What Happened to the Best Surf Photographer of the ‘60s?

“Stoner picked up shades and hues that everyone else missed,” author and surf historian Matt Warshaw writes. “He buffed and polished the everyday surf-world greens and blues until they looked new again. He did for Southern California surf breaks what artist David Hockney later did for Southern California swimming pools, and to the same effect: you didn’t want to just look at their work, you longed to step inside and become part of it.”

Stoner began shooting when early-60s California surf culture was booming– a time when optimism was high and the carefree, adventurous spirit of surfers was a growing appeal to the youth. He was a young talent, and by the age of only 17, he was already working for Surfing Illustrated. Just a year and some change later, he climbed aboard the SURFER ship and, with a $500 monthly stipend and a gas card, spent the next decade producing some of the sport’s most iconic images.

“Ron carried SURFER,” says legendary photographer Jeff Divine. “He did line-up shots, people shots, action, water, mood stuff, everything. He was the first well-rounded surf photographer. Before Ron, most guys just sat on the beach with whatever equipment they could afford and did their best. Stoner was the first real professional. He did it all, and he did it really, really well.”

Stoner didn’t have much formal training, but possessed an innate sense for color and transporting viewers to the heart of a surf culture that was still wild, anti-establishment, and free. From 1967 to 1968, his lens earned him six consecutive SURFER covers— a streak cut short by an abrupt and dramatic shift in his life's trajectory.

As defining as his images were, his personal life was more enigmatic. Stoner was always on the shy and quiet side. But his foray into LSD usage coincided with a plummet into mental illness, manifesting in erratic behavior (he would dress up as Jesus and drag a large cross through the streets) and long absences from work. At only 23 years old, Stoner was diagnosed as schizophrenic, committed to a mental hospital,ˆ and given over a dozen shock therapy treatments.

What followed was a slow unravelling. Stoner continued to shoot for SURFER but was removed from the masthead in 1971. Not long after that, he disappeared from the beaches he once haunted and was eventually declared a missing person. Stoner was never found and officially declared dead by the 90s.

Despite his unraveling, his work is unfading. And through Blue Glass, visitors can see not only his most notable imagery, but also recently-unearthed photographs from the Stoner family and former girlfriend Paulette Martinson Auster– images that have never been published.

If you’re in the Southern California area, stop by SHACC this summer to check out Blue Glass. Whether you’re a longtime student of surf photography or discovering Stoner’s work for the first time, this exhibit is a rare chance to experience the full spectrum of his vision—his precision, his sensitivity, and his ability to make the fleeting feel eternal.