- Story by Chelsea Foreman

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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Rupert Walker is unintentionally cool. The 30-year-old action sports documentary maker speaks quickly, answering my questions with a depth of detail and fever that reveals his passion for his work.

I scribble notes furiously trying to capture his words. He catches me off guard when he describes the lack of deliberateness that found him turning a high school hobby into a wildly successful career. But then again, Rupert Walker is full of surprises.

Rupert was born in Vancouver. His dad害羞草研究所檚 career moved the family to various regions of the province and it was when the Walkers settled down in Kimberley on a ski hill that Rupert began honing his skills as an action sports documentary maker.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of my friends were pursuing careers as professional athletes. I would film us skiing and snowboarding. We just wanted to see the tricks we were doing; it wasn害羞草研究所檛 anything to do with trying to get a job in film or trying to pursue a career in that. It was purely just because we were excited to see what we were doing,害羞草研究所� Rupert says, recalling his first introduction to filming.

Upon graduating high school, Rupert went to business school and his filming hobby went on a hiatus. Rupert credits business school as being a strong foundation and he has no regrets about choosing the educational avenue over film school.

害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 need a professor to tell me how to be creative, or how to use a camera. Being creative is so subjective; using a camera is so subjective. There害羞草研究所檚 no one right answer. I know how to use a camera and be creative, and I know how to make the art and the content I want 害羞草研究所� but at the time I didn害羞草研究所檛 know how to run a business. I didn害羞草研究所檛 know the language of accounting and project management, and being a business owner. It was a good way for me to be exposed to the language of business,害羞草研究所� says Rupert.

After attending business school Rupert 害羞草研究所� who spent much of his youth mountain biking in the Kootenay Mountains 害羞草研究所� moved to Victoria and met a new group of friends who were semi-professional mountain bikers.

害羞草研究所淚 started filming again, the same as before, only this time I was older. We害羞草研究所檇 be riding and jumping and I害羞草研究所檇 be filming totally for fun, because again, we wanted to look at what we were doing to try and figure out how we could become better athletes,害羞草研究所� Rupert explains.

He soon found himself entrenched in his old hobby. He began to spend time on editing, which he describes as a nostalgic process that helped him rediscover his love for creating films. He would contact his friends害羞草研究所� sponsors and trade videos of them for a bike part, or a small amount of cash. But Rupert never expected his hobby could transform into a notable career.

害羞草研究所淔rom there, I got really passionate about it. I didn害羞草研究所檛 know what I wanted to do with my life and at that point, I didn害羞草研究所檛 think filming action sports could turn into any kind of a career,害羞草研究所� notes Rupert.

But he began creating video content every week, using social media and websites including Pinkbike (a major action sports video website) to share his work. He quickly developed a large online audience and was picked up by an action sports media company in Los Angeles, where he worked for a year. Struggling with the lack of creative freedom he had at a desk job, Rupert returned to Victoria and launched his own company, Revel Co., with his good friend and professional mountain biker, Brandon Semenuk.

害羞草研究所淲e decided to start our own business making the best mountain bike content that we possibly could. We started because we were tired of making content for other people without being able to be totally creative with and in complete control with what we were creating.害羞草研究所�

Rupert and Brandon害羞草研究所檚 intention with Revel Co. was to focus on making the best, most creative videos, with a style of shooting and creativity influenced by no one but themselves,

害羞草研究所淣o one gets a say in what we create except us 害羞草研究所� even if it害羞草研究所檚 a client job. That害羞草研究所檚 our rule, and that害羞草研究所檚 how they turn out best,害羞草研究所� Rupert says.

After building Revel Co. over two years ago, Brandon and Rupert now have an impressive clientele including Subaru Canada and Red Bull. Rupert films internationally, but is always happy to return home to Victoria to his girlfriend Berkley and their two Persian cats Digit and Sumo.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of time when you hear action sports you don害羞草研究所檛 think 害羞草研究所榯his could be a really beautiful cinematic video.害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 a unique way to approach it 害羞草研究所� creating something that looks amazing and isn害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所榦ut there,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 says Rupert.

Rupert doesn害羞草研究所檛 know exactly what害羞草研究所檚 in store for him next but he害羞草研究所檚 looking forward to continuing to grow his business.

I get the feeling that so long as he keeps creating for himself, success will be inevitable. For a man whose life has been defined by the unexpected, watching Rupert make his next move may be just as exhilarating as watching the documentaries he makes.