Surfing legend Jack O’Neill died on Friday at the age of 94 in Santa Cruz, Ca.
O’Neill was known for being one of the pioneers of the wetsuit.
Who actually invented the wetsuit has been described as the longest-running argument in surfing. What is not disputed is that O’Neill eventually developed an internationally known surfwear business after opening a small surf shop on Ocean Beach in San Francisco in 1952. Seven years later, he moved his family to Santa Cruz and opened a second shop.
He promoted his products with innovative ideas and marketing flair — dressing his children in his wetsuits and dunking them in ice baths at trade shows, according to Surfer Magazine.