Hello, Jack O'Neill's first surf shop in Santa Cruz, Calif., now a Point of Historical Interest. Jack O’Neill opens the first surf shop in 1952 off The Great Highway, San Francisco. The original site of Jack O'Neill's first surf shop in Santa Cruz, Calif., has taken its place among the Golden State's important pieces of history. The nine-member State Historical Resources Commission -- tasked with identifying and preserving the state's cultural heritage -- unanimously designated the spot as a California Point of Historical Interest. Jnaki From the historical aspect and surfboards in the photo, this is around 1959-60. So, the experimentation and development from steel wheels or roller skate plates nailed to the plank is well into history on the Westcoast. There were roller wheels made of clay and composites. We used them on our modified skate trucks and then realized those trucks were not good for curves and cutbacks on the sidewalks. So, the early skateboard industry came up with narrow (at the time) trucks and wheels to fit under the narrow wooden planks. Then the development started its historic rise all over the USA and increased in design improvements for better rides to simulate surfing. Wider wheels made of soft composite urethane style materials and such, made up most of the advanced riding builds. Note: From Jack O’Neil "What started out as a way to catch as many waves as possible has turned into a life I could not have even dreamed up," "I am grateful to all of you who have supported us along the way from our roots through 60 years." Opened in 1959, the 500-square-foot O'Neill Surf Shop stood near Cowell Beach, and it served as a landmark for Northern California surfers looking to pick up an advanced version of O'Neill's earlier experiments with neoprene wetsuits. Right around 1960, according "The History of Surfing," O'Neill had added "a front-zip jacket and long john to his neoprene vests, and was now making appearances at the local boat expo, where his favorite promo stunt was to fill a tank with water and have his three wetsuit-clad preadolescent children play on a huge block of ice." O'Neill was the first to create and market neoprene wetsuits for surfers to extend their surf sessions in the icy waters off Santa Cruz and in the process changed the sport of surfing, according to the resources commission's literature. Operating three retail stores in Santa Cruz with affiliates worldwide, O'Neill is now one of the biggest wetsuit brands in the world. The historic signage at the site, which is less than a mile from famed Steamer Lane, home of the O'Neill Coldwater Classic surf contest known by surfers on the contest scene. "The O'Neill story is uniquely Santa Cruz and representative of California's innovative spirit and culture throughout the world. Jack and his family are integral to our town and have built something really special here." Note 2: The 2023 Santa Cruz O’Neill Cold Water Classic Surf Contest was just concluded this past weekend.
We used to play on similar contraptions at recess when I was in school. Sure, a few kids fell off and scraped a knee or something but they learned not to fall off. Can you imagine this on a playground now!!!
The Jalopy Journal
