Isami Kiyooka is a 17-year-old photographer and graphic designer from North Vancouver, BC. He developed a love of snowboarding at a young age thanks to his dad and going to Grouse Mountain almost every day after school. However, picking up a magazine at 13 changed everything. Immediately hooked, he spent hours researching the various photos and designs in them. What he saw in the magazines quickly led to him mixing his own creative mind with the snowboard media he saw, eventually posting the results to social media under the name “lines”. His edited photos and videos of snowboarding in various styles gave him the chance to start working with some of his favourite snowboarders and companies at a young age, only being 14 when he worked for SilverStar Terrain Parks on a video commission. Working around photos eventually led him to pick up a camera of his own, doing photography ever since.
Snowboard Canada was the first magazine I read and the reason why my life is like this right now, so it’s absolutely amazing to be working for the company that started it all. And to be working at SBC with someone like Edwin, he’s been supporting me since the very start, some of the first photos I used to create on were his. He’s been lending me gear and teaching me the ropes for the past couple years, the photo in the cover you see is actually me shooting with one of his old lenses he gave me. – Isami Kiyooka
“There were many people available for this position and we all loved the energy and passion Isami showed. As well he has worked with our editor Edwin for several years and they have a great rapport. He may be young but his energy and love for photography and snowboarding made him stand apart. After many emails and a final Zoom interview, it was clear he was the best choice.” – Jay Mandarino
