How Jack O'Neill revolutionised the world of surfing

«I'm just a surfer who wanted to build something that would allow me to surf longer,» is the phrase that has been inspiring O'Neill's work for more than 70 years. Pronounced by the brand's creator himself, Jack O'Neill, it perfectly embodies the innovative spirit characterising the Californian brand and the simplicity with which it continues to incorporate its technological research into its most ambitious designs. Giving birth to the brand was an ingenious idea in 1952; after opening his first Surf Shop in San Francisco - where he mainly sold boards - Jack O'Neill began experimenting with sports suits, using the waterproof materials that made up the diving suits used by American soldiers during World War II. The only practical way to spend more time in the cold water - until then, surfers were settling for an oily spray substance on their shirts or by wearing heavy woollen jumpers - O'Neill's wetsuit was the first in history, a neoprene suit that protected from the cold, which soon became an indispensable item in every surfer's wardrobe.

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Ever since the first wetsuit was put on the market, Jack O'Neill has dedicated himself to perfecting it, making it more and more comfortable and performing year after year. Competitors and wannabes tried to copy O'Neill's new inventions, yet never managed to reach the same level of quality. «If we weren't the best, we wouldn't be the most copied,» the brand's founder used to say. In the 1960s, after relocating the surf shop to Santa Cruz, O'Neill launched an entire line of wetsuits in different styles also designed for the female body, consolidating his company as a world leader in surfwear. The following decade saw the start of experimenting with the Supersuit wetsuit and the Surf Leash, as both take hold and push the boundaries of innovation within the surf and diving communities. These years were the most decisive for the advertising positioning of O'Neill within the sportswear sector, thanks to a marketing effort - at the hands of Jack O'Neill with the support of his family - that was specifically designed, starting with the image of the brand creator and his iconic eye patch, always present on promotional images. 

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

With the arrival of the 1980s, technological advancement allowed Jack O'Neill to debut Split-Toe booties, lightweight socks made of waterproof material which allowed for a more comfortable grip on the board, that helped the brand's sales to reach new records. At this point, O'Neill's shop was not only a favourite destination for Santa Cruz surfers, but also for those who liked to challenge the waves with kites, water skis and sailboats, a list to which skateboards and snowboards are now added. New colours and patterns were introduced between the Nineties and Naughties, as even the brand's marketing became more eye-catching and bold reflecting the approach of the customers who loved to wear O'Neill, in California as in the rest of the world. Finding himself once again a trailblazer for a new way of surfing, Jack O'Neill was one of the first entrepreneurs in the industry to demonstrate his commitment to raising children's awareness of respect for the oceans, launching the O'Neill Sea Odyssey in 1996, a free and accessible programme aimed at educating young people about the marine environment. Since its opening, the initiative has offered its services to around 100,000 children, for Jack O'Neill one of the work achievements of which he was most proud.

Courtesy of O'Neill

Courtesy of O'Neill

The O'Neill brand still represents a real landmark for professional athletes and enthusiasts, which is why every 9 July, ever since the year of his death in 2017, Jack O'Neill Day is celebrated, a moment planned in the middle of summer to remember the figure of an entrepreneur, inventor and surfer who played an essential role in the history of water sports. Like every year, a Memorial Paddle Out in O'Neill's honour will be held in seas around the world, from Sydney to Santa Cruz, but this year the brand also thought of remembering its creator in a special way. Featuring round lenses and a thin metal frame with a black leather screen, the new sunglasses launched by O'Neill this summer and available online in a limited edition from 10 July echo the exact same silhouette as Jack O'Neill's favourite sunglasses, a line that is as practical and avant-garde just like the spirit of the brand's founder has always been.