Jack O'Neill Memorial Paddle-outs – A legend has left us but thousands worldwide keep up his legacy

Press Release / 13.07.2017

Owing his love for the oceans and his inventive genius, watersports and surfsport specifically has become what he is today.

The speech is by Jack O'Neill, founder of the company O'Neill and inventor of the neoprene suit. He was born in Denver in 1923 and moved to Southern California a few years later, where he discovered his passion for surfing. Along the way, Jack travelled the world and became internationally known as a surfer, an airplane and balloon pilot, sailor, fisherman, and adventurer.

For nearly his entire life he lived by and for the world's oceans, and worked tirelessly to promote public access to their many health, economic and environmental benefits. Now he has died in Santa Cruz at the age of 94 years.
 
His vision of being able to surf longer in the cold waters of San Francisco Bay. So Jack O'Neill invented the wetsuit in the early 1950s. Jack O'Neill's neoprene suit opened a whole new world for surfing and watersports. Suddenly, the wave riders were able to exercise their sport even in cold water and thus on waves that were previously considered inaccessible. 60% of today's water spots could not be surfed without Jack O'Neill's invention.

In celebration of the life of Jack O'Neill, his company O'Neill invited watermen all over the globe to join collective paddle-outs on Sunday, 9th of July 2017, simultaneously at 11 AM PST (8 PM CEST). They will be held at Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, California (USA), Great Western Beach, Newquay, Cornwall (GBR), Cox Bay, Tofino, Vancouver Island (CAN), Anglet, Biarritz (FRA), Freshwater Beach, Sydney (AUS), Thurso, Scotland (GBR), Scheveningen (NED), Surfer Paradise, Knokke, and J-Bay (RSA).

Paddle-outs are the traditional ceremony in the surfing world to honour surfers. Family, friends and also fans gather at a surf spot, paddle out together on their surfboards, form a ring and tell stories and bring back memories to honour the surfer that passed away. This is the appropriate way to celebrate the life of Jack O'Neill, who always viewed what he did as a passion, and was more surprised than anyone that the business grew to the point that it did.

Whatever you do in or on the water, the next time you pull on a wetsuit regardless of its brand, spare just a moments thought for the creator of the garment you're now wearing.