Words & Water.
Four decades of bylines, seven years as Editor in Chief, and a film that won festivals.
A Career in Print
It started in 1972 with a $50 article written in Australia and a conviction that the people in the water had stories worth telling. Over the next four decades, Chris Ahrens became one of surf journalism's most enduring voices — contributing to every major publication in the genre and building a body of work that extends far beyond the surf beat.
As Editor in Chief of Risen Magazine for seven years, he ran a nationally distributed culture and faith publication and conducted celebrity interviews alongside his surf writing. His journalism has always been driven by character — the person behind the story, not just the story itself.
Below is a selection of the publications he has written for and a handful of pieces worth reading.
Written For
Risen Magazine
Editor in Chief — 7 years
Ahrens ran Risen as Editor in Chief for seven years, interviewing some of the most recognizable names in music, film, and sport: Santana, Ozzy, Hilary Swank, Tony Hawk, Wil.I.Am, Billy Bob Thornton, Gary Busey, and many more.
The Surfer's Journal
The bulk of Ahrens's article writing appeared in The Surfer's Journal — the premium longform surf publication that set the standard for serious surf writing. His work in the Journal represents some of his most considered and enduring journalism.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Feature journalism and cultural writing for Southern California's paper of record — demonstrating that Ahrens's work was never confined to the surf lane.
Surfer Magazine
Feature articles, cultural essays, and long-form profiles spanning three decades. Surfer was the flagship of the genre and Ahrens was a fixture — one of the writers who helped define what surf journalism could be.
Surfing Magazine
Features and surf culture writing for the second pillar of American surf publishing. Ahrens contributed across issues and eras, adapting his voice to the magazine's more irreverent tone without losing his own.
Ocean Magazine & Others
Coastal and regional feature writing, plus contributions to various other national and regional publications across his career. The full list of outlets is extensive; the above represents the anchors.
Noteworthy Reading
A handful of pieces from across the career. More available on request.
The Coast News Group — 2016 - Present
The Coast News Group: Writer and Contributor
Ahrens's ongoing "Waterspot" column brings surf culture, coastal history, and ocean-side life to North County San Diego readers.
San Diego Reader — 2016 - 2023
San Diego Reader:Writer and Contributor
Seven years of features and cultural writing for San Diego's alternative weekly, covering surf, music, faith, and the characters that make the region distinct.
The Surfers Journal — 2019
The Gremmie
Hank Warner's shotgun legends.
The Surfers Journal — 2017
The Gunman on the Hill
The 1979 California Stubbies Pro vs. the Last Soul Surfer.
The Surfers Journal — 2017
The Caretaker of Intangible Ingredients
The personal quiver of San Diego’s Harry “Skip” Frye.
The Surfers Journal — 1997
The Death of Longboarding and Other Stories
Chris Ahrens tells a variety of stories that include topics such as: music; Swamis; the U.S. Open; & the current state of longboarding.
Beyond the Page.
Chris's storytelling instincts extend well beyond print. As writer and director across multiple projects, he has brought the same eye for character and place to the screen.
D.O.P.E.
Writer • Director — 2015
D.O.P.E. is the documentary Ahrens wrote and directed — a film that went on to earn festival recognition and become one of the most talked-about skateboarding documentaries of its era. At its core it is a character study: a story about identity, addiction, and redemption set against the backdrop of skateboarding culture.
God N Gangsters
Host • Producer
A YouTube series featuring live, in-person interviews with former high-ranking gang members and notorious criminals who have undergone radical life transformations. Hosted and produced by Chris Ahrens, the series brings the same unflinching curiosity he has applied to surf culture to bear on stories of violence, redemption, and change.
Surf Video Journalism
1990s – 2000s
Across the 1990s and into the 2000s, Ahrens was active in surf video journalism — providing commentary, narration, and editorial work for surf video productions during the era when video became the dominant format for surf culture documentation. This body of work predates the YouTube era and exists largely on tape, but it represents a significant chapter of his career in moving-image storytelling.
"Ahrens breathes life into surfing legends and makes them real to surfers who only know them as unapproachable icons."
Greg Ambrose, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin