FOOTPRINTS JOURNAL

The cause documentary short film follows surfers who pooled their resources and started a one day surf clinic for a group of orphaned children from San Jose, Costa Rica. Seven years later volunteer and professional surfers now travel annually from around the United States and Costa Rica for the one day event called the Pura Vida No Pro (PVNP). Since the inception of the event the organizers have purchased a building and established a transitional home for orphaned teenage boys.

The documentary project includes a DVD and a book. The book is presented as a photo-journal, mixing the photos of professional photographers with the photos of the children, who were given disposable waterproof cameras and asked to take photos of their favorite moments. Proceeds from the sales of both the DVD and book are donated to provide additional financial support to the Hospico de Huerfanos orphanage in San Jose, Costa Rica. CreateSpace (an Amazon.com company) donated the first printing of the books to help the cause.

The filmmakers and sponsors aimed to create a media project that would highlight the ability of cause-related travel to inspire and change lives. “My first trip to the Pura Vida No Pro was a life changing experience,” says PVNP Media Director Tim McManus. McManus, a long-time traveling surfer, has been involved with the event for five years. He decided to take on the challenge of creating a media project in the hope of inspiring other surfers to reach out to local communities when they travel. McManus says nearly two dozen local Charleston surfers now make the trip to Costa Rica each year to volunteer and that they have developed a special relationship with the local Costa Rican community and the children with whom they work year after year. “It has really been amazing to see how the involvement of the Charleston surf community has organically grown over the years”, he says “what we get as volunteers is just way beyond anything we could get from a standard surf trip.”

The Entrepreneurial Project:
One of the things born from the event is a joint entrepreneurial project with the Quiksilver Foundation. Each year Quiksilver creates original T-shirts featuring the artwork of the children from the orphanage. “It really gives the kids a sense that they can create something of value and that people are there to help them,” adds McManus. Quiksilver Foundation Executive Director Kathie Armstrong will be traveling to South Carolina for the event and agrees that projects like this are a responsibility of the surf community. “It has truly been rewarding to watch this event develop these past few years and know that we have played a small role in positively influencing the lives of neglected children,” says Armstrong. “Each year we anticipate seeing the artwork from the kids that we will transfer onto Quiksilver T-shirts to be sold as a fundraising tool, while empowering the children. We are honored to be associated with this book and documentary project. It is our hope that by helping to tell this story, we can spark another group of board riders to reach out and make a difference.” In addition to Quiksilver, Nalgene Outdoor Products is also a sponsor of the media project. “Nalgene is an industry leader in the support of responsible adventure travel and we are very happy to have them supporting our project,” adds McManus.