The founder of the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop has died.
Ron DiMenna was 88 years old.
DiMenna died on Sept. 6 in Florida, The Asbury Park Press reported.
The Ron Jon Surf Shop started when he wanted a custom surfboard from California after he outgrew his homemade boards. His father told him, “Buy three, sell two at a profit, then yours will be free,” according to the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame.
DiMenna was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
He founded his business in 1959, selling the boards from his car, according to Men’s Journal, but opened his first Ron Jon Surf Shop on Long Beach Island in 1961, in a small white-washed cinder block building.
Over 60 years, he grew the single store into a nationally-known brand that stretches the East Coast from the Jersey Shore to Key West and with licensing partnerships in Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.
The flagship location is in Cocoa Beach, Florida, WFTV reported. It is 52,000 square feet and carries surfboards, apparel, accessories and more.
DiMenna also leaves behind a legacy after founding Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation with his wife to protect Florida beaches.