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Inside Coolibar

What the Heck is a Rash Guard?

what is a rash guard cover image

You’ve probably noticed the athletic-style shirts on people at the beach or pool and wondered what it’s for. So what is a rash guard? Its purpose is so much more than just a functional piece of clothing to wear around water and protect you from the sun.

You might be wondering why it is called a rash guard in the first place. Rash guards are shirts that were originally developed for surfers who experienced irritation to the skin from sand and residue on their surfboards. They continue to be a popular choice for surfers and lifeguards due to their comfort and high performance.  

Explore our wide selection of sun protection products to help keep you and your family safe while enjoying the outdoors.

What Are Rash Guards For?

Rash guards are no longer just for surfers. They are a versatile piece of clothing for all family members, whether boating, swimming, or just hanging out in the sand and sun. Below are three top benefits they provide.

  • Rash Protection: no need to worry about chafing and rashes, as the tight-fitting rash guard is an extra layer of protection for your skin
  • Sun Protection: they offer coverage from the sun, so your skin will be protected from harmful UV rays
  • Breathability: they are made with a combination of fabrics, providing comfort, breathability, and ease of movement

Best Rash Guard for Every Person In Your Life

Rash guards are versatile pieces of clothing for any outdoor occasion. Maybe you love to snorkel or just enjoy spending time on the beach reading a book. Whatever activities you prefer, extra protection and comfort will keep you and your family looking and feeling your best.

Best Rash Guard for Women

Rash guards provide fierce protection and functionality. They make a wonderful gift, and with a range of beautiful colors and prints, you really can’t go wrong! Read about free diver Ashleigh Baird’s review of our Coolibar Quick Zip Rash Guard, and see more of our women’s rash guard styles below.

Best Rash Guard for Men

Whether you are a water sports fanatic or just spend a lot of time outdoors, rash guards are the best outdoor clothing choice for men. They are perfect for long days outside spent working on the lawn or leisure activities like playing a round of golf.

The sporty designs feature high performance in cooling and sweating-wicking properties. We offer a variety of colors and styles for men. Here are some of our favorites:

Best Rash Guard for Kids

Rash guards are especially great for kids because of the sun coverage and protection. There is no need to worry about keeping their entire bodies lathered up with sunscreen when they’re in and out of the water.

A long sleeve guard reduces exposed skin to the elements. Your children will also love the range of bright colors and prints. Shop some of our top kids’ styles at the links below.

When Should Rash Guards Be Worn?

Since the purpose of rash guards is so varied, there is really no limit to when one should be worn. Their protection from sun, sand, and rashes makes them an excellent addition to any beach day. Some activities that are especially great for wearing this protective layer are:

  • Water Sports: they are perfect for wearing out on the water for activities like water skiing, tubing, surfing, and wakeboarding. Not only will you be protected from sun damage and skin irritation, but you will be protecting yourself from skin irritation while staying sun safe.
  • Beach Sports: long days on the sand playing beach volleyball or other beach sports can wreak havoc on your skin. Be prepared by wearing a beach rash guard to defend against damaging UV rays and irritation from the sand. Their sweat-wicking properties make them the ideal gear for all beach sports.
  • Other Sports: if you spend extended amounts of time doing other outdoor sports like running, golfing, or biking, rash guards may be a solution you might not have considered. Their sun protection and sweat-wicking properties will keep you safe and comfortable.
  • Yard Work: this is another excellent solution for anyone who does a lot of outdoor work. Even just regularly mowing the lawn can cause damage to your skin. Getting in the habit of wearing your rash guard for doing work outside can significantly impact your overall skin health.

Other Common Questions Around Rash Guards

Before we dive into the best rash guards for everyone in the family, let’s tackle some common questions that come up.

Does a rash guard protect you from the sun?

Getting a sunburn at the beach is never fun, but there are plenty of ways to prevent sunburn. Rash guard clothing from Coolibar provides a physical barrier from the sun and comes with the added benefit of having UPF protection built into the fabric. At Coolibar, our world-leading fabric offers the highest level of UPF protection and is guaranteed to block 98% of UVA and UVB rays.

Are rash guard shirts hot?

Unlike wetsuits, rash guards are not meant to keep your body warm. They are not as thick as wetsuits, so they do not trap body heat as well. They actually can have a cooling effect on the body because of their material and how tight they lay on your skin.

What are rash guard shirts made of?

Since the purpose of rash guard shirts is to prevent rashes and protect you from the sun, they are generally made of athletic fabrics like polyester, nylon, lycra, and spandex. These materials are soft, durable, and lightweight while allowing for breathability and stretch to maximize your comfort.

What do you wear with a rash guard?

What to wear with a rash guard is most often a matter of personal preference. However, since they’re generally worn during outdoor activities, we recommend pairing it with other UPF clothing items to ensure maximum sun protection, such as:

Explore Rash Guards And Sun Protection Clothing From Coolibar

Long gone are the days when rash guards were only worn by surfers, and for good reason! They keep your skin healthy and protected from the sun’s harmful rays so you can make the most of your time outdoors.

Check out our blog for more helpful sun protection tips, and read about some of our favorite styles for spring!

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Inside Coolibar

Top 10 Favorite Holiday Gifts by the Coolibar Team

The Holiday season is here, and you know what that means… trying to find the perfect gift. To get inspired for what you may want to get your loved ones, we caught up with some of the Team on what THEIR favorite products are here at Coolibar!

Anne – Chief Brand Officer

Favorite Activities: Weekend mornings sitting on the deck reading, Hiking, Nordic Skiing

Top Product Choice: Wyatt Bucket Hat

My go-to gift is hats because everyone needs a good one for sun protection and, in my opinion, you can never have too many! I like to gift bucket hats because they are easy to wear with anything and flatter most face shapes. Hats are generally easy to guess the right size too. My current favorite is the Wyatt bucket hat. It’s stylish without being trendy, packable and super lightweight. I personally have it in multiple prints. BTW, the Wyatt is technically a men’s hat, but there are quite a few of us women at Coolibar that don’t discriminate when it comes to hats. If the hat fits, we want it!

Kristen – Director of Brand

Favorite Activities: Traveling, Getting outside, enjoying the lakes and hanging with friends!

Top Product Choice: Maho Weekend Pants

I seriously live in these pants. They are an easy breezy throw on and I love the fit and, of course, the sun protection. They are perfect for chilling on the sofa or getting out for a walk. Having a dog that loves lake walks, it is great knowing that I am not only comfortable but protected by the sun, when I go out these. I know own several pairs and am gifting a pair to my sister for the holidays!

Monica – Ecommerce Manager

Favorite Activities: Gardening, Curating Cats, Extreme House-planting

Top Product Choice: Women’s Daybreak Swing Top

For me, the weekends are when I get stuff done. I don’t like to waste time thinking about what I am going to wear when I wake up in the morning – that’s what Monday through Friday is for. I have found that no matter what I end up doing, if I grab one of my Daybreak Swing Tops, I am set for the day. All I need to do is decide which color to wear (I have 5 … and 1 more pending.) I am on the taller side and like my tops more tunic-like. But the problem with some tunics is that they are boxy or shapeless and that does me no favors. This top being fitted at the chest makes me feel somewhat tailored (for a t-shirt) but it is forgiving in all the right places. It basically checks all my boxes and that is not easy to do.

Hayden – Social Media Manager

Favorite Activities: Golfing, Being on the lake with my friends, Traveling

Top Product Choice: Agility Performance Pullover

It seems like I constantly have plans 24/7 and honestly, sun protection sometimes becomes an afterthought. My solution? I legitimately own 4 of our Agility Performance Pullovers in different colors and will wear it for any and every occasion! From heading out to the course to meeting some friends at a brewery, you will find me with this top!

Leslie – Manager, Organizational Effectiveness

Favorite Activities: Fishing (lakes + deep sea), cycling, downhill skiing, and traveling.

Top Product Choice: Women’s Paros Sailing Tee + Men’s Andros Fishing Tee

My husband and I LOVE to fish in the MN summers and when winter comes along, we are off to somewhere warm to do some more fishing. We don’t leave the house without our Paros and Andros tee’s so we can enjoy the sun while on the boat for 8-12 hours at a time. These are our “go-to” shirts because the technical fabrics keep us cool and protect us from harmful UV rays, at the same time.

Mariah- Merchandising Specialist

Favorite Activities: Going to the lake, Exploring with my dogs, Anything outside

Top Product Choice: Tatum Convertible Explorer Hat

I LOVE being able to spend time outside, especially if my dogs are around! Which normally means I am going for long walks or spending hours by the lake watching them play! My Tatum Convertible Explorer Hat it is so easy to grab and go when running out of the house, plus it is convertible so I can adjust the amount of coverage I need throughout the day or depending on activity!

Denzell – Medical Professional Consultant

Favorite Activities: Running, building things, reading, working out and hanging with friends and family

Top Product: Erodym Long Sleeve Golf Polo

One of my favorite shirts in my closet is my Coolibar Erodym polo shirt. Whether I’m at work, headed to the course or hanging with friends, this is my go-to “no brainer” shirt. Because of its elegance and functionality, I don’t have to worry about fit, compromising comfort or performance, and I get to look good and feel protected.

Lacey – Lead, Merchant

Favorite Activities: Golfing, Traveling, Rock Climbing, Biking, Hiking

Top Product Choice: Motio Joggers

Sun protection is a big priority for me because of skin sensitives and genetic history. I find it difficult to remember sun protection for my legs though. So, my solution is an amazing sun protection bottom that you can live in! The Motio joggers are lightweight, stretchy, and have excellent moisture wicking properties. I use these pants outdoor running, long days hiking and climbing, biking around the city, running errands on the weekend, travelling, and just lounging around. I wear them everywhere!

Kat – Business Unit Lead (Hats, Ultimate Coverage)

Favorite Activities: Anything outdoors and adventurous!

Top Product Choice: Lenny Sport Cap

Living in the Midwest, it is very important to me to spend time outside when the weather is nice! The Lenny hat’s oversized brim protects my face if I am out on the lake, hiking, or watching my nieces and nephews’ games. It comes in multiple colorways so it always pairs well with any outfit and is adjustable for added comfort.

Kelsey – Social Media Specialist

Favorite Activities: Golfing, Kayaking, and Traveling

Top Product Choice: Devi Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Whenever the weather is nice, I always try to take advantage of it by being outside. I never have trouble remembering sun-protection but reapplying is where I struggle… Our Devi Long Sleeve T-shirt solves this problem of mine with its built-in sun protection that keeps me covered all day long. 10/10 recommend this to all my friends and family!

Looking for more ideas? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide.
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Inside Coolibar

Giving Our Community a Voice

We’ve done it! Our Spring 2021 catalog is here and it’s our first ever to feature real-world people who are tackling skin cancer every day—they are warriors! In the past, we’ve been honored to include well-known warriors like Norah O’Donnell and Holly Rowe, as well as amazing professional models who have survived skin cancer, like Bradly Tomberlin. But this is the first time you’ll see everyday people within the greater skin cancer community represented throughout our catalog pages.  

It all started with a basic idea – celebrate skin cancer warriors and inspire others to dress sun-safe. But as is the case with most of our community outreach, it quickly evolved into something more. Every one of our real-world models lit up the camera with their hope, energy and passion for our shared mission. And their willingness to share their stories and support each other was just incredible!

Each individual who participated in our Spring 2021 catalog has written a blog detailing their unique experience with skin cancer. We have stories from warriors and the people supporting them…professionals, advocates, and caregivers. Everyone came together to help our first warrior-dedicated catalog shine. Based on our past experience, we were not surprised in the least.  If our mission has taught us one thing, it is that skin cancer warriors and advocates can move mountains. And if you spend enough time in their presence, you’ll realize that you can too. 

In our Spring 2021 catalog you will find….

  1. Warriors currently taking on skin cancer or living with other sun-sensitivities
  2. Survivors who are NED (No Evidence of Disease) or in remission
  3. Care givers supporting family or friends going through a diagnosis
  4. Advocates leading the charge to protect and prevent
  5. Medical Providers dedicating their time to keeping everyone safe

As you flip the pages of the catalog and go online and read their stories, we hope you’ll be as inspired as we were. And we welcome your help! If you, your family, or friends are interested in participating in our next catalog or blog please don’t hesitate to reach out. Every story, and every warrior makes a difference.

We are BEYOND grateful for our community’s involvement in our mission and everyone’s ongoing efforts to combat skin cancer.  Every day we’re dedicated to keeping yours safe.

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Behind The Design Inside Coolibar

Coolibar Employee Holiday Gift Guide

The Holiday season is here, and you know what that means… trying to find the perfect gift. To get inspired for what you may want to get your loved ones, we caught up with some of the Team to find out what they are gifting!

SPOILER ALERT:

If you know anyone from Coolibar, read at your own risk because you may find out your present!

Brandyn (For Dad)

Director, Marketplaces & Digital Marketing

For the several years I have worked at Coolibar, it has always been special to gift family members and friends product from where I work. When you start working at Coolibar, you work for the mission as well, and that means really learning about the importance of protecting your skin.

Jumping ahead to the story, my dad is your typical, stubborn father that refuses to go see a doctor until he is seriously ill. He had a few blemishes on his skin that I constantly bugged him about it until he finally caved this year and saw a dermatologist. Luckily, it ended up being nothing, but he shouldn’t be too surprised by my gifts under the tree for him!

GIFTING:

Raymond (For Mom)

Inventory Assistant

For everyone here, the mission is very important, but for me, it’s a little more personal. My mother has a history of melanoma, so when I started working here, I already had a strong understanding of the importance of covering up.

During the holidays, my mom expects nothing but Coolibar from me! She sends me a wish list every year of what she would love from her “favorite kid” after browsing through the gift guide. It is very fulfilling to gift my mother with something that she wants and needs that the company that I work for makes.

GIFTING:

Kelly (For Sister-in-law)

eCommerce Data Lead

I love this time of year! Every holiday season, we do a secret gift exchange for my boyfriend’s side of the family and this year I drew his sister out of the hat – Hopefully, she does not see this…

It’s been exciting to see the innovative, yet trendy features of our new collections, so saying I’ve had fun surfing through our site for the perfect gift is an understatement! Hopefully, she doesn’t mind me wearing her gift when we show up. Oops.

GIFTING:

Hayden (For Dad)

Social Media Specialist

Eat. Sleep. Golf. That is my dad’s life.

The man has been a golf professional for 35+ years and has spent 6-8 hours a day in direct sunlight EVERY DAY in that span of time. Before working here, my dad was always conscious to wear sunscreen, but that was the extent of his skincare.

Now, after a little convincing, he always wears long sleeves on the course and never forgets his hat! Receiving a gift is always nice (That’s for my dad if he didn’t read the spoiler alert up top…) but getting my father something that helps his quality of life and he loves is an even better feeling.

GIFTING:

Michelle (For Kids)

Manager, PR & Strategic Partnerships

Since their grandmother was diagnosed with Melanoma, my son Oliver and daughter Eloise have become mini skin cancer prevention advocates. They LOVE to wear Coolibar gear when it’s hot out, wait for other kids to ask about their long sleeves, then tell everyone who will listen about the “Coolibar science our mommy makes”. It’s fantastic!

I brought home one of the catalogs and as soon as I knew it, the kiddos just started circling everything they loved. I can’t wait for them to hit up the playground scene with their new gear!

GIFTING:

Bonus: Oliver and Eloise wouldn’t be the sun-safe advocates they claim to be if they didn’t take care of the people they love! Every year they pick a UPF 50+ hat for ALL of their teachers. They know that one of the best ways to tell someone you appreciate them is by giving a gift that will keep them safe.

GIFTING:

Women’s Brittany Beach Hat

There’s nothing quite like giving the gift of sun protection. Whether it be for protecting someone with a sun-related condition or preventing another from developing one, choosing to gift UPF 50+ products is always a sun-safe bet.

Looking for more motivation? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide.

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Educate Others Events

After 25 Years with Lupus, Still Going Strong

Jan Jundt - Coolibar 5K Lupus Walk

Can there be any disease as grueling and, often, mysterious as lupus?

Certainly not for Jan Jundt, 2014 ambassador for Lupus Foundation of Minnesota, who was diagnosed in 1989. “I thought at the time that it was arthritis,” Jan says. “I was having trouble getting my hands open, and walking stairs. I was really afraid it was arthritis – my family has a long history of arthritis.”

Back then it was very common even for doctors to diagnose lupus as something else, she says, and not just in her home town of Bismarck, North Dakota. “For years lupus was misdiagnosed completely,” says Jan, on the eve of the foundation’s 17th annual Lupus Walk for Hope and 5K Trail Run – Twin Cities.

The Onset

Jan Jundt Coolibar Lupus 5K
Jan Jundt

Jan is married; her husband Dave recently retired from the North Dakota National Guard. Last spring the couple moved to Fargo, ND from Bismarck to be closer to their three grown daughters.

Also: 25 years ago, lupus nearly killed her.

“I thought it was arthritis,” Jan relates. “In a visit to my allergist he said: ‘go see a rheumatologist.’ The look on his face was, ‘you do it now.’” She got an appointment the following week – a miracle in itself. After tests were run, her rheumatologist called to say she had lupus and wanted to visit with her and her husband.  She scheduled a follow-up at the end of the next week.

“And I didn’t make that appointment,” Jan says. “The night before, I crashed. I had complete renal failure. Basically the only things functioning were my heart and my brain. They gave me 24 hours to live.

I don’t remember the next 10 days, and my husband says well, that’s a blessing. You don’t want to know.”

Another time, much more recently, she had another scare. “I had come down with pneumonia. I just thought it was my allergies, and my asthma. We were driving to Minneapolis and I collapsed. That’s the lupus; if you have a weakness in one spot, it just goes for it.”

What’s most striking about this is her positive, enthusiastic tone, even when the subject turns dark. How can you ensure that these frightening episodes do not happen? “You can’t,” she says.

What is Lupus?

If anything about lupus can be simple, here’s the simplest explanation – lupus causes the immune system to malfunction. It mistakenly starts creating auto-antibodies that normally guard the body against bacteria and viruses. Instead, they attack and destroy healthy tissue. This can result in a very wide range of symptoms – pain at the joints, fever, fatigue, headaches and sensitivity to the sun among them.

Lupus Walk for Hope, Plymouth, MN
Lupus Walk for Hope, Plymouth, MN

Like most other people, Jan knew none of this. Following her first harrowing episode, she started researching the disease.

“I could not get any information about lupus,” she says. “Every place I called, I was finding dead ends.”

The one certainty: there were lots of others suffering from lupus, and they likely had no place to go either.

The Support Group

Jan and her husband started a lupus support group 24 years ago in Bismarck, ND. She found a catalyst for it in the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota, which provided the help needed to start the support group.

The group meets the second Thursday of every month. There are about 15 people in the group, Jan says, with a core of about a half dozen. The group first met at night, but switched to mid-days after fatigue became a problem. There are also frequent transportation issues in a community with lots of rural areas; “the community has been very good to us,” she says. “They help whenever they can.”

Team Coolibar at Lupus Walk
Part of Team Coolibar, Sept. 13

Still, the resource has become irreplaceable.  “I have learned the most from those who have lupus,” says Jan. “People come for different reasons. “Some people come when they’re not feeling good, and need some support. Others come when they are feeling good, and just want to be around people.”

Going Strong

Since her move to Fargo, North Dakota last May, Jan can no longer attend the group she started. But it’s still going strong. On Saturday, September 13, she walked along with Coolibar team members as the official ambassador for Lupus Foundation of Minnesota in the  Lupus Walk for Hope and 5K Trail Run – Twin Cities.

“Our goal is to help one person,” she says. “If we can do that, we’ve done our job.”

For information on Coolibar sun protective clothing, visit our site!

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Events Inside Coolibar

Twin City Tennis Camps Hosts Coolibar Talent Show

For the past two years Coolibar has worked closely with Twin City Tennis Camps (TCTC), an organization that operates tennis camps across Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. This is part of an ongoing effort to help parents and community leaders promote sun safety at an early age. What better place to do it than on the tennis courts?

Still, Friday, July 18 was a first: a Coolibar-themed talent show performed by TCTC staff and junior tennis students at the Golden Valley Tennis Center at Brookview Park.

This is just one performance:

Here are some more highlights:

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TCTC operates five tennis camps across the Twin Cities and provides “an energetic, athletic, cooperative and educational style…that keeps everyone smiling, playing tennis and making lifelong lasting relationships.” The organization also operates adult tennis camps and attends annual tournaments in Minneapolis, Minn. and Palm Springs, Calif.

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Inside Coolibar What's Hot

Latest Fashion Trend: The Bucket Hat?

Coolibar Bucket Hat

We first started hearing rumblings about his about a year ago, when some of the hip fashion bloggers started saying the bucket hat was a thing again. We love bucket hats; admittedly, we have an extra-large crush on them because they protect your face. But we last saw our friend the bucket hat as a major fashion player in like 1999. We thought these rumblings would go away.

They didn’t. Instead, they got stronger.

And stronger. Rihanna in a bucket hat? That’s a long way from Gilligan, or even LL Cool J. The latest homage comes from Refinery29, and we’re sure there will be more.

Coolibar has always offered bucket hats, but if there’s going to be a trend we’re more than “Happy” to throw our hat into the ring.

Of course, Coolibar bucket hats have an extra bonus: they’re UPF 50+. How much trendier can you get?

 

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Events Inside Coolibar

Coolibar Goes to Camp

Coolibar at AAD Camp Discovery

One sunny morning last week, Coolibar employees got up early, grabbed their gear and made the three-hour journey from Minneapolis to Crosslake, Minnesota to attend Camp Discovery. This one-week summer camp for kids with chronic skin conditions is operated by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and encompasses five such summer camps across the country.

During the afternoon the camp split into eight teams, and each composed a skit or song about sun protection that they presented to the larger group. Afterward, everyone headed to the lakeshore for some sun safe swimming. Coolibar passed out UPF 50+ swim shirts and sun hats to 98 campers and staff!

Crosslake is the original location for the AAD’s Camp Discovery, and it includes Camp Little Pine (for ages 10 – 14) and Camp Big Trout (ages 14 – 16). This is the third consecutive year that Coolibar has dropped in for a visit.

Check out our fun photos!

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Educate Others Events Wear Sun Protection What's Hot

July is UV Safety Month!

July - UV Safety Month

It seems there is a month for everything, but this one comes directly from the US Department of Health and Human Services: it’s UV Safety Month!

This makes sense. July is one of the hottest months in the US, and it’s also right in the middle of prime vacation time. As we know, UV rays from the sun are the main cause of skin cancer, which is the nation’s most common type of cancer. And that’s not to mention the painful sunburns, dry skin and wrinkles that UV rays can cause.

Coolibar supports the efforts of the United States HHS department and the Federal Occupational Health agency to raise awareness about skin cancer and the dangers of UV rays. They include encouraging families to adopt good sun safety habits together, to include wearing sunscreen; we would add don’t forget your UPF 50+ sun protective clothing!

Watch for posts throughout July about UV safety for your skin and even for your eyes!

Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

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Inside Coolibar New Products What's Hot

Is This A Magic Dress, Or…?

Coolibar Coastline - Beach to Street

We haven’t seen anything like what’s going on with our new Coastline Cover Up Dress.

We’ve talked to a LOT of people about this. And most have told us that when they saw the Coastline Cover Up Dress in our catalog or online, they didn’t even notice it at first.

They think it looks okay on the model. But when they put it on themselves – BOOM.

They love it. We don’t know anyone who owns the Coastline Cover Up Dress that doesn’t love it. Everyday girls love it. Bloggers love it, too.

We can only say it’s a magical dress. We suspect we might be the first clothing company, sun protective or not, ever to create a dress like this. But we don’t know for sure.

Tell us here.

Or comment below!

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