On June 2, O’Neill, one of surfing’s most iconic names, made the following announcement, about the passing of its founder, Jack O’Neill, at the age of 94:

“Surrounded by family, Jack was as soulful and encouraging as always, reiterating his love for his family, appreciation for a life well lived, his hopes for his friends and the oceans he loved, all within the familiarity of his oceanfront home of over 50 years, with the famous waves of his beloved Pleasure Point beach lapping his deck.”

Credited with inventing the modern wetsuit, O’Neill’s eureka! moment of utilizing neoprene to trap a thin layer of water between the skin and the suit (which was then warmed by body heat) made it possible for surfers all over the globe to jump in the water — no matter the climate — and catch a wave.

However, before he ever became famous for board tech, the brand, or that unmistakably rugged eyepatch (he first slapped it on in 1972, after his surfboard errantly skulled him in the socket), the Denver native fought in World War II, as a Navy pilot. After his discharge, he attended the University of Portland, where he grabbed a business degree.

In 2010, the proud Santa Cruz mainstay sat down with a media outfit and gave an interview on a cozy, bungalow couch to tell the story of how he ended up in the beach biz in the first place.

Here’s a snippet from the talk (you can watch the whole thing below):

“The timing was right. We were up in northern California where the temperature will drop down below 50 degrees. And boy when you get that you need a girl’s baby hat or something. At least I do. Because you get those ‘ice cream headaches.’ So it was a natural place to develop [a wetsuit]. They used to come up from down south and laugh at us. But they’re using it all over the world now.”

The former navy man was also a huge proponent of preservation. “The ocean is alive and we’ve got to take care of it,” he once said.

(h/tp: Task & Purpose)