O'Neill (brand)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
O'Neill is a surfwear and equipment brand that was started in San Francisco, California, but soon moved down the coast to Santa Cruz. Some credit O'Neill with having invented the modern wetsuit. They now also make clothing and their clothing division is headquartered in Irvine, California with their surf division still in Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz.
In 1996 O'Neill set up the O'Neill Sea Odyssey, a free, ocean-based program to educate young people about the marine environment.
[edit] History
In the 1950s, Jack O'Neill opened his first surf shop in a garage across the Great Highway in San Francisco, a sand dune away from his favorite bodysurfing break.[1] Jack created the modern-day surf shop. While Dale Velzy, Hobie Alter and others had shops down south, they only sold boards. There he sold his first wetsuits, a few vests he made from gluing together pieces of closed cell foam. From that very garage Jack expanded the average surfer's playground to include locations from Steamer Lane to J-Bay, and from Antarctica to reef breaks off the coast of Iceland. Thanks to Jack O'Neill, "It's always summer on the inside."
Since then, O'Neill has made countless improvements to the design and quality of the wetsuit. From the introduction of the zigzag stitch to the names Jack originated which became generic, (i.e. spring suit, long john, short john, etc.).
Jack's son Pat was a pioneer in developing the leash, affectionately known as the "kook cord" back then. Using materials such as nylon lines, suction cups and surgical tubing, Pat found ways to prevent his board from crashing into the cliffs and breaking in half. While testing a leash, founder Jack O'Neill lost an eye and has to wear an eyepatch.
The O'Neill brand now branches out to many products. Wetsuits, surfboards, boardbags, swimsuits, clothing, and shoes are some of the products that O'Neill prints their logo on.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.surfline.com/surfaz/oneill_jack.cfm accessed 2007-08-31
[edit] External links
 This article about a corporation or company involved in entertainment, leisure, sports and/or tourism is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
