
WITHOUT JACK,
THIS WORLD BE A DIFFERENT WORLD
O’Neill is the oldest active sports and lifestyle brand in the world. Its founder, Jack O’Neill, is an inspiration to today’s marine sports enthusiasts.
Jack opened the world’s first surf store after inventing the world’s first neoprene wetsuit. Since then, he has continued to create innovative and comfortable products to fulfill surfers, windsurfers, and wakeboarders’ desire to be “ALLWAYS SUMMER ON THE INSIDE”.
1950's: The Great First Steps
In the early 1950s, Jack O’Neill took his first steps to make surfing a little longer in the icy waters of Northern California.
Most importantly, Jack knew that his product would be well received in the marketplace.
More importantly, he knew that his products had the potential to dramatically change the way people interacted with the ocean. And so, at only 20 years old, he created a prototype, the world’s first wetsuit, inspired by a Navy diving suit. He also opened the world’s first surf store in San Francisco.



He then developed a surf vest in 1953, a neoprene vest in 1955, and a beavertail jacket and short john in 1956.
In 1959, Jack moved his surf store to Santa Cruz, the home of Northern California surfers and the place where the best waves break.
He used it as a base to launch a new wave of surfing products. Jack soon succeeded in rapidly increasing sales in what was soon dubbed “Surf City. O’NEILL became THE FIRST NAME IN THE WATER.
1960's: Expansion throughout the U.S.
By the early 1960s, the business had expanded rapidly, and O’NEILL began offering wetsuits as a year-round product.
Soon the quality of the products and the O’NEILL name became known not only on the West Coast but
also on the East Coast, and O’NEILL wetsuits became a must-have item for surfers entering the cold waters. In 1965, the world’s first wet boot was developed.
This was a sign of O’NEILL’s commitment to innovation, a commitment that continues today.
The advent of these boots made it possible to enter colder waters for longer periods of time. In addition,
O’NEILL embarked on a balloon advertising campaign.
The brand name was flown along the coastline in balloons, spreading the word that O’NEILL was a brand
with an adventurous spirit that enjoyed nature in a new way.


1970's: Surfers More Free
O’NEILL’s next great accomplishment was none other than the invention of the surf leash by Pat O’Neill, one of Jack’s six children, in 1971.
The invention of the leash revolutionized surfing, eliminating the hassle of having to retrieve a washed-up surfboard from the beach each time you wipe out.
The product quickly spread among surfers and became an indispensable tool. In short, the surf leash gave surfers more freedom to ride more waves than ever before.


Meanwhile, Jack lost vision in his left eye while surfing at his favorite point in Santa Cruz. The board Jack was riding hit a rock and the bouncing board hit his left eye.
However, this unfortunate accident did not handicap Jack; on the contrary, Jack with the eyepatch became an icon of the brand and became well known.
1980's: Expansion to the sea and then to the mountains
By the 1980s, O’NEILL had spread its wings to the international scene, expanding its brand not only to Canada and Europe, but also to countries such as Japan and Australia.
The world was then drenched in the neon colors that had become O’NEILL’s signature at the time.
In the 1980s, O’NEILL played a major role not only in its original field of the ocean, but also in the mountain, or snowboarding genre, and its activities in Europe became particularly prominent.
The 1980s saw O’NEILL play a major role not only in its original field of the ocean, but also in the mountain, or snowboarding, genre, particularly in Europe, where its activities became more prominent. O’NEILL also sponsored the first major snowboarding World Cup in 1987-1988, and in this way, O’NEILL has made a significant contribution to the development of the sport.


Meanwhile, surfing began to take the beach scene by storm. The media made a big deal of the slow California lifestyle, and surfing, a sport that fundamentally involves a free mindset, was frequently picked up in the media.
The quality of wetsuits and surf boots increased dramatically, and as a result, the surfing population exploded. Surfing was certainly capturing the hearts and minds of the people of the time, and O’Neill was a part of that boom.
1990's: Environmental Protection Awareness
In the 1990s, Jack made a decision. In the 1990s, Jack made a decision to step back from the front lines of management. In doing so, Jack spent more time with the ocean and rediscovered its greatness. In 1996, after retiring from the front lines, Jack began a program to raise environmental awareness among children, which had long been a desire of Jack’s. In 1996, he decided to create an environmental awareness program for children.
This was a project that Jack had long wanted to do and called O’NEILL Sea Odyssey. That same year, the Surfing Walk of Fame also recognized Jack’s contributions to surfing and environmental protection.
Meanwhile, the 1990s continued to be a decade of global expansion for the O’Neill brand, as O’Neill’s action sports lineup burst onto the major scene and took the world by storm.


2000's~: Toward a New Century
In the 2000s, action sports such as surfing and snowboarding began to take a new professionalism path. O’NEILL also brought in talented athletes such as Jodie Smith as team riders, further advancing the RIDER DEVELOPED, RIDER PROVEN (developed by the rider, proven by the rider) approach that had long been part of the brand concept.
The brand further promoted the approach of “RIDER DEVELOPED, RIDER PROVEN” (developed by riders, proven by riders). In the 2000s, O’NEILL also focused on organizing events. In addition to further promoting cold water classics, new events such as the O’NEILL Evolution and Big Mountain Pro were created to run competitions under the best conditions possible.
He worked hard to help athletes perform at a higher level and contributed to the development of action sports.



