ARTICLE
In Honor of Jack O’Neill A Santa Cruz Surfing Legend A Legend is sculptured with the talents they have been blessed with either by birth or through the opportunities and challenges that life presented them. Our legend, Jack O’Neill, was that gritty salt of the earth sailor & pilot who turned surfing into an international sport because of his innovation. This Sunday, July 9th, Surf City will honor Jack with the traditional paddle out. Surfers from around the world will gather in their special place to pay homage to Jack O’Neill. For Santa Cruz natives, the paddle out at Pleasure Point will hit close to home, making it uniquely different. Jack was born on March 27, 1923, in Denver and moved with his family to Long Beach, California where he began his love affair with the sea. He served as a Navy pilot during World War II and received a degree in business from the University of Portland in Oregon. After marrying the former Marjorie Bennett, the couple moved to Ocean Beach in San Francisco and then to Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz. It is here, in 1972, where he began wearing a patch over his left eye. A surfboard struck him there while he was riding a wave at The Hook. Jack O’Neill popularized the neoprene wetsuit that defied the cold, the calendar and the continents to create an endless summer for surfers around the world. Like every successful product, the wetsuit had multiple fathers. Hugh Bradner, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former Manhattan Project physicist, originated a synthetic rubber version in 1951 as insulation for deep-sea and scuba diving. Bill and Bob Meistrell began making wetsuits in Southern California around 1952, about the same time Mr. O’Neill launched his label. The Meistrells’ company still markets them under the Body Glove brand but “The Encyclopedia of Surfing” (2005), among other sources, credits Jack O’Neill as the wetsuit’s commercial pioneer. His technical innovations, marketing acumen and swashbuckling passion transformed his business from a humble store into the international leader in wetsuit sales. One of the most important accomplishments and his legacy is carried on through the O’Neill Sea Odyssey, a marine and environmental education program that transports students on a catamaran to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. We are fortunate that my dear friend, Dan Haifley, has lead that non-profit since 1996 and will carry on the O’Neill Legacy. This program enriches the lives of so many youth who would not otherwise experience the ocean. Jack gave our community the moniker “Surf City” (though in a trademark dispute Santa Cruz later lost the official title of Surf City U.S.A. to Huntington Beach.) A few weeks ago, Huntington Beach set a Guinness World record with 511 paddle out participants. A nice gesture to recognize that surfing will be an Olympic sport in 2020. When Sunday's fog rolls out of Pleasure Point, the Monterey Bay will be greeted by 100s of surfers as they paddle out one last time to honor Jack. In Santa Cruz, we don’t surf for Guinness records. In SURF CITY, SANTA CRUZ, we paddle out with purpose to honor the man that placed Surfing on the World stage. Paddle out for Jack and the O’Neill family to celebrate all that they have done and will continue to do for the future of our oceans. Jack O'Neill Paddle Out Pleasure Point Sunday, July 9th 11:00am
In Honor of Jack O’Neill A Santa Cruz Surfing Legend
A Legend is sculptured with the talents they have been blessed with either by birth or through the opportunities and challenges that life presented them. Our legend, Jack O’Neill, was that gritty salt of the earth sailor & pilot who turned surfing into an international sport because of his innovation.
This Sunday, July 9th, Surf City will honor Jack with the traditional paddle out. Surfers from around the world will gather in their special place to pay homage to Jack O’Neill. For Santa Cruz natives, the paddle out at Pleasure Point will hit close to home, making it uniquely different.
Jack was born on March 27, 1923, in Denver and moved with his family to Long Beach, California where he began his love affair with the sea. He served as a Navy pilot during World War II and received a degree in business from the University of Portland in Oregon.
After marrying the former Marjorie Bennett, the couple moved to Ocean Beach in San Francisco and then to Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz. It is here, in 1972, where he began wearing a patch over his left eye. A surfboard struck him there while he was riding a wave at The Hook.
Jack O’Neill popularized the neoprene wetsuit that defied the cold, the calendar and the continents to create an endless summer for surfers around the world. Like every successful product, the wetsuit had multiple fathers. Hugh Bradner, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former Manhattan Project physicist, originated a synthetic rubber version in 1951 as insulation for deep-sea and scuba diving.
Bill and Bob Meistrell began making wetsuits in Southern California around 1952, about the same time Mr. O’Neill launched his label. The Meistrells’ company still markets them under the Body Glove brand but “The Encyclopedia of Surfing” (2005), among other sources, credits Jack O’Neill as the wetsuit’s commercial pioneer. His technical innovations, marketing acumen and swashbuckling passion transformed his business from a humble store into the international leader in wetsuit sales.
One of the most important accomplishments and his legacy is carried on through the O’Neill Sea Odyssey, a marine and environmental education program that transports students on a catamaran to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. We are fortunate that my dear friend, Dan Haifley, has lead that non-profit since 1996 and will carry on the O’Neill Legacy. This program enriches the lives of so many youth who would not otherwise experience the ocean.
Jack gave our community the moniker “Surf City” (though in a trademark dispute Santa Cruz later lost the official title of Surf City U.S.A. to Huntington Beach.) A few weeks ago, Huntington Beach set a Guinness World record with 511 paddle out participants. A nice gesture to recognize that surfing will be an Olympic sport in 2020. When Sunday's fog rolls out of Pleasure Point, the Monterey Bay will be greeted by 100s of surfers as they paddle out one last time to honor Jack. In Santa Cruz, we don’t surf for Guinness records. In SURF CITY, SANTA CRUZ, we paddle out with purpose to honor the man that placed Surfing on the World stage.
Paddle out for Jack and the O’Neill family to celebrate all that they have done and will continue to do for the future of our oceans. Jack O'Neill Paddle Out Pleasure Point Sunday, July 9th 11:00am