OBITUARY: Ron Jon Surf Shop Founder Ron DiMenna, Who Turned Surf Culture Into a Lifestyle Empire, Dies at 88
By Space Coast Daily // September 7, 2025
OPENED RON JON SURF SHOP IN COCOA BEACH IN 1963 on the Canaveral Pier
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA — Ron DiMenna, beloved founder of Ron Jon Surf Shop and a visionary of surf culture, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2025, at the age of 88. He leaves behind a vibrant legacy built on entrepreneurial ingenuity, boundless spirit, and an unwavering passion for the sea.
“The entire Ron Jon family mourns this loss,” said Michele Goodwin, President, Ron Jon Surf Shop. “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.
Ron founded Ron Jon Surf Shop more than 65 years ago in 1959. In addition to Cocoa Beach, Ron Jon Surf Shop now has stores in Lake Buena Vista, Fort Myers, Key West, Panama City Beach, Clearwater Beach, Pensacola Beach, Fla., as well as in Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala., and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Growing up near the New Jersey shore, Ron discovered surfing in 1959. The allure of fiberglass surfboards captured his imagination—and his ambition.
When he expressed a desire for a custom board from California, his father offered a lighthearted yet practical suggestion: “Buy three, sell two at a profit, then yours will be free.” This sage advice became the catalyst for Ron’s first steps into business, combining hard work with ingenuity to transform a personal passion into something far greater.
From Humble Beginnings to a Surfing Empire
In 1961, at just 24 years old, Ron opened the original Ron Jon Surf Shop on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
What started as a modest retail space selling surfboards rapidly grew in scope and ambition. By 1963, he had opened a second shop in Cocoa Beach on the Canaveral Pier, the predecessor of the Cocoa Beach Pier, christened the “One-of-a-Kind” Ron Jon Surf Shop.
Over the ensuing decades, Ron Jon expanded into the world’s largest surf retailer, boasting multiple locations along the Eastern Seaboard. The iconic original shop on Long Beach Island evolved into a four-story surf emporium, complete with one of the world’s longest surfboards—measuring over 24 feet, it towers over the sales floor.
More than just retail success, Ron envisioned a cultural phenomenon. While many of his contemporaries focused solely on equipment for surfers, Ron embraced a broader vision: offering active lifestyle apparel and gear that appealed to both surfers and those drawn to the surf culture.
This inclusive approach helped propel surfing from a niche pastime to a multibillion-dollar lifestyle movement.
Ron’s personal life was as colorful as his business. Together with his wife Lynne, he operated his empire out of an unforgettable 42-foot-long luxury motorhome, custom-painted to resemble a 1940s woody station wagon—fondly dubbed “the world’s largest woody.”
By fusing innovation with whimsy, he demonstrated that life and business could be adventurous, creative, and unconventional.
Together with his wife, Lynne, Ron 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.
Through the sale of the Endless Summer specialty license plate, the Foundation financially supports meaningful programs, events, and activities that impact the protection of the beaches for future generations to enjoy. This, combined with the philanthropic work done by the Ron Jon Surf Shop corporation, leaves an enduring legacy.
DiMenna’s passing marks the end of a remarkable chapter in surf and retail history. Yet, his legacy endures—embedded in every Ron Jon storefront, in the waves ridden by countless enthusiasts, and in the hearts of everyone inspired by his bold journey from a young surfer to a worldwide icon.
“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,” said Goodwin. “Ron’s vision and legacy will live on for generations through Ron Jon Surf Shop and Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation.”
He is survived by his wife, Lynne, and the countless colleagues, collaborators, and customers who were touched by his vision. Though he is gone, his spirit—much like the ocean he loved—remains ever-present, in motion, and boundless.
