The Chon Ohana: Surf Contest in Yilan

A friend of mine that started Christian surfers in Japan really inspired me back when we were first starting this ministry by saying that since the surf culture in Taiwan is fairly new but growing, what if surfers start getting saved and then there would be a kingdom culture planted into the surf culture. Then it would just grow together to the point where eventually it would be normal to be a surfer and a Christian.

A few months ago we (Christian Surfers Taiwan-CST) were asked to be the main sponsor for a surf contest in the largest surf community in Taiwan. George was a surfer I met during the contest we did this past November. He said he was so inspired by the way we did our contest that he wanted to do another one at his home beach modeling the way we did it back in November. Our hearts behind the contest was to put on a Godly style contest. Well, it caught on.

We worked together on putting on a contest with the idea of it being by surfers for surfers, not about big surf sponsorships, or surf clubs, or shops advertising. Pretty much cutting out the big money factor that seems to affect so many contests here. Although this may not be new in other countries with bigger surf populations, this is new for Taiwan.

We had around 100 surfers signed up. And of course on the date scheduled for the contest our first big typhoon of the year landed on that Saturday. We had to push the contest back a week.

After lots of praying, seeing that the enemy was really trying to stop this from happening we were able to have a great contest the week after the typhoon and even had some decent waves.

It was a great opportunity to be a light in Taiwans largest surf community. We met a lot of new people and were able to share about Christian Surfers. This subject itself opened many good and interesting conversations. We met many key people in the surf community not just for Yilan beach but for the whole Taiwan surf community. I was a judge with a very respected surfer in Taiwan who is also a part of the International Surfing Association (ISA) for Taiwan and he was very impressed with what we were doing and seeing our heart for the surf community and surfing. He said it would be great for CST to look to partner with the ISA in Taiwan. We are praying about it. At the contest, we saw many open hearts, interested in what a Christian Surf organization is doing in Taiwan. And of course this is to share the gospel in Taiwan.

So in the end, I felt like the Lord took me back to what my friend in Japan said to me back when we were just starting, and I am really believing and seeing what God could do in the surf community here.

Ephesians 3:20-21 God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Wow how amazing of a God we serve.

So we are very excited and feel that God is really on the move here and His kingdom will come to the Taiwanese surf community. Here are a few pics from the contest.