A surfing monk kind of sounds like an oxymoron, right? When someone first suggested I check out the short film Ocean Monk, I certainly thought so. However, not only are the monks in this film talented athletes, but the connection they draw between the sport and their search for enlightenment really does make sense.

Ocean Monk is a documentary focusing on a group of monks living in New York City. It was through the teachings of Sri Chinmoy, the famous Indian spiritual teacher, that the brothers were able to find an escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city in the city of Long Island. Not only is the gang willing to take to the waves regardless of temperature, they seemingly have no fear as they gracefully rip through rolling waters.

The mixture of a high-risk sport and tranquility is quite unusual making it an endlessly enthralling subject. Tack on some mesmerizing camera work and perfectly paced editing and Ocean Monk delivers big time ultimately making me want to put the technique to use myself – or at least spend some time with the fun-loving and fascinating group of monks.

Check out the trailer for Ocean Monk below and head over to the film’s website to see when you can catch it for yourself when it runs in the New York Surf Festival this week.

By Perri Nemiroff

Ocean Monk Trailer from Sanjay Rawal on Vimeo.