The Arctic Ocean is the only ocean that has never been rowed across. August 28th, 2012, a team of four young explorers completed an unsupported, non-stop, record-setting voyage in one of the exploration world’s last great firsts.

After 40 days and 1000 miles, Collin West, Neal Mueller, Paul Ridley & Scott Mortensen powered their way along a dangerous section of the fabled Northwest Passage.  Their “survival story for the ages” was also an attempt to understand climate change in the Arctic region. The forthcoming film, Into Thin Ice will detail the harrowing experience of a team bent on pioneering exploration.

My specialty involves adventure filmmaking expeditions from the seas to the summits.  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 any project that involves challenge, change & teamwork.

Mt. Everest, 2008: With the Chinese government closing the mountain via armed “snipers” and two harrowing rescues in the Death Zone, this was certainly an adventure to write home about.

I have enduring 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.

*Side note: Many years ago, I had the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama and learn firsthand about the struggle for Tibetan self-determination. Speaking out on this issue was also a big part of my climb.

Photography: Scott Mortensen

Commercials for clients include television, radio, print, billboards and shareable digital content. I work with a couple of brilliant creative directors, Hal Maynard and Sandy P. Jones. Here is some of our collective work:

Disaster Relief in Haiti.  Anti-human trafficking in Thailand.  Social entrepreneurship in Honduras. One thing I’ve learned in my years working with 501(c)(3) organizations is that charity alone cannot resolve massive global problems like poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. This is why I’m a big fan of the social entrepreneurship framework. Generous donations may alleviate suffering but they rarely alter the underlying crisis.  To create lasting social value society needs to replace good intentions with good ideas that spur systemic change. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Sometimes it feels like a drop in a bucket but trying to make a lasting difference is always rewarding. Here’s some projects I’ve worked on that help me focus my creativity on being an agent of change:

DISASTER RELIEF, HAITI:

January, 2010: 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.

AUTISM AWARENESS: HAWAII:

When two surfing legends learned that their friend, famed underwater cinematographer Don King (RIDING GIANTS; LORDS OF DOGTOWN), was making a film to heighten awareness of autism, they pledged to help in a manner both memorable and unique. As recounted in this documentary by King, Laird Hamilton raised funds by embarking on a grueling bike and paddleboard journey from London to Paris, and later, joined by Dave Kalama, he undertook a paddle and pedal journey of more than 500 miles across the Hawaiian Island chain.”

PANDYTOWN YOUTH CENTER, HONDURAS:

Economically, it’s a tough time for grassroots philanthropy.  But sustainable community development doesn’t happen overnight. That’s why I’m proud to have worked with Pastor Hank Stanley on Roatan for over a decade. Our collaboration seeks to equip at-risk youth, empower local women, protect the environment and expand social services on the Bay Islands of Honduras.

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THAILAND:

Visiting Thailand on behalf of Heart Ventures was a transformative experience. Afterwards, my good friend Matt Elam and I rode our bicycles across the USA to raise awareness and funds for an orphanage in Chiang Rai. The orphanage, called the House of Miracles, rescues children from poverty, drugs, and child prostitution. Below is an introspective video I posted on the subject.

Current project, full-length feature script for mainstream, theatrical distribution.

Director surf unit on PERFECT WAVE, trailer above.

• Writer/Director 35mm indie feature, Beautiful Americans.
• Writer/Director The TarZen Diet, in progress
• WATER MAN, Best Cinematography at the Surfer Poll Awards (Dir. Don King, Sonny Miller, Jeff Hornbaker).

The Changers “Dream wedding” for Jessica Jimenez, an inspiring human being who was battling Stage IV Breast Cancer.

These images show adventure-philanthropy in Hawaii, humanitarian work in Russia, sustainable development in Honduras, summitting Mt. Everest, a trip up Kilimanjaro and disaster relief in Haiti.

Keeping a ‘breath of life’ philosophy in mind, I also like to shoot underwater.

[Show as slideshow]

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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.

“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.

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

Conk from Roatan from M. Scott Mortensen on Vimeo.

Getting learning technologies in the hands of youth in far away places is important. Here at the site of the Pandytown Youth Center, Roatan, Honduras we do just that. Patrick “Conk” Busch from Roatan spills his words of wisdom as we get the kids involved. 

Most recent “official lyric video” for singer-songwriter, Ximena Sariñana.

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.