If you believe in God, but you find the seriousness of academic and spiritual study boring and you’re the kind of six-foot dude who wears flip flops and Mambo and is broadly in favour of peace and shanti shanti and likes Christ’s vibe, then the Bola de Neve church may interest you. Created in 2000, this Christian surfing church comes from Brazil and has more than 100 temples in the country. Inevitably, this church is drifting to the douche meccas: Sydney and California.

It’s a church for cool young trendy people with Facebook pages and the like. People aged between 20 and 35 years old who are usually students, artists, adventurers or sportsmen. The church sponsors skate contests and reggae or punk gigs, and recruits its kindling at the beach. In the church, palm trees and drawings of dolphins are decorating the walls, but the surf board is THE ultimate sacred object.

On the website, you can order a Bola de Neve cap or you can listen to the new song of “Christianfari”. We spoke to a parishioner, Manoel Mattos, who is a 30-year-old Brazilian living in Sydney.

Vice: Hi. Why did you join Bola de Neve Church?
Manoel Mattos: I’ve tried different religions and now I’ve found one that fills my emptiness. It’s hard to understand if you don’t believe in God, but I’m sure it works.

Did you become religious because of the Bola de Neve church, or have you always been a believer?
I’ve looked for God for many years. I just prefer to be a Jesus follower instead of religious. If you check the history, many conflicts were caused by religious people with concepts created by them, not by God.

What is the Bola de Neve church about?
Bola de Neve church is a Pentecostal church focused on young people. The idea was to attract teenagers and young people to church by using a simple language and putting the formalities aside. And of course, it’s free.

Why is this cult about surfing? Was Jesus a surfer?
It’s not just about surf. It’s because one long-board was used as a pulpit in the first service when the church was just a small group. Actually, I think Jesus was the first surfer without a surfboard, considering he walked on the water. Nine-times champion Kelly Slater wouldn’t have any chance against Jesus.

Who are the people who are involved in the Bola de Neve church?
Basically, the main attendants are between 18 to 35, but we have youngsters and older people. Actually, families come to the church – the only difference is that the children bring their parents and not the other way round.

I saw on the website that Bola de Neve church sponsors skate contests and organises concerts. Do you go to these events? Are they fun? Do people get drunk?
I used to go when I was living in Brazil. Using sport and music is a good way to approach the young people. There’s no alcohol or drugs in our events; once you have Jesus in your life, you don’t need them to have fun. If you need to have some booze or take some drugs to enjoy your life, it’s because you are missing something and need some help. If you don’t have peace and don’t feel naturally free, don’t waste your time anymore, my advice is that you should read the Bible. I’m sure you’ll find the answers you’ve been looking for.

Do you all bring your surfboards to church?
We don’t bring surfboards to the church. Actually there’s no space. We have to sit on the floor.

Would you say that Jesus is a cool dude?
Yeah, he’s a very cool dude. He came to the Earth around 2000 years ago and is still attracting people.