SYDNEY (Reuters) - Many surfers pray to the god of waves but Christian surfers now have a "Surfers Bible," a combination of New Testament, glossy surf photographs and Christian surfer testimonials.
The Bible Society in Australia has printed 10,000 copies of the "Surfers Bible," to go on sale next week for A$8.95 (US$4.94).
The bible, a traditional scripture translation with a color photograph of a barreling wave on the cover, aims to make the bible more attractive to surfers, the society's Siebrand Petrusma said on Friday.
"Its certainly a very different bible from the old black book," Petrusma told Reuters.
With thousands of Christian surfers in Australia, the society believes the first print run will be snapped up faster than a surfer can wax his surfboard.
An earlier surfer-friendly Gospel of Mark sold more than 60,000 copies, 85 percent in Australia. Mainstream publishers in Australia normally print 2-5,000 copies of first run paperbacks.
Surfers have a reputation as a hard partying group, indulging in drugs and alcohol, and living a non-conformist lifestyle chasing waves around the world with the help of their god of surf, Huey.
In its introduction, the "Surfers Bible" explains under the title "Surfing and religion" that surfers are inherently religious, with many seeing their sport as a spiritual activity.
"Many surfers would say they believe in a creator. Some would call him Huey...'Pray for Surf' is yet another surf slogan surfers are all too willing to identify with, such is the religious fervor of surfers for their surfing," it says.
"God's love, God's word and God's blessings are far beyond the best eccy, heaviest head-spinning cone, sweetest scoobie, almighty pissed rage, biggest barrel you've ever had," writes surf photo-journalist Paul Sargeant in the "Surfers Bible."
"Make God first and he will blow your mind on a daily basis -- without a hangover!"
For non-surfers, an "eccy" is the drug Ecstacy, "cone" and "scoobie" are marijuana and "pissed rage" is a drinking binge. A "barrel" is a wave which breaks creating a hollow tube which surfers try to ride inside -- surfing heaven.