City council members unanimously approved applying to the state yesterday in an effort to give historical status to the first Santa Cruz surf shop, owned by surfing pioneer Jack O’Neil. Staff and volunteers are expected to work on sending an application to the California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation to add the Cowell Beach location of O’Neill’s 1st surf shop to a register of 850 other historically significant spots statewide. O’Neill, who lives in the Pleasure Point area in Santa Cruz, opened his first surf shop in 1959.
