Ending High School is usually met with what feels like the entire world asking “What do you want to do next?”. Meeting career guidance counsellors and having the awkward check in of how your grades are looking, parents telling you how you need a degree and to plan that out now at 16… Friends chatter about how we collectively have no clue!
Unless of course you’re Isami Kiyooka.
Then you know exactly what you want and already have a very well-equipped Check List that over exceeds what any guidance counsellor could ever predict.
The now-21 yr old prodigy who hails from the base of Vancouver’s own Grouse Mountain, Isami frequented the resort from a young age gravitating towards the more adventurous terrain park and the riders that graced it. Which quickly turned to following snowboarding deeper through his cameras view finder.
This sped fast talent and ultimate goal hungry kid from North Van has now become one of the most formidable names in the action sports world.
From humble beginnings to taking on some of the most legendary stages and capturing the world’s best. With a style and creativity that took social media by storm surrounding this year’s Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, and Isami has not stopped there.
In between travelling the world working for brands such as Monster, Arc’teryx and The North Face and creating jaw dropping art and capturing the authenticity of Snowboarding, he took a moment to catch us up on his checklist, the origins of where they began and how they’ve taken him so far, so fast.
Chris: Isami, Pleasure as always! So good seeing where your career has gone from us both sharing Grouse (Mtn) Park together and trips in our early days.
When did the check list start?
Isami: Where that checklist started? Man, I’ve always had a checklist and it always grows and changes. It was probably when I was at the boardroom. I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford schooling after high school. And I knew I always wanted to be a full time photographer. So I started looking at it.
C: Did it always start as something as high level?
I: No the earlier ones when i was 17/18 I had a list of like get a cover shot, get a print shot with McDoogs (Jack McDougall) etc.
C: Some solid early goals there!
I: Yeah and then I did my first trip to style experience in Edmonton and really started to think where do i want to take this.
My mom got sick with cancer in the fall of 2023 and we knew we didn’t have too much time left with her and it flipped a switch were I really started to hone in and minimize the list to a more defined and intentional goals.
C: Was your mom always a believer of where you’d take this?
I: She was always supportive, I don’t think she fully understood it but the definition of unconditional support was who she was.
She never made me feel bad for not pursuing further schooling. Actually she would let me skip school to go shoot up at grouse! Haha.
She knew I was heading towards a creative life and just gave me everything I needed to go for that.
She was very entrepreneurial and if she didn’t understand the career, she understood the importance of following that life.
C: The support of a mom is unmatched and I’m sure she is always deeply in your corner.
With the switch being flipped and the goals honed, where did that then lead you next?
I: So I looked at DIYX with wanting to work with Monster, It was my first Europe trip and was so sick! Unfortunately we lost my mom in the Dec and I just got super focused, mostly to keep myself busy whilst dealing with that.
Grateful to have the creative outlet for that.
C: Man, thats a tough one to get through, having the goals to push on for sure shows where your focus went.
Looking at the check list, did the Olympics ever feel real when it happened?
I: Honestly, I feel I only told like 2 or 3 people about that goal with it being so wildly out there and never expected it would be on the next season cycle. It was surreal actually having that line up and happen! Still held my breath until I got to my hotel room in Milano! Just felt like it wasn’t going to happen even on the plane! Like this can’t be real. Had to pinch myself in the hotel room!
C: Wild to see the progression from grouse to the Olympics!
Now these top goals are made and I know you keep them close to your chest.
Is there anything you want to put into the universe now for a future goal?
Yeah, I guess for me I want to do more teaching and workshops. I worked with Canon this summer and some online workshops with Db. It was super fun and fulfilling.
Sharing and spreading the knowledge is for sure where I want to head to next.
C: Excited to see where all this takes you and how it inspires the next generation of photographers and creators.
Always ever growing goals and progression taking Isami around the world, capturing and sharing his interactions through his creative outlets will for sure keep him on our screens and pages for many moons to come!
