Coast 2 Coast was established in 2014 when Nicolás Landa Tami, a cinematographer from Lima, Peru, and Emi Koch, a free surfer from San Diego, California met in Lobitos, Peru.
Emi started the nonprofit, Beyond the Surface International, as a network of surfing for youth empowerment programs, offering virtual and on-the-ground support to organizations around the world. Through the Lobitos Cinema Project and his various projects, Nico facilitated audiovisual workshops for indigenous communities to share their stories through their own documentaries and photo series.
Inspired by each other's passions, Nico and Emi began traveling the coastlines together, facilitating surfing and storytelling workshops in small-scale fishing villages around the world. Upon witnessing the ocean's collapse and climate change's impacts on the communities and listening to their experiences, Emi and Nico created Coast 2 Coast as a platform for vulnerable, small-scale fishing communities to celebrate their existence and share with the outside world about the unprecedented social and ecological challenges they are facing on a daily basis.
APPROACH
A LIQUID FUTURE
ALF is a non-profit organization using creativity and the ocean to engage isolated coastal communities affected by tourism to take sustainable action in a local and global context.
Morotai Island, North Maluku, Indonesia
BODHI SURF + YOGA
Bodhi Surf + Yoga camps are week-long experiential learning vacations. Surfing, yoga, and community and nature immersion are the activities we use to facilitate memorable learning experiences for our guests.
Bahía Ballena, Uvita, Costa Rica
FUNDACIÓN SINUMAR
Started by the daughter of a local fisherman, Fundación Sinumar champions local youth by providing them with opportunities to grow through embracing their own creativity and unique abilities.
San Bernardo del Viento, Colombia
GIVE & SURF
Give & Surf is an nonprofit providing substantive, hands-on, real world assistance and programs to community members living in remote communities along the coastlines.
Bocas del Toro, Panama
HRIDAYA YOGA CENTER
The Hridaya Yoga Center offers daily meditations, drop-in classes, Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreats, month-long yoga courses, workshops, and an annual Teacher Training Course.
Mazunte, Oaxaca, Mexico
LOBITOS CINEMA PROJECT
LCP is a intercultural audiovisual platform to promote the culture heritage and human rights of local Lobitanos through their own stories.
Lobitos, Peru
SEBASTIAN INDIAN SOCIAL PROJECT
SISP is a nonprofit, charitable organization working to improve the standards of living among the financially and socially disadvantaged sections of the fishing societies in India.
Kovalam, Kerala, India
THE SHAKA SURF CLUB
The Shaka Surf Club began as a way to share the stoke of surfing, promote the sport and cultivating the surfing culture in India.
Kodi Bengre, Karnataka, India
TRIVANDRUM SOCIAL SERVICE SOCIETY
TSSS is the nodal organization of Trivandrum Archdiocese to implement social action programs for the empowerment and development of people irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
WAVES LOBITOS
WAVES inspires world travel and cultural exchange through surf experiences, while collaboratively building a network of partnerships that connect travelers, community members and grassroots initiatives.
Lobitos, Peru
ROSEMARIE LERNER ~ ADVISOR
A Peruvian documentary marker and co-founder of Quipu Project, Ros's interests are in new media technologies to tell stories for social-political impact.
Lima, Peru
TITO BOBBIO ~ ARTIST
Tito is an artist from Lima, Peru who explores nature in many of its dimensions in his artworks. He also enjoys riding waves and butter.
Lima, Peru
MARCO BOBBIO ~ PRODUCER
Marco is a surfer and producer from Lima, Peru who connects us with socially-minded companies from South America to support our workshops.
Lima, Peru