"I’m happy for Hank. He was hurting. His body was beat to hell."
Four days back, news came that Brian Stephens aka Hank Foto, a real-life hellman whose images wrapped the pages of pretty much every good surf mag in the world, was in the last stages of pancreatic cancer, in a hozzy, his teenage son about to be orphaned, money sought etc.
Hank has now gone to the Gods and the surf world has posted myriad tributes to the Salt Creek transplant whose move to the North Shore in 1990 would define his life’s work.
Fellow North Shore photographer Brian Bielmann wrote: 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. 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.
From Tom Carroll: man what a loss and a gift all at once. May you rest in LOVE Hank, you are an absolute beauty. You were the chuckle amongst the bubbling madness
Hip gaping senior Shane Dorian: Fricken legend I’ll never forget Hank!! Such a huge heart and hilarious sense of humor
Daniel Russo, Fricken legend I’ll never forget Hank!! Such a huge heart and hilarious sense of humor
Still, he got to revel in the booming surf industry just as it turned on.
As Hank told Freestyle Surf last year: