Jack O’Neill, surfer, ocean lover, boating enthusiast, wetsuit pioneer, balloonist, and founder of the iconic worldwide surf company O’Neill, has passed away in Santa Cruz, California, of natural causes at the age of 94.
Surrounded by family, Jack was as soulful and encouraging as always, reiterating his love for his family, appreciation for a life well lived, his hopes for his friends and the oceans he loved, all within the familiarity of his oceanfront home of over 50 years, with the famous waves of his beloved Pleasure Point beach lapping at his deck.
Jack was born in Denver, Colorado and moved with his family to Long Beach, California. He acquired a love for the beach early in his youth in Southern California. He attended the University of Portland in Oregon, where he received a degree in business.
Following service in the US Navy during World War II, Jack married Marjorie Bennett and they moved in the early 1950s to Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California. Jack immediately began experimenting on his kitchen table with various materials designed to protect against the frigid ocean water in Northern California. He said, “I just wanted to surf longer.”
By the 50s Jack had both invented the first surfing and bodysurfing wetsuits and opened his first surf shop near Ocean Beach. He also coined “Surf Shop,” a term for which he later received a Registered US Trademark. At that time Jack famously remarked, “All my friends said, ‘O’Neill: you will sell to five friends on the beach and then you will be out of business’”.
Inspired by the growing surf scene, Jack moved with his growing family 75 miles south to Santa Cruz, and opened his next surf shop there, where the Dream Inn stands today. Shortly thereafter he began making surfboards, promoting the first surf movies from Bruce Brown and producing wetsuits for the expanding population of surfers in Santa Cruz and throughout California.
The surfing craze soon expanded way beyond California, and Jack rode that wave better and longer than almost anyone in the surf industry. Jack viewed what he did as a passion, and was more surprised than anyone that the business grew to the point that it did.
Jack and Marge, with the help of their family, grew the business. Along the way Jack traveled the world and became internationally known as a surfer, an airplane and balloon pilot, sailor, fisherman, and adventurer.
Jack was most recognizable for his eye patch and his beard, often seen driving around Santa Cruz in his convertible Jaguar. The eye patch resulted from his surfboard hitting his left eye while riding a wave.
By 1980 O’Neill had become a thriving international business and the world’s largest ocean recreation wetsuit designer and manufacturer. As worldwide interest in surfing exploded, so did the O’Neill surf brand in Australia, Europe, Japan, and beyond.
For his proudest achievement, in 1996 Jack established O’Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO), a marine and environmental education program using his personal Team O’Neill catamaran, taking over 30 children at a time into the newly designated Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, along with the dedication of a coast-side classroom and laboratory building in the Santa Cruz Harbor, which he built in 1965. Jack played an instrumental role in the development of the harbor.
Now over 20 years old, the O’Neill Sea Odyssey program is one of the largest of its kind in the world, having hosted nearly 100,000 school-aged children. Remarking on OSO, Jack said, “The ocean is alive and we’ve got to take care of it. There’s no doubt in my mind that the O’Neill Sea Odyssey is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
For nearly his entire life Jack lived by and for the world’s oceans, and worked tirelessly to promote public access to their many health, economic and environmental benefits. He was very concerned, for example, with the health of waters at area beaches. Jack’s generosity and care extended to other people and projects as well.
Jack has left behind many dear friends and was predeceased by wife Marjorie in 1972, and son Mike in 2012, and is survived by his wife Noriko, daughters Cathi, Bridget and Shawne, sons Pat, Tim (Lisa) and Jack Jr., and grandchildren Uma, Riley, Connor, Bridget, Phoenix and Kodiak.
Memorial contributions in support of Jack’s love of the oceans may be sent to http://oneillseaodyssey.org .
Action continued today at the Outerknown Fiji Pro with big eliminations in Round 2 and the first four heats of Round 3. Cloudbreak served up six-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) conditions for the world’s best surfers as they battled to advance in the fifth stop on the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).
Italo Ferreira (BRA) shocked the competition today with his victory over Gabriel Medina (BRA), in his first event back after suffering an ankle injury on Gold Coast. Medina, 2014 WSL Champion and defending event winner, opened up Round 3 Heat 4 with an authoritative 8.10 (out of a possible 10). Ferreira found the barrels and turns to battle back with an exemplary 7.83 and 8.00. Ferreira held control with pressure on Medina to score a 7.73. In the dying seconds of the heat, Medina found his opportunity but fell just 0.36 points short of the win.
“That was amazing,” said Ferreira. “It is always fun to compete with Gabriel [Medina] — he is a hard competitor. In the last few waves I was just getting good barrels and feeling no pressure. I am so happy to be back again. I just want to say thanks God, my family, girlfriend and all my friends supporting me. I am just enjoying myself and catching good waves.”
Medina is currently ranked 10th on the Jeep Leaderboard and will leave with a 13th place result. The Brazilian has struggled to advance past Round 3 this season, as his finish today marks his third early exit (13th place at Bells, 25th at Margaret River).
Ian Gouveia (BRA), 2017 CT Rookie, upset the competition with his elimination of current World No. 2 Owen Wright (AUS) in the opening heat of Round 3. Gouveia set the pace with an excellent 8.33 with a series of barrels, while Wright secured 6.33. With less than ten minutes on the clock, Gouveia utilized his priority to improve his situation with a strong 7.33 to put pressure on Wright. Wright made several attempts to score the 9.33-requirement, but lacked the 0.40 point difference on his final attempt.
“I am super stoked to finally make Round 3 and go to Round 4,” said Gouveia. “It is an amazing feeling to be here at Fiji and to beat Owen [Wright]. He is probably one of the best surfers out here. I knew I had to do something crazy and in the heat I found the first wave where I was able to get that barrel and then just had to get the backup.”
Wright, who earned the historic Perfect 20 and win at this event in 2015, will exit in 13th place. This finish marks Wright’s worst result of the 2017 season and he will look to the Corona Open J-Bay to strengthen his World Title campaign.
“Pretty bummed with that,” Wright said. “It is just a result, but it hurts because it is a perfect left-hander. That is just how things go sometimes. The season has been great so far. For me it was a lot about recovery, and I feel like I turned a corner just in Brazil where I felt a little bit out of that recovery stage and more into building. I feel more aggressive and attacking heats. At the start of the year I had some good results but I never felt that ‘go for it’ feeling. I am excited to compete now and excited for the tour.”
WSL Champions Kelly Slater (USA) and Joel Parkinson (AUS) found success today in their respective heats. The CT superstars will continue to compete for the event title to add to their decorated careers.
11-time WSL Champion Slater exhibited his dominance at Cloudbreak with a win over 2017 CT Rookie Ethan Ewing (AUS). The Round 2 heat saw Slater throw up big turns for a 7.73 and 7.80 and the win. Ewing has yet to earn a heat win this season and will leave in 25th place. Slater will face rookie Connor O’Leary (AUS) in Round 3 Heat 8.
“I had Ethan [Ewing], who I do not underestimate at all,” Slater said. “He won everything last year and is an amazing surfer. I was stoked to have a heat with him, but I was nervous. It was a slow heat and I kind of played it more right than he did. I’m on a new board and just experimenting with some stuff. I was a little nervous and jittery out there, but I am happy to get the win and loosen up.”
2012 WSL Champion Parkinson eliminated event wildcard Yago Dora (BRA) to open up the day (Round 2 Heat 2). Parkinson utilized his elite tour experience to optimize his priority on the best waves. Dora put up a solid fight with the highest single-wave score of the match-up, a 6.83. Only trailing by 0.33, the young Brazilian could not find the wave to combat the veteran. Dora will be eliminated in Equal 25th place in his second-ever CT event.
“I was really nervous – I was nervous coming here and I was nervous out in the heat,” said Parkinson. “And I was thinking to myself that that is a real good thing. It is a positive for me. If I am getting nervous, it means I still want to win, and I am happy with that. Hopefully my wins do not come with a six and a four, but I’d like to get some good scores.”
In addition to Gouveia’s success, the rookie class represented at Cloudbreak today with big performances from the young competitors. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) and Joan Duru (FRA) found success in their Round 2 heats, while Ewing, Ezekiel Lau (HAW) and Frederico Morais (PRT) will be eliminated despite their strong showings.
In his career-first heat win as a CT competitor, Fioravanti defeated World No. 12 and veteran Adrian Buchan (AUS) in Round 2. The Australian fired off a commanding 8.50, while the Italian showcased his barrel riding skills and sharp backhand snaps for an excellent 8.33. The heat came down to a battle of the backup scores, with Fioravanti gaining a marginal 0.39-point lead for the win.
“I am stoked to make finally make a heat,” said Fioravanti. “The tour has been amazing, but it has been hard for me. I’ve been learning so much. It has not just been my surfing, but little things that I have to get better at. Hopefully I can take this confidence and improve from that in my next heat.”
Morias fell to 2017 World Title contender Julian Wilson (AUS) in Round 3 Heat 2. Morais leaves in 13th place, while Wilson marches on to non-elimination Round 4.
In addition to the dramatic eliminations, the OK Fiji Pro applauded incredible performances by CT challengers Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Sebastian Zietz (HAW) and Jeremy Flores (FRA), who scored the three highest heat totals of the day.
In particular, Zietz put on a show with his phenomenal 18.43 two-wave score over injury replacement Bino Lopes (BRA) in Round 2 Heat 3. Zietz found two deep, running barrels to earn a near-perfect 9.00 and 9.43 and put Lopes in a combination situation. Zietz will be up against Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) in Round 3 after Dantas took down compatriot Jadson Andre (BRA) in Round 2.
“It was a little shaky at the beginning, but I think the swell just arrived,” said Zietz. “After I got a score, I relaxed a little bit. My theory in that heat was to worry about getting in the barrel first and then worry about how deep you are. That kind of worked. That one had a 10 written all over it, I just didn’t grab the rail on the takeoff!”
Wilkinson competed in Heat 3 of Round 3 to claim his spot in the next round. Wilkinson dispatched Miguel Pupo (BRA) with a 16.84 combined score. Stuck needing two new scores, Pupo was not able to strike back.
“I had a plan to put some turns down at the start,” Wilkinson said. “I got two 7s right off the bat so I could wait for waves. I think Miguel [Pupo] had a plan to be patient, but I got a few under his priority. It was such good fun.”
Flores also put on a stunning performance in his Round 2 matchup against replacement surfer Nat Young (USA) with his dominant 17.57 two-wave total. Flores will face fellow veteran Parkinson in Round 3 Heat 9, while Young walks away with a 25th place result.
Event officials will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. local time to assess the conditions and make the next call.
Surfline, official forecaster for the Outerknown Fiji Pro, are calling for:
SW swell mix will trend down on Tuesday, although still relatively solid in the morning. Smaller leftovers are expected Wednesday. New, long period SW swell will slowly build through Thursday, likely peaks Friday and then slowly eases on Saturday. More swells are possible during the final four days of the waiting period.
The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check the local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal and as part of the EDGEsport Network.
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.
Outerknown Fiji Men’s Pro Remaining Round 2 Results:
Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.66 def. Yago Dora (BRA) 10.33
Heat 3: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 18.43 def. Bino Lopes (BRA) 9.53
Heat 4: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.26 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.87
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.90 def. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 4.27
Heat 6: Joan Duru (FRA) 13.00 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 10.30
Heat 7: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 14.77 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.27
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 17.57 def. Nat Young (USA) 11.10
Heat 9: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 10.74 def. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 9.10
Heat 10: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 15.10 def. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 7.13
Heat 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.00 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 9.23
Heat 12: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 13.10 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 9.90
Outerknown Fiji Men’s Pro Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 15.66 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 15.26
Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.04 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 10.20
Heat 3: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 16.84 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.67
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.83 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.47
Upcoming Outerknown Fiji Men’s Pro Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Connor O’Leary (AUS)
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 10: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 11: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
Surfing naked used to be a thing in the 80’s. Like undercuts on boat trips it was almost mandatory that there there’d be one guy who’d jump overboard surfing with his crown jewels out. Never really caught on with women though. Until now…
Jovan Gonzalez, Taujma Hall, Kristin Lee and Morgan Sliff went surfing Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo, California, near Los Angeles wearing nothing but nipple tags and strapless thongs, which while sounding like a stag night in Prague, actually is art…I think…
The four women appeared to be wearing wetsuits but it was all just body paint, part of a clever production by renowned body paint artist and award-winning photographer Paul Roustan.
Paul, who is a master in body painting art and work with models for photo shoots and exhibitions, carefully painted the models said it took him about 90 minutes to paint the wetsuits. (How do you get this job?). He used an alcohol-based makeup that wouldn’t wash off.
Paul has photographed women with everything from spacesuits to Pink Floyd album covers on his models.
What do you think? Maybe painting your penis as sea snake and surfing naked will ward off sharks? Laird, over to you…
It’s wave pool wars as an Occy backed ‘Surf Lakes’ join the race with a machine that can generate 2400 per hour…
The Surf Lakes start up hopes to license the technology around the world with a surf park opening in Queensland by the end of 2017, complete with eight different waves, including Occys Peak; a 2.4 metre barrelling 60 metre left.
“What’s even more exciting is that it provides fun for the entire family and I am looking forward to bringing mine to the Surf Lake and seeing the kids surf different waves at the same time,” said Occ.
The demo facility will be the size of 20 Olympic swimming pools and already has the technology to generate 2400 waves per hour, said Surf Lakes founder Aaron Trevis.
What do you think?
How they stack up
Surf lakes
8 waves for various levels. 2.4 metres high, 60 metres long barrelling Occys Peaks 2,400 waves per hour. Uses a pump or piston type device (I’m guessing!) to push waves out from a central generator to several banks, reefs or points. The beauty is 8 waves breaking simultaneously. Pays your money takes your choice. Only at prototype stage so be interesting to see scaled up.
Slaters Wave
2.1 metre tube 250km away 15 waves per hour. Sled type device pushed down a track similar to Wavegardens Lagoon. Pushing the water produces a ‘wake’ type wave. The barrel comes for the sled angle, speed and bathymetry. Hard to reset this type of tech as it ‘pushes’ water like tsunami and create huge amounts of wash. Hence the oft quoted one wave every 12 minutes (the pool has to settle). They are currently trying out the tech on the left, but they have to nail the wash to go fully commercial, which means bigger test pools. Watch the backwash behind the wave…
Wavegarden Cove
2.4 metres, 1,000 per hour – opening Bristol and WA 2018. Also possibly London and Scotland.
So we saw a video we weren’t supposed to see and it appears that the tech uses modular ‘piston’ type tech to push wave energy down the pool. Owners claim it is hugely efficient, so low running costs which means a great commercial model, attractive investment opps and a fast roll out. They nailed the wash too so they are well ahead in the game. On a bigger scale this has the capability of producing more than one ridable wave per cycle, so it will be interesting to see if they develop it further away from linear wave generation i.e. waves coming down a track rather than the concentric wave idea of Surf Lakes.
Wavegarden Lagoon.
Open commercially in Texas and the UK Surf Snowdonia is a head high 150 metres long, roughly 60 waves per hour both rights and lefts (so effectively 120 ridable waves per hour) Same basic tech as Slaters wave, but without the barrel bathymetry…Unless you know where to look. Everyone missed this but the fact is WG Lagoon does barrel… The waves that run down the side walls are like mini Kirra and mini Mundaka… They are in fact mini Slaters waves, but WG chose a fatter wave in the middle of the pool and greater frequency which equals a commercial model as opposed to Slaters ‘protoype’.
