respectfully acknowledge the outcome, and help restore confidence as the transition moves forward.

At Adventure Sports, we are naturally disappointed that our proposal did not prevail, finishing a very close second to the selected operator, PADL. We respect the County’s procurement process and accept the result, offering our full support to the new concessionaire moving forward. By all accounts, PADL is well qualified, committed to operating a successful program, and has dedicated significant resources toward that objective.

We are also aware of a petition currently circulating within the community. While we understand that change can create concern, the information being shared does not accurately reflect the current situation and risks creating unnecessary uncertainty among riders.

Recognizing the Importance of Crandon Park

Crandon Park is not a typical recreational site. It is a wind-exposed, open-water environment located within a protected natural preserve and governed by the Crandon Park Master Plan. Safe operation requires experienced management, environmental awareness, and strong coordination between operators, instructors, lifeguards, and the riding community.

For more than three decades, Adventure Sports has worked alongside Miami-Dade County and local stakeholders to help ensure windsurfing, wing foiling, and kiteboarding could safely coexist within South Florida’s unique coastal environments. The continued success of Crandon Park has always depended on cooperation, professionalism, and responsible stewardship by all participants.

Adventure Sports’ Longstanding Role in Miami-Dade Watersports

Adventure Sports and the Cabrinha brand share the longest continuous history supporting organized wind and wave sports access in Miami-Dade County.

Among many contributions, Adventure Sports has:

• Played a leading role in reopening Crandon Park to kiteboarding when access was previously lost.
• Helped develop operational guidelines for kiteboarding in Miami-Dade County that remain foundational today.
• Operated Matheson Hammock Park for more than 20 years following its closure, preserving rider access despite significant financial investment.
• Recently presented a preservation plan to the City of Miami supporting continued wind sports access at Virginia Key.
• Continued training of lifeguards across county and municipal beaches to support safe wind sports operations.

Adventure Sports remains deeply invested in maintaining safe, sustainable riding access — not only as an industry leader, but as a long-term steward of the sport locally and globally.

Matheson Hammock Park Transition

Earlier this year, Adventure Sports chose not to continue its longstanding concession at Matheson Hammock Park. Our involvement there was always driven primarily by preserving access rather than financial return.

Before stepping away, we worked with local stakeholders and Miami-Dade County to implement a self-policing framework that allows riders to continue safely enjoying the venue at no cost — a positive outcome for the broader community.

Results of the Crandon Park Solicitation

Adventure Sports participated in Miami-Dade County Solicitation EVN0039676 for the Crandon Park watersports concession. While disappointed to finish a close second, we respect the evaluation committee and the competitive procurement process.

Final evaluation scores were:

• PADL, LLC — 241 points
• Adventure Sports, Inc. — 238 points
• Miami Kiteboarding — 214 points
• Eastern Watersports, LLC — 177 points

Both PADL and Adventure Sports scored substantially higher than other bidders across combined evaluation categories including experience, personnel qualifications, operational approach, financial capacity, and revenue criteria.

Competitive outcomes are inherent to public procurements, and Adventure Sports recognizes that final results often reflect multiple scoring considerations.

Confidence in PADL as Operator

Regardless of the outcome for Adventure Sports, we want to clearly express our confidence in PADL, LLC as the selected concessionaire.

PADL is an experienced recreational operator with an established history managing public-facing concessions in complex environments. Adventure Sports has met directly with PADL’s leadership team to discuss the unique operational requirements of Crandon Park — including certified instruction, rescue readiness, environmental protection, and the safety considerations associated with high-performance wind sports.

We are confident in their commitment to these responsibilities and their willingness to collaborate with experienced members of the wind sports community to strengthen operations for all users at Crandon.

Adventure Sports will actively support PADL through:

• Event collaboration and programming
• Instructor and safety expertise
• Community outreach initiatives
• Industry best-practice guidance developed through decades of operating experience

Strong cooperation between operators and the community is ultimately what safeguards long-term access.

Financial Transparency and Long-Term Sustainability

Safe and sustainable public access depends not only on operational safety but also on responsible financial stewardship.

Public concessions such as Crandon Park operate under revenue-sharing structures that support park maintenance, environmental protection, and public safety resources. Accurate and transparent reporting of operational revenues is therefore essential — both as a contractual obligation and as a mechanism that protects continued public access.

At a high-demand venue like Crandon Park, responsible concession management requires clear and verifiable reporting across all operational activity, including instruction, memberships, rentals, subscriptions, and ancillary services. Because reported revenues directly support County resources, transparency plays an important role in ensuring long-term stability for the venue and the community it serves.

For this reason, we view the transition to an experienced operator with established administrative systems as a positive step forward for the park’s long-term sustainability.

Recognition of Miami Kiteboarding

We also recognize Miami Kiteboarding (MKB) for their years of operating at Crandon Park. Managing this venue has always required dedication and resilience, and their team contributed to maintaining access during their tenure. We wish them continued success in their future endeavors.

Moving Forward Together

Kiteboarding at Crandon Park has always required careful stewardship. Operating within a protected ecosystem alongside one of Miami-Dade’s busiest public beaches demands professionalism, cooperation, and a shared commitment to safety.

Adventure Sports believes this transition represents an opportunity to further strengthen operational sustainability and community collaboration at this iconic venue.

We thank the Miami-Dade evaluation committee for their work throughout the process and congratulate PADL on their award. Adventure Sports supports a smooth transition and looks forward to collaborating with the new operator to bring new events and continued growth to Crandon Park.

Message to Staff and Community Members

To the dedicated team currently working at Crandon Park: your experience and knowledge remain valuable assets to the community. We are confident this next chapter will create positive opportunities for those committed to safe and responsible watersports operations.

Adventure Sports remains fully committed to protecting and advancing wind and wave sports access across South Florida and looks forward to working collaboratively with PADL and the broader community in the years ahead.

Stay tuned for an exciting schedule of upcoming events at Crandon Park following the transition.

ATTENTION: MEETING 

PADL has informed us that they will be hosting a stakeholders meeting for the Crandon wind sports community. The meeting will take place at the PADL Hobie Sail Club, located on the south side of the causeway just before the Rickenbacker Bridge on Wednesday, March 11th at 5:30 PM.

Respectfully,

Kent Marinkovic, CEO