●Live - South Hemisphere Swell Pulsing California●Noah Deane: Officially Skinny●Update: All Free-Surf Semi-Pros Are Now Real Estate Agents●REPORT — LA28 LONG BEACH WATER QUALITY●PROFILE — MASON HO: FREESURFING'S SECOND WIND?●UPDATE — WHITE COLLAR CLASS FORGETS SURF ETIQUETTE●DISPATCH — STEFAN HALL FILES FROM THE COAST●ARE YOU EVEN FROM HERE?●Live - South Hemisphere Swell Pulsing California●Noah Deane: Officially Skinny●Update: All Free-Surf Semi-Pros Are Now Real Estate Agents●REPORT — LA28 LONG BEACH WATER QUALITY●PROFILE — MASON HO: FREESURFING'S SECOND WIND?●UPDATE — WHITE COLLAR CLASS FORGETS SURF ETIQUETTE●DISPATCH — STEFAN HALL FILES FROM THE COAST●ARE YOU EVEN FROM HERE?
Lead StoryAug 17, 2026 · Surf: World

State of the union: surfer-owned brands

State of the union: surfer-owned brands

Big Surf died. Independent surfers picked up the pieces — and the data says they might actually win.

Read the report →By Stefan Thomas Hall

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The Stack

Stefan Thomas Hall at Ocean Beach
AboutEditor-in-Chief · Stefan Thomas Hall

Are you offended? Did that Surfline rewind make you look like a kook? Me too.

Stringermag is here to remind surfers that they matter; like, a lot. The cadenced chaos of a peak chalk-full of core lords, a sandbagger's life funded by suburban parents and a little tech sales cash, and a creator's world where pros make money selling gambling ads to minors on Youtube.

"This sport has changed, man."

The themes around our sport are ever ebbing (heh), and with change, comes a stimulating conversation. We're here to engage the thoughts you've all been thinking, in as playful a manner as you interpret. Let's have fun, let's laugh at ourselves, and let's finally admit that Brazzo's surf better than us.

Stefan Thomas Hall is Stringer's editor-in-chief. He is college educated, has an extensive tenure in fintech, and reads about a book a year. Throw him off the bridge you say? Stefan is a Bay Area local who frequents the avenues of Ocean Beach. He is one of the greatest f*cking surfers on this g*ddamn planet, so tread lightly in the water when you see him. He has 2 gold earrings in his left ear. Need I continue?

Contact: stefan@stringermagazine.com

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