University/Organization
University of California at Davis
Title
Surfing into Samadhi: Rediscovering the Elements in India’s Coastal Villages
Synopsis
This is a three-part 90-minute session with two presenters. In the first 30-minute portion, Christopher Miller will present an abridged version of his thesis discussing the religious dimensions of the countercultural surf community in South India as they confront the ecological challenges in their coastal villages. Then, Fancy Fechser will present her documentary film depicting this surf culture and the current ecological and social projects that she and professional surfer Brad Gerlach are undertaking with them to confront these challenges, including their drive to bring more surfboards to the coastal villages as well as to assist them with organizing beach clean ups. Finally,
we will close the session with a discussion regarding the current state of affairs and leave time for Q&A.