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Jack O’Neill: Beneath the Waves

Jack O’Neill: Beneath the Waves

Mia Polcyn

Mia Polcyn

Jack O’Neill: Beneath the Waves

Mia Polcyn

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Dedication To Jack O’Neill for teaching me what it means to love the ocean.

To my brother Andrew, who inspires me to live every day to the fullest.

Without him I never would’ve took on a project this challenging.

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Acknowledgements

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would like to thank Freestyle Academy for giving me this opportunity and pushing me to create something amazing at such a young age. I have always aspired to do something impactful and memorable before I turned 18, and now, after this documentary project, I feel that I have accomplished this dream. Specifically I would like to to recognize my English teacher Mr. Greco for being fully supportive of my vision for this project and for leading me on the right path to a meaningful paper. In addition, I would like to thank my dad for inspiring me to stick with this topic even when I felt like giving up. He helped me get in touch with my interviewees and structure my paper in a way that would communicate Jack’s importance to a wide audience. Of course, this project wouldn’t have been possible without my wonderful interviewees. Because of their openness to meeting with me and their insight on Jack O’Neill, I was able to craft an inspiring story that shares the compassionate persona of O’Neill. Lastly, I would like to thank my peer editor, Dominic Parero, for opening my mind in the final steps of my project.

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Introduction

10 Chapter One: Perpetual Vision

Chapter Two: Eternal Legacy

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Chapter Three: Back to the Earth Conclusion

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28 Works Cited

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uzuki Roshi once said, ‘If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few’” (Yogis 101). In my personal experience with this documentary, I have adopted this sense of a beginner’s mindset, considering the fact that I’ve never written or designed a book before in my life. To be completely honest, I was terrified of taking on a project this challenging, and I still am just as terrified because I want to make everyone who helped me with this project proud. To be able to learn more about a respected and admirable human such as Jack O’Neill and then have to do justice to the magnificent legacy he left behind is a task I never imagined to undertake.

When I came up with this idea with my dad, I thought for sure it was a long shot, considering the fact that Jack O’Neill is known worldwide as an idol. In the process of finding my interviewees, I went out to Santa Cruz to talk to some people

Preface

involved in the surf community, trying to find anyone with a connection to O’Neill. After a day of being repeatedly redirected to more and more surfers in the area, I was still left without anyone to interview for my project. At this point, I felt like giving up, but then I realized that I needed to keep my mind open because, in fact, I was a beginner. And, in retrospect, the possibilities are endless in a beginner’s mind.

Truthfully, this documentary is more than just a school project to me. I won’t just forget about everything I put into it after I’m done and move on to the next project. This is something that I’ll be proud of forever, and it taught me that risks truly do have rewards. Being able to meet the incredible people that I did made me fall in love with O’Neill’s compassionate mentality towards life. This experience is worth all the struggle of profiling such a respectable individual as a complete beginner. Overall, this project is just the beginning for me as a creator. Maybe one day I’ll become an expert at something great, but I will always keep maintain the openness of a beginner’s mind.

Introduction

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our fingers are the first to reach the dancing crests of water as you dive, followed by your head, your legs, your toes, until every last inch is engulfed by the pulsating sea. At first, you feel a shiver of abnormality as you forget the feeling of gravity and become a part of the liquid surrounding you. Then, at last, everything becomes simple. Nothing else matters. You recognize the divine strength each swell possesses as it carries you effortlessly back to the shore time after time.

Your worries melt into obscurity with each crashing wave.

This feeling is perfectly embodied by a man seen as an icon to surfers worldwide, emulating an immense passion for the ocean and its ability to create ultimate serenity.

According to the ideology of Jack O’Neill, “You leave your troubles and your worries on the land. As soon as you get on the water, that all washes away. So for whatever time you’re out there surfing, it is a brief respite from all the things in your life that bring worry and stress” (Snyder). This mindset is what makes O’Neill who he is, and who he will be forever. His contributions to the creation of the wetsuit and his dedication to preserving the ocean allow others to experience this same change in consciousness upon diving into a blue abyss. The ocean’s ability to generate unwavering peace while simultaneously providing an adrenaline rush for those who dare to ride its blistering waves communicates a form of enlightenment that O’Neill hoped to share with the world.

And as the tides continue to spiral and create perfect circles of crashing water, O’Neill similarly created circles of his own. Initially, the motives of his innovative enthusiasm were to be able to spend more time in the place that brought him utmost joy, and then evolved to depict his philanthropic persona as he influenced outdoorsmen worldwide to explore the healing nature of the great sea.

All of this desire is what made it possible for O’Neill to create a lasting name for himself and a legacy to be cherished for eternity. His success within the wetsuit industry and through the exposure of his environmentalistic outlook is a virtue admired by countless young entrepreneurs that hope to make their own lasting impact on the world. O’Neill’s simplistic enthusiasm and life dedication to surfing inspires generations to explore their own passion, drive, ethic and creativity.

“You leave all your troubles and your worries on the land. As soon as you get in the water, that all washes away.”

–Rocky Snyder Portrait of Jack O’Neill

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Chapter One:

Perpetual Vision 12

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mong surfers and beachgoers alike, the classic surf brand O’Neill wetsuits remains a household name. Nevertheless, few people truly know about the man behind the brand – the man who succeeded in creating a legacy and unknowingly impacted the lives of millions of watermen by virtue of his passion for being in the ocean and his dedication to the preservation of our beautiful planet.

Born in 1923 in Denver, Colorado and raised in Portland, Oregon, Jack O’Neill finally discovered his love for the ocean when he moved to San Francisco in 1949. O’Neill had always been a creator who looked for ways to enhance the time spent doing what he loved. From boating to surfing, O’Neill was a child of the sea; connecting with the Earth and with energy was his ambition.

However, the true beginning of Jack’s journey to success was prompted solely by his need to solve a significant issue: the inability to surf in the cold waters of San Francisco: “He would be done with working in the city and he would go try to bodysurf or surf. It was extremely cold, he could only stay out for a few minutes without getting hypothermia” (Kilpatrick). This problem sparked a future of experimentation which ultimately led to O’Neill’s assistance in the development of the wetsuit, a suit made of neoprene fabric that allows millions of ocean-explorers to stay warm in frigid waters.

Although the wetsuit is O’Neill’s main source of recognition around the world, its development was only a mere amenity to his infatuation with ocean conservation.

Verifying his love and passion for preserving the ocean, Jack O’Neill’s most cherished accomplishment was the formation of O’Neill Sea Odyssey, an environmental program for the youth that remains active today, and its mission to create an eco-friendly foundation for Mother Nature’s future caretakers. O’Neill’s role in the development of this organization and in the draftsmanship of the wetsuit combined to pry questions from reporters and fans about his role in the community.

Whether labeled a businessman, entrepreneur, innovator, or inventor, he would always remain steadfast about his identity as a surfer, reassuring that “the three most important things in life are surf, surf, and surf” (qtd. in Kilpatrick). O’Neill was constantly caught watching the waves, keeping an eye out for the perfect set.

from top: O’Neill’s house in Pleasure Point, sign outside O’Neill’s house, O’Neill house 13

Of course, like any other extreme sport, surfing has its fateful mishaps. One famous surfing accident that caused O’Neill to lose an eye awarded him the nickname “One-eyed Jack”, a beloved character that eventually became the icon for O’Neill wetsuits. As old age began to seep through the cracks, the decline in O’Neill’s vision went hand in hand with his diminishing hearing. Nonetheless, his vivid memory lingered endlessly: “His mental capacity was as sharp as ever. Maybe he had trouble seeing and hearing but his mind was as sharp as could be” (Snyder). A plethora of O’Neill’s close friends justify his ability to recall the most obscure details about anything from the progression of the wetsuit to accounts of his daily life shared with his loved ones, including his son, Tim O’Neill, who recalls that “every day was an adventure. You didn’t really know what you were going to get into when you walked out the door”.

This sense of exploration followed O’Neill throughout his life, an outlook that carried on through those closest to him, even after he passed away on the 2nd of June 2017. Dan Haifley, current CEO at O’Neill Sea Odyssey, recalls the amount of people that would ask O’Neill to attend events even into his nineties: “A lot of people didn’t understand that he was 93 years old when he passed away. He was always young because that was his image” (Haifley). Because O’Neill’s ideals revolved heavily around outdoor activities and adventure, the truth about his fragility in his elder years was disguised by the youthful

enthusiasm that he never failed to exude.

Remarkably, the trade-off to his success was the growing reliance that the community built upon his legacy and the knowledge that he dispersed. Thus, the news of his passing shattered the good spirits of both Santa Cruz residents and ocean lovers around the world who valued his contribution to society as an entrepreneur and a humanitarian.

However, it also brought people together, regardless of their history, to celebrate the life of a common hero: “It was just an amazing honorarium that organically occurred outside his house to the point that there were so many flowers that the sidewalk was starting to be pushed out because of everything that was there” (Snyder). Evidently, Jack O’Neill was a admirable figure who left a behind a legacy to carry out his vision for a truly pure world, a perpetual vision unaffected by the loss of one of his eyes.

previous page: girls on the O’Neill Catamaran 15

“Every day was an adventure. You didn’t really know what you were going to get into when you walked out the door” –Tim O’Neill

Chapter Two:

Eternal Legacy

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thick grey haze was cast upon the entirety of the coast that morning, a disconcerning setting for the thousands of surfers, boats, and onlookers planning on attending the paddle-out ceremony held for Jack O’Neill in early July of 2017. As the sun began to rise and warm up the air, the fog dissipated slightly, revealing segments of a glistening blue sky over O’Neill’s coastal home at Pleasure Point. For Rocky Snyder, O’Neill’s former personal trainer, the experience was nothing less than ethereal: “As the fog lifted, we could begin to see people on the cliff. And not just a few people, as normally is the case in the morning with people walking along and watching the waves. The entire cliff was shoulder to shoulder with people as far as you could see from one end of the point all the way to the other end where the road starts to wrap around” (Snyder). Those in the kelp beds just beyond O’Neill’s house witnessed an even greater turn-out, as hundreds of surfers paddled in from all directions, forming a massive ring around the Team O’Neill catamaran and the O’Neill family boat.

This traditional ceremony for a lost waterman commonly entails a group of surfers and loved ones holding hands and forming a circle just outside of where the waves break, where they share memories and stories of the person who has passed.

Following this celebration of life, the surfers will scoop up water in their hands and throw it into the air while cheering and hollering out of love.

In O’Neill’s case, Santa Cruz isn’t the only place where the festivities occurred. In fact, multiple countries worldwide had paddle-outs of their own for

Jack O’Neill, broadcasting videos of surfers who had gathered on that same day in the tides with hands interlocked, grinning while sharing his virtue with strangers who all connected when it came to O’Neill and the impact he had made on each of their lives. Brian Kilpatrick, VP of Marketing at O’Neill Wetsuits, exemplifies the illustriousness of it all, adding that “there were sea creatures jumping out of the water.

It was pretty incredible” (Kilpatrick). Clearly, this event went a long way to advocate for his boundless influence that radiated across the globe. Nonetheless, this specific occurance is only a fraction of the eternal legacy left by O’Neill.

By far the most commemorated achievement of O’Neill, the wetsuit, has enabled millions of explorers worldwide to discover their own passion for the ocean: “The continuation of global exploration of surf spots is one of his legacies. The ability to go anywhere and surf. Up rivers, in ice encrusted straits, in deep ocean, along the coast, everywhere” (Rocky). His inspiration to invent stemmed mainly from curiosity and the simple craving to surf as long as he could. Because he started his surfing career in the frigid waters of San Francisco, he and his friends were in desperate need of a garment to keep them warm, “experimenting with wool sweaters and dipping those in kerosene. They’d light tires on fire in the corner there at Ocean Beach. Then he started playing around with the first wetsuit he ever built. It’s a vest and it was PVC and then coated with plastic with a little zipper, a tiny little zipper so he could get it on and off” (Kilpatrick). Obviously, this first attempt at fueling the future of coldwater surfing was only the beginning, sparking an eagerness to innovate new ways of 19

Santa Cruz local repping the O’Neill Brand 20

improving its practicality. Currently, hundreds of wetsuit manufacturers litter the surfing industry, supplying surfers with an ingenious tool made popular by its pioneer: O’Neill Wetsuits.

It is common knowledge that Jack O’Neill is considered a waterman. But what really is a waterman? This term is thrown around pretty loosely these days, allowing the meaning to slip away from the word itself. However, it is safe to say that O’Neill fulfills the spirit of this bold term, as “he was a diver, a sailor, a surfer, you know what I mean, just a water sports enthusiast. He was doing all sorts of crazy adventurous stuff” (Kilpatrick). O’Neill clearly exuded his keenness for the ocean by candidly being in it any moment he could. He had motives to dedicate his entire life to doing what he loved to do for as long as he could on this Earth: “He didn’t just stop at creating or inventing the wetsuit. He was trying everything. Anything that involved the water, he just loved” (Snyder). Of course, like anyone with an immense adoration for some person, place, or thing, O’Neill exerted himself in protecting the ocean in any way he could in order to maintain this source of happiness.

“He was trying everything.

Anything that involved the water, he just loved.”

– Rocky Snyder As people age, they hope that their ambitions towards creating a better world pass on to the younger generations, as they are the ones with enough power to truly make change. For O’Neill, global awareness about the ocean and our role to ensure its purity was the main inspiration for his life that he hoped others would embody as well.

It seems that he achieved his goal to spread awareness about the

ocean. In an interview with Dan Haifley, current CEO and Executive Director at O’Neill Sea Odyssey, the topic of pollution arose. He asked a thought-provoking question: did you know that 80% of plastic pollution in the ocean is from nonpoint-source pollution that does not go through the sanitary sewers? 5.2 trillion pieces of plastic infect our oceans and prevent us from continuing to enjoy it for centuries to come. This pressing issue is just one of the points taught through Jack’s vision by a non-profit organization called the O’Neill Sea Odyssey: “Jack began thinking about how he could contribute by taking kids out into the monterey bay sanctuary on his boat and do something that involves science, environmental protection of the ocean, and watersheds that lead to the ocean. And through conversations with many people, he decided to start the O’Neill Sea Odyssey program in 1996. It was established as a non-profit organization in 1997” (Haifley). This environmental program teaches the youth about plankton on the ocean, the kelp forest habitat, and navigation in order to reduce nonpoint-source pollution.

Using the Team O’Neill Catamaran initially purchased for Jack O’Neill’s hot air balloon practices, the Sea Odyssey program gives young kids a new perspective on the importance of ocean conservation, encouraging “the protection and preservation of the community’s living sea. The ocean is not one entity, it is alive and it’s made up of a zillions of organisms. It’s alive like the harbor’s alive and people are walking around” (Haifley). Their mission is summarized perfectly by one of Jack O’Neill’s favorite quotes, one used repeatedly towards the children of O’Neill Sea Odyssey and towards his own children: “The ocean is alive and we’ve got to take care of it” (T. O’Neill). This mantra continues to be shared today, reaching 100,000 students in July of 2018. Although this legacy left by O’Neill wasn’t his most commemorated, it was by far his most proud achievement as it continues to influence the new generation under his environmentalistic vision. Haifley guarantees that “it will continue to be supported. The boat will go on forever, and then a new boat will take over for it. Were going to be here forever” (Haifley).

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“We’re going to be here forever.”

– Dan Haifley, CEO

from top left: On the Team O’Neill Catamaran, Dan Haifley, Side view of the boat 22

O’Neill Sea Odyssey

from left: Team O’Neill Catamaran, Tim O’Neill

Scan this QR code with your Iphone to see the O’Neill Sea Odyssey Website 23

Chapter Three:

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Back to The Earth

ith Generation Z on the rise, 72% of high school students and 64% of college undergraduates say they have dreams of one day starting their own company (Daisyme). Older generations may wonder what caused this steep increase in attraction to the world of business, to which most aspiring entrepreneurs would brag that they hope to make change in the world. Surely, this mindset has every reason to be legitimate, but if each business man or woman who declared their desire to make a difference became successful, the world would clearly be a much better place. It’s probable that this lack of growth sprouts from the uninspired creations that they boast, seeming to overcomplicate their prospects of success by attempting to make money using ordinary ideas. Evidently, these creators have lost touch of the paramount focus exemplified

by Jack O’Neill: a magnetic originality that guided him to pursue his passion while he orchestrated the pieces of his prosperity and worked to fit them into place.

There must be something to learn from those who succeeded in relaying their message in a personable way to the entire world; One character who fits this profile is Jack O’Neill. Which leads to the main question, what is the difference in approach between O’Neill and the new generation of innovators? Or more importantly, what can we learn from him? In order to begin tackling this inquiry, we have to first examine his aura and reasoning for creating a legacy. To tell the truth, it is quite simple. The entirety of O’Neill’s creations sprout solely from his connection with the Earth and appetite to share that natural serenity with anyone willing to listen.

O’Neill’s prosperity constantly comes back to his instinctive philanthropy: the generosity and desire to promote the welfare of others. This humanitarian attitude

ultimately inspired O’Neill to encounter a vital serenity and peace for himself and others: “‘That compassion for all beings is what makes us achieve peerless happiness up to enlightenment’ wrote Lama Yeshe, ‘to be able to do perfect works for others’” (Yogis 4). A huge component of O’Neill’s accomplishments revolved around communicating the brilliance of the ocean, hence his great involvement in its protection. To O’Neill, this peerless happiness was discovered on a foam board between crashing waves: “You leave your troubles and your worries on the land. As soon as you get on the water, that all washes away. So for whatever time you’re out there surfing, it is a brief respite from all the things in your life that bring worry and stress” (Snyder). This feeling of escape is what truly brought O’Neill closer to the Earth and its manner of healing: an incomparable feeling that, like each wave, absorbs into the earth, never to be seen again.

Like the ocean, O’Neill’s entire life revolved around movement: “I think he experienced the joy of riding energy, that’s really what it is. Whether it’s in a hot air balloon and riding the currents of wind energy.

Whether it was surfing, sailing, land sailing, or simply just riding his bike. There was something about the feel of riding energy that really allowed him to seek out innovative ways of doing it even better” (Snyder). Furthermore, along with his physical movement and focus on energy came his intuition to run with ideas: “He would often hear things on the radio and take off on an idea. And he would see the idea as a series of logical branches on a logic tree and put it all together and make it work” (Haifley). His curiosity motivated him to constantly move forward, even if his ideas lacked support from others.

As a blooming member of Generation Z, I believe it is feasible that this boisterous drive is what set O’Neill apart from his future counterparts, who, in my

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opinion, take a more sedentary and cautious approach to following their passions. Because of the overwhelming presence of competition and expectations from opponents and colleagues, younger creators often feel discouraged to chase their dreams, therefore leading them to ask others for advice on a solid plan of action. As a result of these occurrences, I’ve noticed that it is common for those in Generation Z to talk about ideas rather than actually pursuing them.

This theme of movement seen with O’Neill is what granted him prosperity within the enterprising wetsuit industry, experimenting with his eagerness to innovation, his ideas, and his youthful creativity until something stuck.

Kilpatrick compares O’Neill’s curiosity to those of the characters in a TV series titled Silicon Valley, observing that they “just throw things against the wall and see if it sticks and then gravitate towards the stuff that works and discard the stuff that doesn’t” (Kilpatrick).

Along with the concept of running with ideas comes the willingness to take risks, even when they occasionally induce danger. Haifley recalls a story that placed O’Neill in close terms with his death. One day in Monterey Bay County, O’Neill was out in his hot air balloon, tethered to a small boat across the railroad tracks where two of his sons, Tim and Mike O’Neill, were stationed. Haifley mimics Jack O’Neill: “all of a sudden, a train. A train is coming. A train!

It’s like the rope is across the railroad tracks, I’m on one side and the boat is on the other” (Haifley). There were plenty of issues regarding the wind, as a slight breeze could affect the angle of the balloon as it was pulled across the tracks, mandating that it be pulled completely onto the boat to avoid a collision. Haifley shares that “they simultaneously moved the boat away and pulled in the rope to try to get him out of danger,” pulling him back just in time, sparing a couple feet before the train roared through (Haifley). This brief instance was one of the many crazy adventures that O’Neill experienced as a sportsman. It is moments like these that portray his wild energy to take risks when no one else was taking them.

However, just because O’Neill was constantly taking risks and seeking out hundreds of new concepts doesn’t mean that he was always pushing to be at the top of the industry.

According to Snyder, the most memorable quote that O’Neill had constantly used in the gym was “steady as she goes”: “That is kind of reminiscent of his whole approach

from left: Team O’Neill Catamaran, O’Neill Hot Ait Balloon 26

in business as far as I know. He wasn’t trying to explode on the scene and be the biggest and the most powerful, his company has just had steady linear growth over time and it has outlasted and very well may outlast all the large surf corporations” (Snyder). This method truly validates the genuinity of the whole O’Neill company and their desire to spread the love of the Earth and the oceans to surfers worldwide.

Kilpatrick continues to explain the sustainability of the business, comparing O’Neill Wetsuits to other big name surf brands “that try to grow way too big and way too fast.

They just end up imploding because they just can’t sustain that type of growth” (Kilpatrick).

The obvious difference between these brands is their end goal in the game. Basing knowledge on the outcomes of brands who ignore an incremental style of growth, it is easy to identify which brands are the real deal and which ones are just hopping on the bandwagon. In the end, the originality of O’Neill Wetsuits comes down to one prospect: “For most companies it’s an apparel company that does

wetsuits and they use that as a marketing arm, that’s pretty much what it is. And we’re the opposite, it’s a wetsuit company that happens to do clothing” (Kilpatrick).

Jack O’Neill’s determination to innovate and create products communicated his love for the natural earth. Because he loved the energy of the air and the ocean so much, he began to find a love for the process in constructing tools to grant him access to these phenomenons.

He had genuine motives to inspire others about nature conservation and took authentic initiative to making it happen. Overall, O’Neill left us with something priceless, the ability to experience the world in its natural existence, all without asking for any recognition. And, because of his humility, it is imperative that we continue to share his story and carry out his aspirations. O’Neill’s authenticity and passion for adventure in the natural world should inspire the next generation of innovators to follow his lead in reminding the restless about the excellence and beauty of something as simple as diving into the ocean.

“We’re the opposite, it’s a wetsuit company that happens to do clothing.”

–Brian Kilpatrick on O’Neill Wetsuits

from left: O’Neill’s first wetsuit, old film, Team O’Neill 27

Conclusion

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necessary realization that is commonly overlooked by oblivious passersby who take the world for granted by littering and wasting resources was perfectly voiced by O’Neill: “The ocean is alive and we have to take care of it”. However, it doesn’t just stop there. Everything around us is alive and thriving brilliantly just how humans do each passing day. Jack O’Neill teaches us that the wellbeing of our Earth is in our hands; all it takes is a genuine interest and some TLC. Furthermore, the inspiring legacy he left behind verifies the capability in all of us to make real change in the world. But first, it is necessary to evaluate the origin of our desire to innovate and create. For O’Neill, surfing was the key to a lifetime of creation: “Surfing demanded both patience and adaptation, strength and flexibility, all in the ever-changing, ever-dangerous sea. Surfing was zen for the stormy world” (Yogis 69). This connection with the ocean was what he hoped to share with people who have the same mindset as him – people who are looking for refreshing freedom from their ordinary lives.

Ultimately, the most important task is to find something that you are truly passionate about and want to share with the world. Once success is prominent, realize that most observers will only know about you what they see from the surface. In other words, you will be known as what you put out into the world for others to judge and acknowledge. Nonetheless, do not be discouraged by the lack of appreciation, for someone who truly absorbs the significance of your work will one day dive beneath the waves to learn about who you truly are, even if it happens long after you are gone. Thus, the most tremendous takeaway from all of Jack O’Neill’s endeavours is to take risks and run with every idea because, in the end, uncertainty is the only pathway to finding that one genius concept that works and will make the most impact.

You may question why the ocean played such a prominent role in Jack O’Neill’s life. One theory that has stuck with me is the ocean’s ability to help a person relinquish every negative thought or worry, releasing tension and increasing fluidity within the mind. At the point of complete and utter receptiveness, the mind is replenished of its youth, revealing an entire ocean of possibilities. This immense love for the ocean was all O’Neill needed as encouragement in the pursuit of his happiness. Finding that one aspect of life that speaks to you more than anything else is easy, but it’s how you focus on expediting that passion until you’ve expanded it into a lifestyle that determines an outstanding creator.

Stop wasting time fumbling over ideas and start hustling. Follow Jack O’Neill and fuse passion with work ethic until your dreams become a reality. Then, maybe one day, the story of your success will be told: “But the ocean tells its own story. We are merely rippling characters. The sea may respond to our pleas, prayers, strivings. They are part of the story – pushing and refracting back. But water will not be rushed. So relax. Be humble. Stay open. Look where others don’t. There are secret sanctuaries everywhere, places nobody can tell you how to find – places you won’t discover until you’re there” (Yogis 208).

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Works Cited

Carlson, Michael. “Jack O’Neill obituary.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 7 June 2017, www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jun/07/jack-oneill-obituary. Accessed 4 February 2018.

Haifley, Dan. Personal Interview. 22 February 2018.

Kilpatrick, Brian. Personal Interview. 22 March 2018.

Patel, Sujan. “21 Success Tips for Young and Aspiring Entrepreneurs.” Entrepreneur, 22 June 2015, www.entrepreneur.com/article/247540. Accessed 12 February 2018.

Snyder, Rocky. Personal Interview. 7 February 2018.

Team, The Dawn Thomas. “The Legacy of Jack O’Neill.” Silicon Valley and Beyond, The Dawn Thomas Team http://Www.siliconvalleyandbeyond.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/svab_logo-1.Png, 27 June 2017, www.siliconvalleyandbeyond.com/legacy-jack-oneill/. Accessed 4 February 2018.

Yogis, Jaimal. All Our Waves Are Water: Stumbling toward enlightenment and the perfect wave.

Harper Wave, 2017.

York, Jessica A. “Jack O’Neill, Surfing Legend Who Invented Wetsuit, Dies at Santa Cruz Home.” The Mercury News, The Mercury News, 6 June 2017, www.mercurynews.com/2017/06/03/jack-oneillsurfing-legend-who-invented-wetsuit-dies-at-santa-cruz-home/. Accessed 3 February 2018.

previous page: mural outside of Dream Inn dedicated to O’Neill 31

Scan this QR code to see my documentary website

About the Author

Mia Polcyn is a student at Freestyle Academy in Mountain View, California. She is passionate about soccer, photography, writing, and the outdoors. Mia also admires the preservation of the environment so that it can be continued to be enjoyed by millions of people for years to come. She hopes to one day inuence others to maintain a positive mindset and live everyday to the fullest through whatever form of creation that permits.

Jack O’Neill: Beneath the Waves

Jack O’Neill: Beneath the Waves

Mia Polcyn

Mia Polcyn