Christian Filmmakers Strive to Guide Surfers to the Faith

Using top surfers as evangelists, Christian filmmakers are showing a surf movie this month in cities along the California coast in an effort to use tube rides and testimonies about Jesus to attract wave-riders to the faith.

“The Outsiders” has attracted full houses at recent showings in the San Diego County beach towns of Encinitas and La Jolla, its producers say.

It will be screened tonight at 7 at Edwards Big Newport theater in Newport Beach. Additional showings are planned for Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco.

Producers of the 45-minute video say the surf community makes for a fertile field for Christian missions because surfers -- however dissolute their lifestyle on land -- have been exposed to spirituality in the ocean.

“They are interacting with God’s creation and are really introspective about how this came to be. This is power that had to be created,” said Jesse Schluntz, the video’s director, editor and occasional cameraman, who also delivered pizzas during the shooting to help make ends meet. He’s currently working in a Christmas tree lot in San Diego County.

Schluntz said the surf video, which cost about $20,000 to make, is the perfect vehicle to deliver a Christian message to surfers.

“We’re not wearing gold suits and gold rings and saying ‘Send me your money,’ ” Schluntz said. “We’re just saying that if you’re looking for something else in your life besides surfing, partying and trying to get girls, here are some guys who are content spiritually.”

At first glance, “The Outsiders” looks like any other surf video: big waves, cutting-edge surfing, big-name talent, and hard-driving music (though all Christian-based). But there are some usual elements missing: no shots of shapely girls in thong bikinis, no cursing, and no drinking, smoking or drugs.

And other features are added: Christian testimonies from top surfers, including current world champion C.J. Hobgood. Bits and pieces of Scripture. And a scene in which surfers build a house for a poor family in Mexico.

Many of the Christian wave-riders said they grew weary of the worldly lifestyle, and they wonder about the damage they had done to young admirers.

“What seed did I plant in the grommets’ heads?” said Paul “Sarge” Sargeant, a well-known surf photographer, referring to beginning surfers. “I wonder how many grommets I led astray. That’s pretty heavy.”

“The Outsiders” is the third video from Walking on Water, a small Carlsbad-based ministry headed by former professional surfer Bryan Jennings.

“Changes,” its second surf movie, has sold 60,000 copies, has been shown internationally and translated into Japanese and Spanish since it debuted in 2000, Jennings said.

“A lot of the surf videos have real negative messages,” Jennings said of his decision to produce videos. “Kids see pictures of half-naked girls, their heroes swearing, partying, doing drugs. I got sick of talking about it.”

Schluntz, who became a Christian three years ago after a severe depression, had a similar motivation. He reviewed videos for Surfer magazine, and found the messages in most of them disturbing.

“They’re just really bad examples for kids,” said the 25-year-old video maker.

At the end of each screening, organizers perform an “altar call,” asking people in the audience to accept Jesus as their savior. Jennings estimates that 25% of those who watched “Changes” came forward.

“We say, ‘Here are our lives, here’s what’s going on,’ ” Jennings said. “Now it’s up to you.”