Surfing with and for Jesus? S'now big deal

Last summer, we made mention of a skateboarding priest, so it was only a matter of time before someone lifted up a snowboarding one. We waited until winter, and - presto! - one appeared, bringing with him some serious academic cred.

About 10 years ago, Rev. Neil Elliot, minister of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Trail and an avid snowboarder, came across the boarder’s term, “soulriding.”

With its overt spiritual connotations, the elusive concept piqued his interest, so much so, that Elliot decided to fashion his PhD around it.

“It’s the first PhD in snowboarding at all, so it’s pretty unique,” said Elliot. “It gave me an excuse to get out and participate in a sport I love and it provided me with a framework to examine human spirituality.”

We await the summer, then, and wax our surfboards, anxious for the arrival of the hat trick: the wave-surfing priest. (Don't let us down, Diocese of Los Angeles!)

Posted by Torey Lightcap on March 13, 2011 12:25 PM | |
Comments (2)

Of course, once he decided on his thesis, it was all downhill from there...

Posted by Barry M. Signorelli [TypeKey Profile Page] | March 13, 2011 3:01 PM

Or perhaps the Diocese of Hawai'i?

Posted by Ann Fontaine [TypeKey Profile Page] | March 14, 2011 12:04 PM

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