Bruce Cook inspires film maker

Despite a complete spinal injury, Kelowna's Bruce Cook is willing to take on any challenge.

He now sits in a wheel chair following a failed world first double front flip attempt on his dirt bike back in January, but he remains optimistic and is determined to ride again.

Recently the motocross rider was approached by local film maker Carey Missler to be in a scene for his up coming production The Paddler Movie and Cook didn’t hesitate. He was up to trying wake surfing despite his physical disadvantage.

“I’ve basically grown up on the water, around the water, in water, so just being back around it and in it, it is awesome. I mean it’s what I’ve done all my life,” says Cook.

Missler says he knew that when he asked Cook to be part of the film and wake surf, the Joe Rich resident would be up for the challenge.

“I’ve seen the guy do everything, from double front flips on his snowboard to his motorbike,” explains Missler. “I just asked him if he wanted to come out surfing, and sure enough we were out he was surfing 10 minutes after we grabbed him.”

The Paddler Movie 2014 follows Kelowna native Bob Purdy and his attempt to change the way we live on the planet by paddling everyday, despite harsh weather conditions.

Purdy had never met Cook before, but was inspired by the motocross rider’s ambition and knew that this kind of drive would be fundamental to the film.

“We weren’t sure how he would adapt to (surfing) it, being a paraplegic, but just loading onto the boat and watching him transfer onto the boat, he does it himself. He is kind of stubborn that way,” laughs Purdy.

“He is a very determined young man, and there is not much that is going to stop him in life. To go through an accident like what he went through, and recover from it the way he has, (it’s inspiring),” the paddler says. “He is a person we really should be listening to, he captures the spirit of people with those types of challenges.”

Missler teamed up with Surf Kelowna to take Cook out onto Kalamalka Lake this past Saturday. Surf Kelowna is a local father son team who were highlighted in Missler’s previous film The Canadian Surfer movie.

“They are good teachers and they are good at what they do,” says Missler of the Vaughan’s who own Surf Kelowna. “But, honestly Bruce didn’t need teaching, he just got on the board we gave him a few pointers, he went at it and he was just amazing.”

Cook had wake surfed in the past, before his accident several months ago.

Missler and Purdy still have one more scene to shoot for The Paddler Movie 2014, which is to be released this December, but the two are looking for financial assistance to complete the film.

“Our Kickstarter campaign in rolling along, I think we are more than half way to our $9,000 target, so we are still needing some help in the financial department to bring this movie to completion,” says Purdy.

Check out The Paddler Movie on Facebook for more information on the film, the Kickstarter campaign and to see more photos of Cook taking to the waters of Kalmalka Lake.

Photo: Contributed - Carey Missler