The surf world has lost one of its great characters.
Hank Foto, born Brian Stephen in Southern California, died August 8, 2026, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 62.
Since news of his passing spread, tributes have poured in from across the surf world, remembering Hank not simply as a photographer, but as one of those larger-than-life characters who helped define an era of surfing. See Brian Bielmann’s memorial here and below.
For decades, Stephen documented the sport from inside the action. He began taking photographs in high school before making his first surf photo trip to Bali in 1983. A few years later, he was working at Surfing Magazine, eventually moving to Hawaii full-time in 1990.
His longtime friend and fellow North Shore photographer Brian Bielmann interviewed Hank for FreeSurf Magazine, describing him as a “war torn, surf veteran gonzo-photographer.”
Hank’s own recollections in that interview paint a picture of a life lived at full speed.
“I really enjoyed having a lot of fun,” he told Bielmann. “Fun was more important than work or anything else.”
That attitude carried him from bodyboarding trips to Cabo San Lucas, Tahiti and beyond, and eventually into the thick of Hawaii’s big-wave scene. He photographed legends including Ken Bradshaw and became an early adopter of personal watercraft for reaching outer reefs.
His photographs were only part of the story.
Hank was also a fixture in the surfing community—a waterman, storyteller and unapologetic character whose adventures became almost as legendary as the images he brought home.
Kelly Slater, surfing’s resident GOAT, recalled meeting Hank back in the day, during the early years of his professional career, lionizing his friend, and recounting some of his wildman tales. See Slater’s memorial for Hank Foto here and below.
In the FreeSurf interview, Hank reflected on the wilder culture of surfing’s past, saying, “Our industry was like rebels. We were living outside of society.”
In recent years, fatherhood brought another chapter. A fundraiser launched for Hank in July described his close relationship with his son, Fender, and their shared connection to surfing and the North Shore.
Now, those who knew him are left with the photographs, stories and memories.
Hank Foto didn’t merely document surfing’s wild years.
He lived them.
Rest in peace, Hank Foto.
Donate to the GoFundMe to support Hank Foto’s memorial fund here.
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