How Jack O'Neill revolutionised the world of surfing On Jack O'Neill Day, the brand remembers the story of the Californian surfer inventor of the wetsuit
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«I'm just a surfer who wanted to build something that would allow me to surf longer,» is the phrase that has been inspiring O'Neill's work for more than 70 years. Pronounced by the brand's creator himself, Jack O'Neill, it perfectly embodies the innovative spirit characterising the Californian brand and the simplicity with which it continues to incorporate its technological research into its most ambitious designs. Giving birth to the brand was an ingenious idea in 1952; after opening his first Surf Shop in San Francisco - where he mainly sold boards - Jack O'Neill began experimenting with sports suits, using the waterproof materials that made up the diving suits used by American soldiers during World War II. The only practical way to spend more time in the cold water - until then, surfers were settling for an oily spray substance on their shirts or by wearing heavy woollen jumpers - O'Neill's wetsuit was the first in history, a neoprene suit that protected from the cold, which soon became an indispensable item in every surfer's wardrobe.
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The O'Neill brand still represents a real landmark for professional athletes and enthusiasts, which is why every 9 July, ever since the year of his death in 2017, Jack O'Neill Day is celebrated, a moment planned in the middle of summer to remember the figure of an entrepreneur, inventor and surfer who played an essential role in the history of water sports. Like every year, a Memorial Paddle Out in O'Neill's honour will be held in seas around the world, from Sydney to Santa Cruz, but this year the brand also thought of remembering its creator in a special way. Featuring round lenses and a thin metal frame with a black leather screen, the new sunglasses launched by O'Neill this summer and available online in a limited edition from 10 July echo the exact same silhouette as Jack O'Neill's favourite sunglasses, a line that is as practical and avant-garde just like the spirit of the brand's founder has always been.
