O'Neill's
Surf Shop
In 1959 Jack O'Neill came with his family to Santa Cruz and opened his 500
square foot "Surf Shop" at this location, just above Cowell Beach. The Surf
Shop was O'Meill's first retail store in Santa Cruz, offering custom built foam
surfboards and "thermal barrier" suits, as wetsuits were known at the time.
O'Neill's Surf Shop became a focal point for a tight -knit surfing community.
The business grew steadily, earning recognition as a pioneer and leader in
the world of surfing. In 1996 O'Neill extended his vision by founding the
O'Neill Sea Odyssey, as award-winning ocean education program for kids.
On May 31, 2012, the site of Jack O'Neill's Santaq Cruz Surf Shop was designated
by the State of California as a California Point of Historical Interest.
recognizing the local origins of an innovative global business as well as a
place where parents continue to bring their vhildren for a day at the beach.
"in the beginning the name of the business
was just Surf Shop. We were the first to
use the name, and later got it registered.
Nobody in the world called themselves
Surf Shop befor us."
–Jack O'Neill
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