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Wetsuit popularisers honoured with memorial

Two brothers Bill and Bob Meistrell, who created one of the first modern neoprene wetsuits, are immortalized in a memorial that stands in their hometown village in Redondo Beach. It was here that the brothers opened and grew their business and also worked as lifeguards. Since childhood, the Meistrell brothers have shown a great passion

ByMałgorzata Brykała

Published: July 26, 2014 - 14:11

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 07:38

Wetsuit popularisers honoured with memorial

Two brothers Bill and Bob Meistrell, who created one of the first modern neoprene wetsuits, are immortalized in a memorial that stands in their hometown village in Redondo Beach. It was here that the brothers opened and grew their business and also worked as lifeguards.

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Since childhood, the Meistrell brothers have shown a great passion for all water-related sports and activities. In addition, their efforts and ideas have enabled others to enjoy surfing and diving even more. All thanks to the company they opened, where they started the production of new generation equipment.

Over 60 years ago, the twins developed their first neoprene wetsuit, which changed the ‘game’ completely. It was then that one of their friends said of the wetsuit “it fits like a glove”, which became the reason and inspiration for the creation of the Dive N Surf/Body Glove company.

The statue commemorating Bill and Bob was erected at Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way where the brothers grew up and started their wetsuit business. An additional event that coincided with the unveiling of the Meistrell twins’ monument was the opening of the new headquarters of the company they founded and are still thriving.

The bronze statue is based on an archive photograph from 1949, when the brothers worked as lifeguards at a nearby beach. The sculpture was created by former professional surfer and artist Chris Barelo.

Members of the local community involved in the creation of the monument hope that it will further attract tourists. This is all due to the legendary reputation of the Meistrell brothers as titans of the surfing industry based in Redondo Beach.

Bill died in 2006 and Bob in 2013. During their interesting and intense lives, they made a huge impact on the world of surfing and diving in Southern California. Their wetsuits were used by the US Navy as well as the Los Angeles Police Department. The brothers were also active in the community. They sponsored athletes, supported diving initiatives and worked as consultants on diving films.

Source: myredondo.com, latimes.com