
WHAT’S ON
CURRENT EXHIBITS
BLUE GLASS: The Life and Lens of Surfer Magazine’s Lost Photographer, Ron Stoner
Visit the Exhibit
July – Sept 2025
The heartbreak of Ron Stoner’s career is that it was as brief as it was brilliant. Born in 1944, Ron discovered surfing in 1958—just as surf shops were emerging, foam and fiberglass were replacing balsa, and Gidget was still a year from the big screen. Surfing’s rise was woven into the postwar California Dream, fueled by optimism, opportunity, and a new lifestyle built around fun and freedom.
Learning to surf and shoot photos at the same time, Stoner’s lens captured the innocence and wonder that defined early ‘60s beach culture. By 17, he was already on the masthead at Surfing Illustrated, one of the early magazines of the era.
As mass media shifted to color with CinemaScope and Kodachrome, nothing looked more inviting than sunlit beaches and vibrant youth. Stoner’s eye for color, composition, and emotion elevated surf photography, making every frame a celebration of the sport and its spirit. By 1965, he’d convinced Surfer magazine founder John Severson he was ready for “the bible of the sport”—and delivered his first cover that July: Bill Andrews racing across a shimmering blue wedge at Black’s Beach, the wave itself stealing the spotlight.
That was just the start. Between 1967 and 1968, Stoner produced six consecutive Surfer covers, his images capturing the energy, innocence, and color of California’s golden surf era like no other.
But as the innocence of the era faded, Stoner’s life began to echo the restlessness of the era. Tragically, he vanished under mysterious circumstances, and more than fifty years later, his haunting story only deepens his legend.
Join us at SHACC’s new exhibit, “Blue Glass: The Life and Lens of Surfer Magazine’s Lost Photographer, Ron Stoner.” Explore his legacy, see newly unearthed photos, and hear from those who knew him.
“Ron carried SURFER. 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.” – Jeff Divine, renowned surf photographer
“Stoner picked up shades and hues that everyone else missed. 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.” – Matt Warshaw, Encyclopedia of Surfing
PAST EXHIBITS
“FLETCHER: “A LIFE IN SURF”
April - June 2025
SURF TRAVEL: FROM TWAIN TO TAVARUA
January 2025 - April 2025
GREG MACGILLIVRAY: A LIFE BEHIND THE LENS
September 2024 - January 2025
SURF STYLE 1960 -1966
November 2023 - August 2024