Traveling is a gift. It’s a privilege. It opens minds to new ideas, cultures, and forms invaluably friendships that would otherwise not be introduced. Above all, traveling has given surfers the ability to experience, if only for a brief moment, incredible waves that are normally only accessible on the pages and covers of magazines. Unfortunately, this luxury is not accessible to everyone. While visiting a rural town in Nicaragua, a Canadian filmmaker named JP Veillet wondered what it would be like to have the tourist-local relationship turned upside-down.
With the help from his team, JP is setting out to make a documentary about the personal transcendence of two avid Nicaraguan surfers, Kevin Cortez and Jackson Obando, as they trek north to the frigid corner of British Colombia, Canada.
Jackson (left) and Kevin (right) try on a wetsuit for the very first time in their hot and humid home of Gigante, Nicaragua.
A large part of what will make Frio so interesting is witnessing the difficulties and struggles associated with taking these boys out of their comfort zone. Taking them away from the warm sandy beaches of Nicaragua and replacing their boardshorts with five millimeters of rubber will be interesting, to say the very least. Above all, putting these boys on a plane for the very first time and witnessing the radical cultural shift in urban Canada will prove to be priceless.
Sounds radical, right? Unfortunately, producing a film of this magnitude is going to require a handsome chunk of change. Visas, accommodation, food, plane tickets… it all adds up, not to mention filming next to the ocean is not very kind on camera gear. That’s where YOU come in.
In order to make Frio possible, JP and the team are asking for your help. They have made a Kickstarter to help cover some of the costs of making Kevin and Jackson’s dreams come true. Also, contributing to the film offers dozens of perks, including digital and hard copies of the film, shirts, hats, board bags, wallets, and you’ll even have the opportunity to visit and surf with Kevin and Jackson in their hometown of Gigante, Nicaragua. Above all, by donating you’re not only making the execution of a unique film achievable, but you’re also contributing to invaluable life lessons Kevin and Jackson will take home with them upon returning to Nicaragua.
Learn more about the film and make a donation, big or small, by visiting Frio’s Kickstarter page!
