The founder of Ron Jon Surf Shop, Ron DiMenna, died on Sept 6, the company announced Sunday. He was 88 years old.
DiMenna founded the company by selling surfboards from the trunk of his car in 1959. He opened a small Ron Jon Surf Shop in 1961 on Long Beach Island on the New Jersey Shore. Two years later, he moved to Florida and opened a small Ron Jon surf shack with a dirt floor at Canaveral Pier.
Today, the lifestyle-apparel and board-sports-equipment retailer has stores in seven locations in Florida, including Cocoa Beach and Key West, in addition to its original location in New Jersey. There are additional stores in Maryland, Alabama and South Carolina.
Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach.
It’s become an East Coast surfing legend — its logo spotted on bumper stickers and t-shirts worldwide. Billed as the world’s largest surf shop, Ron Jon’s 52,000-square foot Cocoa Beach flagship megastore on State Road A1A has become a major tourist attraction itself.
“Ron was known as a free spirit and his love for the beach and the sport of surfing endured throughout his life,” Michele Goodwin, president of Ron Jon Surf Shop said in a statement. “He lived life on his own terms and created a retail empire that remains one of the most successful beach shopping destinations in the country.”
“The entire Ron Jon family mourns this loss. On behalf of our Board of Directors, management team and employees, we extend our deepest sympathy to Ron’s wife, Lynne DiMenna,” the company said.
Ron Jon said that DiMenna’s goal was to bring surfing to the masses, and he recognized early that surfing and the beach captivated people everywhere. Together with his wife, DiMenna also founded Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit that supports organizations that work to protect the health of Florida’s beaches and address issues such as coastal pollution and beach ecology. It raises money through the sale of the Endless Summer specialty license plate.
“Ron’s vision and legacy will live on for generations through Ron Jon Surf Shop and Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation,” Goodwin said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Ron Jon Surf Shop founder dies at age 88
