Waves First with Brad Stone
Brad Stone has an image that isn’t easily forgotten. The shaved head, the beard and the full complement of tattoos ensures that if you meet him, you’ll remember him. Aside from that, bro also shreds on a bodyboard. From tech boogin’ to honking barrels and hitting massive sections, Brad has all the arms and legs dialled.
From grom booger on the Sunshine Coast to sponsored free surfing athlete, Brad gives us glimpse into the journey. We talk about chasing swells, injuries, how he juggles life and free surfing, feature films, and what keeps him coming back for more!
Enjoy!
Brad Stone (Image: Jay Maguire)
Q. Where did you grow up and How did you get into bodyboarding?
A. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast in Maroochydore. I had a bunch of friends at school that bodyboarded and I kind of fell into it. I eventually picked up the basics like spins and rolls, but there wasn’t much else I could do with the waves on offer at home. Having said that, it definitely could light up from time to time. We lived probably a 10-minute ride to the beach — Maroochydore mains breaks.
Q. Has competing ever been of interest to you or are you drawn more to free surfing?
A. No, competing has never been a huge thing for me. I mean, I like the aspect of it, but free surfing is definitely where it's at.
Small group of friends chasing waves, not competing against each other, is the part I like — it's a healthy push from each other to get some good waves.
Slab sessions (Image: Eric Caine)
Q. Give us some insight into your world as a free surfer/bodyboarder and what's involved in preparing to chase an upcoming swell?
A. My world consists of basically working as a concreter & saving up for dreams. If there’s no waves, I'm chasing jobs or on the tools, saving up for my next trip.
If a trip or forecast pops up, it can be hard sometimes since I have a work schedule, so you have to play your cards right, haha — I normally make it work though. Waves come first.
Sometimes there's not much time for planning and preparation — a phone call, flights booked, or car packed, and you're off.
Q. Do you finance all this yourself or do you make an income from bodyboarding?
A. My sponsors — I have a contract with them, so they're amazing to deal with, and they back the journey I'm on, every part of it. Between them and my day job, I'm able to do quite a lot over the year.
(You can check out Brad’s current sponsors on his instagram page @stone11)
Q. You had some pretty heavy injuries over the years, take us through the most recent Back Injury, how this occurred and what your recovery involved:
A. The back was scary and so out of the blue. There’s only a small crew of surfers on the south coast at this location— anyone who knows the place knows how scary and dangerous it is. I had some good friends out there that day who helped me get in and got me some help. I was rushed me to hospital and had scans done, the results came back and showed a compression fracture of my T9. I’m Very lucky it wasn't a lot worse.
I was pretty buckled after that and didn't have much help on the south coast, so I went home to the Sunny Coast and stayed with my sister. I got a bunch of help there and an exercise program from my brother (Jake Stone- Corrective Culture) which sped up my recovery a lot.
Brad after breaking is T9 vertebrae on the south coast (Image: Tim Cruden)
Q. You've featured in several bodyboarding movies over the years, the most well-known being the Tension series. How does it feel to be part of this legacy and what can we expect for the latest installment of Tension 12?
A. Honestly, it's pretty surreal to be a part of Tension. I went to Tension Vacation when I was younger, and that's what made me fall in love with bodyboarding to begin with. Whitey (Chris White- Tension Series) is honestly a genius — such a creative and a top bloke to boot. You can expect more big waves and tech stuff from me, but also know, that whatever Whitey has in mind will be insane!!
Tension 12 premiers across Aus in November 2026
Q. You have a close connection with south west Victoria. What keeps you coming back to this area?
A. Yeah, it's actually insane how hooked I am on Victoria. The waves and the people are what keep me coming back. Very tight crew of people that I chase swell with — honestly, such a special thing we have.
The vibe is definitely what keeps me coming back, probably more than the waves — it's a bonus if we score.
Deep in the Barrell (Image: Tyge Landa)
Q. Favourite Wave and why?
A. Favourite wave would have to be Nuggen (South Coast). For me, it's a skate park in the ocean — you never know what it's going to give you, so many different waves out there.
Words: Brad Stone @stone11
Editor: Kylie Palmer @the.slablab.store @slab.lab.media
