Responded with this on a thread but thought some might find it interesting.
I was confused at first after reading this because I know the fatter tired bikes and single speeds have been around since bikes were first made, but it appears it wasn't until the 70's that the term "beach cruiser" was coined and marketed with huge success.
From one article:
"... the term “beach cruiser” was actually coined in the early 70s by Larry McNeely, the owner of Recycled Cycles in Newport Beach, California, when he began refurbishing old cruiser bikes into functional beach rides."
He lives locally in my community. I hope to meet him some day.
An interesting read:
https://www.citylab.com/transportati...p0YNnYvDcK3pH8
According to a Schwalbe the term "Balloonbike" was resurrected by them in the early 2000's.
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/balloonbikes.html