Charlie may not be able to surf, but the U.S. military can. In fact, the American armed forces have a strong connection with surf culture. Troops stationed in Hawaii can’t help but pick up a board, even if they have to drive their Tacoma from Schofield Barracks to Haleiwa. In California, Marines in Oceanside and sailors in San Diego and Ventura are naturally immersed in the surf scene; never mind the private military beaches at North Island and Coronado.
A lesser-known connection, however, lies on the East Coast, where the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop was founded by a United States Marine. Its founder, Ron DiMenna, is a bit of an enigma, living most of his life out of the spotlight. The New Jersey native enlisted in the Marine Corps in the 1950s and returned home after his service. That’s when he founded the surf and beach apparel and supply store, which began in the trunk of his car and would eventually expand to both coasts, the Gulf of America, and even the Great Lakes.
DiMenna died on Sept. 6, 2025, at the age of 88. No cause of death has been released.
In 1959, while working in his father’s grocery store in Manahawkin, New Jersey, DiMenna was invited to surf with a friend. He was hooked. Before long, he’d bought three surfboards from California. That same year, he founded Ron Jon Surf Shop. Following his father’s business advice, he sold two of the boards, and the third was basically his for free.
Wanting to spread his love of the waves, DiMenna opened “The Original” Ron Jon Surf Shop on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in 1961. With its powerful shore break, the site was a perfect surf destination for travelers from New York and Philadelphia. Two years later, the younger DiMenna left his father in charge of the Long Island Beach shop and set out south in a camper van.
When he arrived in Cocoa Beach, Florida, it was far from the tourist destination that it is today. Mimicking the small-but-efficient business model of his father’s grocery store, DiMenna set up a new Ron Jon Surf Shop to bring surf culture to Florida’s Atlantic coast. The culture of the 1960s embraced surfing in a big way, and Ron Jon Surf Shop experienced explosive growth. Because of DiMenna, other surf companies did too.
“If you could get in [Ron’s] shop, you could be successful,” Duke Boyd, co-founder of Hang Ten surfing apparel, told ESPN in 2011. “We got into Ron Jon’s shop and we exploded because of him.”
The “One of a Kind” Cocoa Beach location evolved to become the brand’s flagship store and claims the title of “World’s Largest Surf Shop.” Up in New Jersey, “The Original” shop on Long Beach Island also expanded to 12,000 square feet and features one of the world’s longest surfboards, measuring over 24 feet.
Throughout Florida, Ron Jon Surf Shops have opened in Lake Buena Vista, Fort Myers, Key West, Panama City Beach, Clearwater Beach, and Pensacola Beach. The iconic shops can also be found in Ocean City, Maryland, Orange Beach, Alabama, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
In addition to Ron Jon Surf Shop, DiMenna and his wife, Lynne, founded Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation. The 501(c)(3) charity supports the preservation of Florida’s beaches by addressing coastal pollution and beach ecology. The Florida “Endless Summer” license plates, featuring a surfer at sunset and often seen on Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos, support the foundation financially.
In 1998, DiMenna was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame. Following his passing on September 6, 2025, DiMenna leaves behind a solid legacy of establishing and growing surf culture on the East Coast.
“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,” Ron Jon Surf Shop President Michele Goodwin said in a company statement. “Ron’s vision and legacy will live on for generations through Ron Jon Surf Shop and Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation.”
