COCOA BEACH, Florida — Ron DiMenna, the founder of Ron Jon Surf Shop and a pioneer of surf retail culture, died Sept. 6 at the age of 88.

DiMenna launched Ron Jon Surf Shop in 1959 along the New Jersey Shore. “The Original” Ron Jon Surf Shop opened on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in 1961. A couple of years later, DiMenna ventured to Florida and opened the “One-of-a-Kind” Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach.

The Cocoa Beach location became the flagship store. It’s a 52,000-square-foot destination, and attracts millions of visitors annually, according to the Ron Jon Surf Shop.

According to Space Coast Daily , beyond business, DiMenna and his wife, Lynne, founded the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Florida’s beaches and promoting coasta

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