In honor of founder Jack O’Neill and his numerous contributions to the world of surfing and action sports, O’Neill recently released a gorgeous coffee table book, Jack O’Neill: It’s Always Summer on the Inside, which celebrates the contributions and innovations O’Neill has brought to both action sports and surfing, and the company’s up and coming 60th anniversary.
Jack O’Neill is a maverick, a pioneer and the legendary man behind the wetsuit and first surf shop. In the mid 20th century, surfing was pretty much confined to warm-water latitudes and summer seasons. By the end of the century, however, and due to O’Neill’s invention of the wet suit, surfers were riding waves in some of the most remote coldwater corners of the world in the dead of winter!
The book features 256 pages filled with stories and anecdotes of Jack O’Neill’s legendary adventures. Each chapter is a compilation of short narratives and impactful historical imagery, from his early years in Southern California and Oregon to San Francisco, where he invented the surfing wetsuit, to Santa Cruz, where he built an international business by effectively defying the seasons. The story is told in Jack’s own words as well as dozens of contributors, including Bruce Brown, Shaun Tomson, Robby Naish, Tom Curren, Phil Edwards, Fred Van Dyke, Mike Doyle, Martin Potter, Ken “Skindog” Collins, Dane Kealoha, Joey Buran, Jim Philips, Jim Foley, Jack LaLanne, and Jordy Smith.
“My motivation has always been fueled by the waves and the ocean,” said Jack O’Neill. “In fact, I’ve been working for most of my life to find ways that we can all better appreciate and enjoy this fantastic planet. To have a book telling the story of my life and my journey is a true honor,” he added, “but, more importantly, I hope my story will inspire others to look past their limitations and to think toward the future with greater respect for Mother Nature.”
A percentage of the book’s sales will be donated to the O’Neill Sea Odyssey, a 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental education program. Of course, you can find the book here at Becker: http://beckersurf.com/oneill/40340
A truly inspirational read!
