Justin Gardner is a surf photographer at Stoke Drift, originally from Roscoe, Texas. Growing up in a landlocked area of Texas, he did not envision surfing and surf photography as part of his life. After moving to Hawaii in 2017, Justin picked up surfing and quickly fell in love with the sport. While Justin usually prefers being behind the lens when in the water, he still enjoys longboarding, and his go-to board is a 9’6 Townie by his favorite shaper Brent Clem.
His favorite break depends on whether he’s surfing or shooting photos. If Justin’s surfing, Populars is his favorite spot; however, when shooting, he can usually be found at Ala Moana Bowls, working with local longboarder Matt Vasquez to produce content. Justin is in his senior semester at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, double majoring in art and journalism.
Justin is a published journalist who has written and produced several photographs through local media outlets. He has also covered several events, including the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Surf Event on the North Shore of Oahu and multiple World Surf League competitions. When not working at Stoke Drift, Justin usually edits photos, plays video games, or works on his next project. He hopes to use his degree to write articles and shoot photos for local surf magazines while also working as a freelance journalist across various topics.