Ron DiMenna, the founder of Ron Jon Surf Shop, passed away at the age of 88.

DiMenna started the business in 1959 by selling surfboards from his car in New Jersey. In 1961, at the age of 24, he opened the original Ron Jon Surf Shop, located on Ninth Street in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island.

The original shop evolved into a four-story surf emporium, featuring one of the world’s longest surfboards — more than 24 feet long, suspended over the sales floor.

DiMenna relocated to Florida in the early 1960s and established its headquarters in Cocoa Beach. The Cocoa Beach flagship store of Ron Jon Surf Shop is the chain’s largest, spanning 52,000 square feet, and has become a popular tourist attraction.

Eventually, Ron Jon opened six other stores in Florida, as well as locations in Maryland, Alabama and South Carolina, expanding to become the world’s largest surf retailer. The company now operates 11 stores, including seven in Florida.

Together with his wife, Lynne, DiMenna founded Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation. This 501(c)3 charitable organization supports organizations with like-minded missions to protect the health of Florida’s beaches and address issues such as coastal pollution and beach ecology.

Michele Goodwin, president of Ron Jon Surf Shop, announced the passing of the entrepreneur on Sunday, September 7. He died on September 6.

“The entire Ron Jon family mourns this loss,” a press release from the company said. “On behalf of our board of directors, management team and employees, we extend our deepest sympathy to Ron’s wife, Lynne DiMenna.”

“Ron was known as a free spirit, and his love for the beach and the sport of surfing endured throughout his life,” said Goodwin. “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 Ron Jon Surf Shop Corporation will continue to function as it has, and nothing will change in the company’s day-to-day operations. Ron’s vision and legacy will live on for generations through Ron Jon Surf Shop and Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation.”

Images courtesy Ron Jon Surf Shop