title: Surfing into spirituality and a new, aquatic nature religion.
abstract: "Soul surfers" consider surfing to be a profoundly meaningful practice that brings physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits. They generally agree on where surfing initially developed, that it assumed a religious character, was suppressed for religious reasons, has been undergoing a revival, and enjoins reverence for and protection of nature. This subset of the global surfing community should be understood as a new religious movement-a globalizing, hybridized, and increasingly influential example of what I call aquatic nature religion. For these individuals, surfing is a religious form in which a specific sensual practice constitutes its sacred center, and the corresponding experiences are constructed in a way that leads to a belief in nature as powerful, transformative, healing, and sacred. I advance this argument by analyzing these experiences, as well as the myths, rites, symbols, terminology, technology, material culture, and ethical mores that are found within surfing subcultures.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville.
authors.forename: Bron
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D049673:History, 20th Century; D008016:Life Change Events; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D012072:Religious Philosophies / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D029181:Spirituality; D013177:Sports / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D013561:Symbolism; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology