By the turn of the 20th century, surfing became a popular sport, especially in the Hawaiian islands. Surfing wasn’t always popular, and almost died out in the islands when the western/white missionaries arrived in the 19th century. George Freeth, known as the Father of Modern Surfing, experimented with board design as he cut his 16 foot Hawaiian board in half, making the typical Hawaiian board of the time to around 6 to 10 foot long. This marked the revival of surfing as he took his shorter board to California and became the first professional surfer.
“I’m Just A Surfer Who Wanted To Build Something That Would Allow Me To Surf Longer.”
– Jack O’Neill
In 1952, Jack O'Neill opened the first Surf Shop in a garage. O'Neill started to shape balsa surfboards and sell accessories like wax and vests. This gave him the brilliant idea to go into the wetsuit business. This was O’Neill’s big break as the surf shop became a local gathering place. When O'Neill improved his wetsuits and other appliances, more and more surfers would come into this territory. He was the main reason that Northern California became a year-round surf zone. By 1980, O'Neill's surf shop had became a thriving international company as it dominated the wetsuit market and was one of the leaders in beach lifestyle sportswear in the U.S.
Jack O'Neill first Surf Shop
Jack O'Neill dies on June 2, 2017 in Santa Cruz, CA
In the mid 19 century, surfboards were made from wood that hurt the environment and didn't give that competitive edge.
Advances in surfboard design over the years range from size, weight and shape, to fins, to the materials used, to different boards designed for different waves. Modern surfboards are made of polyurethane or polystyrene foam covered with layers of fiberglass cloth, and polyester or epoxy resin.
