Page 62 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2020

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Life’s A Beach
Coastal Mississippi’s beaches are a favorite spot for families to relax
story by John N. Felsher photos courtesy of Life’s A Beach
Life’s A Beach
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Many people follow the creed “Life’s a beach.” For Barney Foster, it’s a living.
Foster owns Life’s a
Beach, which rents jet skis, wave runners, aqua-cycles, kayaks,
paddleboards, umbrellas, chairs and other things beachgoers need. People
can rent equipment on the beach near the Biloxi Lighthouse or at
another location east of Rodenburg Avenue in Biloxi.
“When I was a student at
the University of Southern Mississippi, I was always intrigued
by business,” Foster recalled. “I was a nance manager for a local
company for eight years. During that time, beach tourism kept growing on
the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I gured I could make a living doing something with beach tourism. We’re a one-stop shop for everything about having a good time at the beach.”
For nearly four decades, Foster worked through good and bad times. Hurricane Katrina smashed into the Coast in
2005. In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred just before beach season began. In July 2019, the state closed its beaches because of an algal bloom fueled by the Bonnet Carre Spillway opening in Louisiana. Now, the Coast – and the world – has been struck by COVID-19.
“When the beaches closed in 2019, we lost nearly 100 percent of our business that July,” Foster lamented. “I kept trying to operate by running jet skis in the Back Bay. When the beaches closed, I started thinking about other things to do. That led me to bike rentals. People can use them anytime all year long.”
At his newest place at 1821 Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, Foster rents scooters, mopeds and bicycles. He also rents “Scoot Coupes,” three-wheeled gasoline-powered vehicles in which riders can sit side-by-side. He also rents a vacation house in Biloxi where people can stay.
“We’re hoping for a much better season this year,” Foster said. “I’m keeping positive. I still believe in tourism and I’m going full steam ahead!”
62 | June 2020
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