The Christian Surfers Podcast

This week on the CS Podcast, the effervescent Mark Sawyer-Chu aka sits down with the International Director of Christian Surfers (and a man who always has a vision), Mr. Roy Harley! Roy’s childhood revolved around surfing, but at the age of 16, Roy had a life-altering encounter with Jesus at a camp which completely changed his life trajectory - this pivotal moment led him to co-found Son Surf (whi...

The CS Podcast is back and in this episode, Mark Sawyer-Chu sits down with Pastor Nate Dorman and long-time Christian Surfer to discuss life, surfing, family, prayer requests, and Jesus in the trails. Through this podcast, you can clearly see God’s hand in Nate’s life. From his brief time on the QS to the loss of his mentor and former CS conference speaker (Pastor Sumo Sato), who asked him to take...

This week on the Christian Surfers’ podcast the ever-frother-stoked Mark Sawyer-Chu sits down with [insert drum roll 🥁🥁🥁] Damien Hobgood! Amongst spending a lofty 14 years surfing competitively on the Championship Tour, Damien has appeared in over 20 surf videos and at the height of his career, finished 4th on the Championship Tour. Damo has been a staple with Christian Surfers and Walking On W...

In this episode, we catch up with one of the current pioneers of professional surfing in El Salvador, Marcelo Castellanos. Among being a former professional surfer himself, Marcelo co-founded and runs Puro Surf; a world-class surf academy & hotel based in El Salvador. He is also the official surf coach for the El Salvadorian surf team and co-star of the Sweet Adventure surf film. Marcelo and h...

Discover the incredible journey of Bob Hurley, a surfing legend whose faith shaped his remarkable success in the surfing industry. Mark and Bob discuss the evolution of his faith, and the impact of relationships within the surfing world that inspired him. Join us as we delve into the phases of his Christianity and explore the pressures he faced as a successful businessman and Christian. 🌐 Visit t...

In this episode, Mark has a conversation with Erin Brooks who is one of the best up-and-coming surfers in the world right now. She is competing, barrel riding, going to the air, and simply leading the way for women’s progression in professional surfing. 🌐 Visit the Christian Surfers website to learn more about this life-changing movement: https://www.christiansurfers.net/ Please consider donating...

In this captivating podcast episode, join us as AJ dives deep into the incredible 30-year ministry journey of Phil Williams. Phil, a seasoned surfer and dedicated evangelist, shares his victories, challenges, and memorable moments in the world of Christian Surfers. Discover his sage advice for young individuals aspiring to follow a similar path. This is an insightful conversation that blends the p...

Dive into the gripping conversation on church struggles in today's world with Pastor Mark Forman and surprise host Richard Ellerington. Mark Forman is known for leading a large church called North Coast Calvary, preaching, writing and being a father to two boys, Jon and Tim, who are members of the popular band Switchfoot. He joins Richard to explore the challenges faced by churches during the pand...

Discover the incredible journey of Marquito Santos, a renowned surf coach and mentor for professional surfers on tour. In this captivating episode of the Christian Surfers Podcast hosted by AJ, Marquito shares his inspiring path to knowing Jesus through the organization Christian Surfers in Brazil. From his childhood dreams of becoming a pro surfer to achieving that goal and feeling a profound emp...

Corey Colapinto or Kookapinto as he is affectionately known is one of the world's most influential alternate board surfers and shapers right now. Hailing from San Clemente, Corey is vocal about his faith in Jesus challenging popular cultural ideologies through his social media channels. Corey also writes much of the music to his Instagram surf clips where the lyrical content points to the Bible. D...

In this episode of the Christian Surfers Podcast, AJ sits down with Audrey Harrison, a remarkable guest with an inspiring story. Join them as they delve into Audrey's journey of taking a local mission and expanding it on a national scale, creating a transformative movement that impacts countless lives. Audrey opens up about her personal experience of discovering Jesus through Christian Surfers and...

In this engaging episode of the CS Podcast, Mark Sawyer-Chu is joined by special guest Ben Buckley from New Zealand on a remarkable journey of faith, leadership, and transformation. Discover how Ben's involvement with Christian Surfers has shaped his life and led him to pioneer a CSALT program with his wife. CSALT (Christian Surfers Advanced Leadership Training) is a dynamic five-month program des...

On this episode of the CS Podcast, Mark Sawyer-Chu interviews former Olympic silver medalist and long-time WSL standout Bianca Buitendag. Bianca talks about how she seamlessly transitioned from the world of competitive surfing to helping with her family’s architectural company and her involvement in a local NGO called Life Community Services. Bianca and Mark discuss the reason behind Bianca deleti...

On this episode of the Christian Surfers Podcast, Mani Ellerington takes center stage as he discusses his journey; being raised as a missionary kid, relocating to France, and the struggles of traveling during the 2020 pandemic. Mani candidly shares his challenges of attending a French school without knowing the language and how he compromised his beliefs to blend in with the crowd. He also reveals...

Bryan Jennings is the founder of the surfing outreach ministry, Walking on Water which Bryan started in order to share his faith with local junior high school students. What started out as a surf camp grew to a worldwide ministry. Bryan went on to produce several surf documentaries (Walking on Water, The Outsiders and Noah’s Arc) that took the surf world by storm and introduced the gospel to audie...

In this episode, we chat with Mandy Fry, a woman who built a business empire from humble beginnings. Starting with not much experience, she became a successful entrepreneur and played a crucial role in the women's division of the surf industry. Learn how she built big brands, changed the game for women in surfing, and left a legacy that inspires people to chase their dreams. Be sure to subscribe t...

Throwback to when Mark Sawyer-Chu sat down with aerial master, Reef Heazlewood. Reef talks about how he grew up in Christian Surfers (Reef's dad ran a Chapter in Caloundra), how Reef serendipitously met Bob Hurley at a Bible study which resulted in Reef being sponsored by Hurley as a full-time athlete, the joys and difficulties of being a follower of Christ as a pro surfer and much more. If you en...

Enjoy this lovely interview with the Colbi King Pickett who not only hosts a radio show at Jacksonville radio but is also the East Coast Girls Regional Coordinator for Christian Surfers USA. Colbi talks about how she used to commentate for various sporting events and how God transformed her heart to talk about the things in life that really matter… His Word. Did you enjoy the episode? If so, pleas...

In an interview with the founder of Christian Surfers, Mr. Brett Davis, AJ Ellerington takes a fresh approach by directing the conversation towards the present and future rather than dwelling on the past, as most interviews with Davis tend to do. Whip out a pen and paper, because Brett drops several pearls of wisdom that could only come from a man who has sojourned through life with God by his sid...

In this episode of The Christian Surfers' podcasts, Mark Sawyer-Chu and AJ Ellerington engage in an open and frank conversation. AJ shares her experiences as a family constantly on the move, discussing both the joys and challenges they encounter. Moreover, she also discusses her struggle with mental health during the COVID pandemic, including opening up to her father about it. Click play and enjoy...