Hank Foto was a larger than life figure, and captured the images to match. Photo: GoFundMe
Hank Foto was as famous for his evocative photos as for his larger-than-life personality. On Saturday, the legendary surf photographer passed away at 62.
Though he would eventually become indelibly linked with the North Shore, Hank was born Brian Stephen in Newport Beach in 1964. As he told fellow photographer Brian Bielmann in an interview with Freesurf Magazine, he earned his nickname working in the snack bar at Orange County’s Salt Creek at 13 years old. By the early ’80s, he had progressed into the world of surf photography, and “Snack Bar Hank” became the “Hank Foto” we know today. From there, he made his mark on the surfing world capturing its hardest chargers in the heaviest waves as a staff photographer for SURFING.
In December of 2025, Hank was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As a GoFundMe for him explained, the severity of his illness also brought with it a significant financial burden, as much of his treatment was not covered by insurance and he was the sole provider for himself and his 15-year-old son, following the death of his wife in 2018. On August 8, 2026, he finally succumbed to his illness.
“It was just his time, but the world is gonna be a very different place for many of us without Hank,” wrote Bielmann in a tribute post to Instagram. “I sent him a text this morning. I said ‘Hank I’m checking up on you cause I haven’t been to see you in the hospital for four or five days,’ and he wrote me back and he said, ‘I’m out.’ I thought they were letting him out of the hospital again and I couldn’t believe it. I said ‘Where are you?’ and I got no response. Two hours later I heard the news. I realized Hank was calling to tell me he was ready to go. I just didn’t realize what he was saying, but he went out on his own terms and now I’m gonna sit here and cry like I did with my dog and my dad and Glen Hansard and now Hank all just recently. I’m happy for Hank. He was hurting. His body was beat to hell. I say a prayer for his son fender and I’m sorry for his loss.”
With Hank’s passing came an outpouring of grief and memorials from the surfing world, including many of the fellow legends he shot in the water. “We lost a good one in Hank Foto yesterday after a battle with cancer,” wrote Kelly Slater. “I met Hank with Pat O’Connell and the crew at Salt Creek when I was a little kid. He was a kneeboarder then and he worked at the snack bar at the beach so we all called him ‘Snack-bar Hank’. The guys at Creek had a club called SCC (Salt Creek Core) and he was an ever-present figure in the group.
“I had just turned pro but hadn’t yet signed a contract. I had no logos, so I only repped SCC stickers for a couple of weeks. One night they threw an SCC house party. Everyone was drinking and partying along and then everyone started diving in the pool from the deep end, one after another for about 15-20 mins. Then Hank decides to jump in from the side 90 degrees to everyone else right as I ran and dove headfirst. We connect mid air with my forehead on his temple. I was kinda KO’d for a second and thought I hurt my neck pretty badly underwater so I come up waving for help. I check on whoever it was I hit and it’s Hank blowing bubbles unconscious at the bottom of the pool. The music is loud and nobody is paying attention so I swim down and grab him and get his head above water when everyone starts helping. He’s coughing up water and super concussed but he’s alive. We call the ambulance and by the time they get there Hank is drinking beers again and refuses help before walking face first into a sliding glass door. So we tried again and again to get him to go get checked out but he flat-out refuses and continues on with the night.
“Hank and I laughed about that one so many times over the years,” Slater continued. “Everyone who knew him has amazing stories and although he never did a book (he did shoot the cover of my first book Pipe Dreams in 2003), apparently he was keen to have a book with stories from all his friends that involve their memories with him. I hope everyone can gather stories and make this a reality and maybe we can create something really great for his son Fender, and all have a big send off for a legend in our world. Peace Brian ‘Hank’ Stephen. It won’t be the same community without you.”
The wealth of stories of Hank’s exploits is an oft-repeated refrain in online tributes to the beloved lensman. Bielmann echoed the sentiment in his memorial post, adding, “There are so many Hank stories out there. We should write a book and just everybody tell their Hank stories. Hank, you were an asshole, but you were our asshole. Love you long time Hank and we will see you on the other side.”
