In July 2012, a team of four adventure-philanthropists will complete a record-setting voyage in one of the exploration world’s last great firsts: A non-stop, unsupported crossing of the Arctic Ocean by rowboat.

Over the course of 30 days and 1100 miles, Collin West, Neal Mueller, Paul Ridley & Scott Mortensen will power their way along the fabled Northwest Passage. Only in the last decade has their route thawed enough to be considered navigable. Fittingly, the message behind their mission seeks to inform a global audience about the plight of the Arctic. Collin West explains, “People seem to forget that climate change isn’t just an environmental issue – it’s a humanitarian one. By exploring the common ground we hope to inspire people towards responsible action and innovative solutions.”  The team is collaborating with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation to identify data collection opportunities that increase understanding of climate change.
Tune in to their real-time video-blog, Into Thin Ice (www.intothinice.com) and become a part of the incredible journey.

http://www.indiegogo.com/arcticrow

Peak Freaks Everest Expedition from M. Scott Mortensen on Vimeo.

Adventure filmmaking expeditions from sea to summit.  Mt. Everest was a collaboration with premiere Canadian guiding company, Peak Freaks.  Our successful summit bid included two rescues in the Death Zone and made international news in Men’s Journal, Outside, Explorer’s Web, etc.  In the end, adventures aren’t about conquering big waves or big mountains.  They’re about braving a journey of the human spirit.  I am passionate about projects that involve challenge, change & teamwork.  Here’s some excerpts:

Taking a stand on Everest summit

The video shows some quick clips from our successful 2008 Mt. Everest summit.

With the Chinese government enforcing the closing of the mountain with armed “snipers” and two harrowing rescues in the Death Zone, this was certainly an adventure to write home about.

Respect for Tim & Becky Rippel’s Peak Freaks Expeditions and the climbers, sherpas and guides who risked their lives not only for the summit, but to save another climber’s life.

Photography: Scott Mortensen

Here’s a friendly, Facebook video for Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes that combines core values with counter-cultural flavor.

Easier said than done.

Social entrepreneurship projects for Nike/Transworld/Keep-a-Breast.org.  Top surf phenoms, Carissa Moore, Coco Ho and Monyca Byrne-Wickey get their breasts cast for Keep-a-Breast.org –a non-profit whose mission eradicates breast cancer through youth outreach, prevention, early detection and support.

Nike Girls Get Their Breasts Done

Casting the breasts of surfing superstars with the Keep-A-Breast foundation.

To celebrate the release of Nike’s new chick flick, Leave A Message, TransWorld SURF teamed up with Keep A Breast Foundation to get the breasts of four of the film’s stars—Laura Enever, Carissa Moore, Coco Ho, and Monyca Byrne-Wickey—casted in plaster. Keep A Breast’s founder Shaney Jo Darden and her crew of casters have been making plaster casts of famous female breasts for years, and the list of breasts they’ve touched (casted) is incredible. In the surf world, Shaney and company have casted Lisa Andersen, Keala Kennelly, Stephanie Gilmore, Paige Hareb, Sofia Mulanovich, Lee Ann Curren, Claire Bevilacqua, and Megan Abubo, just to name a few. No one on Earth has touched more famous breasts than Keep A Breast, and thankfully, they’re putting all that breast touching and casting to good use. We asked Shaney Jo to give us a little bit more info about Keep A Breast and, more specifically, what it’s like to touch so many amazing breasts.

TransWorld SURF: How does casting breasts raise money and awareness for breast cancer?

Shaney Jo Darden: We sell these casts at galleries around the world to raise funds for our awareness and prevention programs. The breast casts are the foundation of KAB—they really harness the power of art to communicate complex feelings and thoughts about health, and ultimately about breast cancer. I think people want to purchase them because not only are they beautiful and painted by some of the leading artists of our generation, but they are painted on breasts! What a great way to support a good cause.

Were the Nike girls nervous to have their breasts done?

All the girls were so excited to be a part of Keep A Breast. They look up to a lot of the surfers in the industry and in Hawaii that have volunteered and become ambassadors for Keep A Breast. Carissa was a little shy at first, which is funny because she’s one the best and most famous surfers in the world. But once she met us and learned about the process she was excited to get involved.

The guys here at TransWorld SURF don’t have breasts, but we love them—how can I help Keep A Breast?

You do have breasts! Men get breast cancer, too. Also 20 percent of self-diagnosed cancers are found by the partner, so make sure to love your lady’s breasts too! Also, just by spreading the word on Keep A Breast, volunteering, and being our friend on Facebook.

To learn more about Keep A Breast and to get information about breast cancer testing, go to keep-a-breast.org.

Directed this “Glow” video from Donovan Frankenreiter —highly tuned surfer-musician, ambassador of good vibes.  All photos by perennial lens man, Brian Bielmann.

Download Donovan’s Glow album here.

Check out Brian’s photography here.

From Haiti With Love from M. Scott Mortensen on Vimeo.

Disaster Relief in Haiti.  Anti-human trafficking documentary in Thailand.  Sustainable development in Honduras.  Alternating lenses of beauty, awe, wonder, fear & hope.

Article:

The sunrise in Haiti was especially hot. Our team of 39 of doctors, nurses, EMTs, and humanitarians pitched our tents at the New Life Children’s home, an orphanage just a few minutes’ drive from the Port-au-Prince airport. The longtime director of the orphanage told me about the heartbreak of raising funds to educate the children, only to see the 7.0 earthquake that occurred on January 12 result in the cancellation of school for the year. The uniforms, books, buildings, and many of the teachers were gone.

As the saying goes, “With each sunrise we start anew.” How desperately that adage was needed here in post-quake Haiti. Fortunately, because my learning technologies degree is centered on concepts in philanthropy and social entrepreneurship, my professors allowed me to miss a week of schooling to join my church and use my skills as a videographer and paramedic to assist with crisis work such as distributing medical supplies and rebuilding. Just one month before the earthquake I had driven to Bakersfield in California to study one of my professor’s projects called Haitian Creations—an e-commerce site that empowers Haitian women by selling their handcrafted purses online. Now, unbelievably, here I was in Haiti taking my Action Research, part of my academic program, one step further.

The morning sun shed light on the magnitude of the horror. Though it was two weeks after the earthquake, devastation was everywhere. There were so many people who needed critical assistance. In the outlying communities we found patients with head trauma, broken bones, burns, lacerations, and severe infections. Many of the children were malnourished, dehydrated, and orphaned. The media footage of rioting and angry mobs that we watched before our departure was unseen once we were on the ground in Haiti. The reality was that everywhere our team went, whether we were dishing out prayer, medicine, or food, the communities responded with a heartfelt, “Merci.”

My goal in obtaining this degree is to research ways that we can harness technology to create a more compassionate society. The challenge in Haiti was an opportunity for me to make a difference. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed at the magnitude of the job and powerless to effect the change I envision. But, as Abraham Linclon once said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” With each new sunrise, my hope for a better tomorrow is renewed.

Brian Bielmann , renown surf photographer and close friend of Andy Irons asked me to collaborate on Andy’s memorial tribute.

Writer/director on this “official lyric video” for singer-songwriter, Ximena Sariñana.  What’s an official lyric video?  In these days of digital download a big chunk of fan experience is missing.  No gatefold covers to read the lyrics.

Relevant experience:

None of us are as strong as all of us.

I worked as a professional firefighter for five years.  Teamwork is the backbone of the fire service.   Whether you’re responding to life-threatening situations or embarking on a new creative venture, the power of collaboration is our greatest strength.

Video shot by Jesse Natale, as a project for Brooks Institute.