Our #ThisFirst winners from around the world spent six weeks putting their passion first, documenting their trials, tribulations and triumphs of their journeys, learn more below about what each set out to do and see where they ended up.
CAROLINA PAZ
Muralist | Peru
An urban artist from Peru, Caro traveled to the Carapongo Valley in Chosica, which is about two hours from Lima, where she created a workshop for high school students that focuses on the empowerment of girls. Called “Poder Está Dentro de Mí” (I Have The Power in Me) and working in groups and in one-on-ones, the workshop used creativity, art and imagination to develop the girls’ confidence, trust, love, self esteem of themselves, all through the lens of super heroines.
FABIAN RUIZ
Street Performer | Costa Rica
A one-man band who plays a slide guitar made from a skateboard, Fabian, built himself a new skate slide guitar and augmented his one-man-band set up in advance for stateside debut at the #ThisFirst wrap party in Austin.
CANARUS LEON
Dancer | Houston, TX, USA
Once Canarus got a taste of B-boying there was no turning back, as a member of the crews, MZK and RAD, Canarus traveled the country in hopes of qualify for and competing in the Freestyle championships in a Los Angeles.
SARA BECKER
Artist | Philadelphia, PA, USA
A printmaker and illustrator who through her art is working to challenge the stigma of mental illness. Sara partook in the Printmaking National Exhibition in Kansas City and worked towards securing a membership to a print shop and getting reacquainted with the creative scene in her home town of Philadelphia since moving back from South Carolina.
JOANNA PAINTER
Artist | United Kingdom
A large format charcoal and pastel artist, Joanna began a new large format charcoal piece that captured the beauty of her local break, Holywell Bay in Cornwall, and combined her passions of art and ocean conservation. When completed, the piece will have taken her well over 100 hours.
ÁNGEL PÉREZ
Filmmaker | Spain
Having studied filmmaking, but not knowing where to start, Àngel invented a fictitious brand of horchata so that he could create commercials for the company. He began production on Horchata Perez Ortega – The Movie, a musical that will continue his Horchata... franchise.
ATSUSHI MIKI
Drummer | Japan
Mixing his love for the drums and all things percussion with Wadaiko, the traditional drum in Japan, Atsushi lugged his Wadaiko out to various spots in natural and man-made spots to inspire new recordings.
TYLAH KERR
Concert Promoter & Artist Manager | Melbourne, Australia
Tylah worded hard at to set up a show in Melbourne. She’s booked the venue, The Gasometer Hotel, and the bands, Hideous Sun Demon, Vacations, The Tiny Giants, Pseudo Mind Hive, Bloom, and Etienne Maneteli. Proceeds from the show, benefited the charity Make Life Skate Life, a non-profit organization creating community skateparks around the world, a cause that resonates with her dating back to a trip she took to Nepal when she was 16 years old.
BRANDON CLEMENTS
Podcaster & Journalist | Houston, TX, USA
Realizing he was meant to be facilitating conversations, Brandon is stopping at nothing to build his podcast and other journalistic endeavors. With the realization of the opportunity #ThisFirst presented to him, Brandon began work on a new podcast called In Transit.
CHEN YU CHING
Volunteer | Taiwan
Passionate about helping those in need, Chen is working to help revitalize schools, mentor young leaders and dreams of one day starting her own organization to foster volunteer work. Next stop India.
ROBERT WALL
Cliff Jumper | Burney, CA, USA
A drone piloting freestyle cliff jumping adventure seeker from Northern CA, looking to legitimize the sport by bringing greater awareness to people pioneering the sport. Robert traveled all over the western United States as well as to Greece to spread his love for cliff jumping.
TIM BRIGGS
Photographer | Boston, MA, USA
A underwater and conservation photographer who wants to bring greater awareness to the issues facing the Earth’s oceans, lakes and waterways. Tim traveled to La Paz in Baja, Mexico to work with the Environmental Defense Fund to study a local population of sea lions as well as the local fishing industry to introduce sustainable fishing techniques to reduce by-catch.
STEFFEN TÜRMER
Photographer | Germany
A mechanical engineering student with a passion for bicycling and analog photography, Steffen biked from Germany all the way to France to the Atlantic ocean documenting the trip using expired film.
SIMÓN SEPÚLVEDA
Designer | Chile
Simón is tackling social issues through his artwork and exploring the plight of the Haitian migrants in his home country of Chile, who are in search of a better life as they flee from their ravaged country.
