About Me
Filmmaker, Surfer, Pro Skateboarder, Coach, Skateboard Pioneer, son of Aaron & Betty Walker, father of son Jason and daughter Courtney. Married to Stephanie Gibbs Walker. Sponsors: Soul Trip, Volcom, Reef, Ocean Avenue, Sector Nine, The 187, Anarchy. In 2002 Inducted into:
East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame * Thrasher Magazine Skateboarding Hall of Fame * Florida Skateboarding Hall of Fame. Coached USA National Surf Team to Seven World Titles from 1986 thru 1989 and 1992 thru 1998. These include Two World Team Titles (England 1986 & Huntington Beach 1996), Two World Junior Men's Titles (Chris Brown, Puerto Rico 1988 & Ben Bourgeois, Huntington Beach 1996), World Men's Title (Taylor Knox, Huntington Beach 1996), World Longboard Title (Geoff Moysa, Huntington Beach 1996), World Bodyboarding Title (Chris Cunningham, Puerto Rico 1988). The IOC Presidents Cup Trophy presented to the USA Team for the 1996 World Surfing Games Team victory was the first time in surfing history that the winning trophy contained the official Olympic Rings. Also coached US team to numerous 1st Place Team & Individual victories in other ISA International events such as the Caribbean Cup, Pan American Championships, and Pacific Cup/Australia. Special thanks to Kevin Grondin and Sean Slater, among others, for helping me coach these teams so many times. Coached numerous high profile pro surfers during their final years as top amateur competitors. My job was to provide these amateurs with international, results-driven experience and to prepare, guide, and enable them to maximize their final amateur years while preparing for their transition into professional surfing. As they each turned pro, I would then turn my attention back to the next generation coming up thru the amateur ranks. As of 2006, these "amateur" surfers have gone on as professional athletes to win no less than 18 World Pro Surfing Titles (so far)and includes: Kelly Slater (8), Lisa Anderson (4), Cori Schumacher (2), Daize Shayne (2), Kim Hamrock (1), and C.J. Hobgood (1). Other World Tour standouts I've coached include Damien Hobgood, Cory Lopez, Taylor Knox, Shane Beschen, Shea Lopez, Ben Bourgeois, Bryan Hewitson, Peter Mendia, Jeff Booth, Kaipo Jaquias, Falina Spires, Gavin Beschen, Jodie Nelson, Donnie Solomon, Peter Mel, Dino Andino, Gabe Kling, Kyle Garsen, Mike Todd, and others, including bodyboarders like Brian Wise, Ross McBride and Jay Reale. Currently, I'm coaching Karina Petroni as she's now transitioning into her new pro surfing career. Co-Founder in 1972 of Ocean Avenue Surfboards and Walker Skateboards (originally known as Fox Surf Shop) along with partners Lewis Graves & my main mentor, Ted James. Coached prominent OA team surfers like Matt Kechele, Greg Mungall, Jeff & Glenn Klugel, Bill Hartley, Greg Loehr, Regis Jupinko, Jacky Grayson, Scott & Danny Miller, Tim Briers, David Speir, Darrell Jones, Steve Moldenhauer, Jesse Fernandez, Greg Taylor and many, many others. Sold the company in 2005 after (33) very interesting years. Currently, owner of Bruce Walker Films and co-founder of Soul Trip (www.soultrip.us). In skateboarding I coached Rodney Mullen as he rode for my Walker Skateboard Team from 1978 to 1980. Rodney is generally considered the best technical skateboarder in the history of the sport, winning numerous World Titles (I lost count after 10). He also invented a large portion of the tricks still being used by most pros today. Other prominent skateboarders I've coached extensively include Walker Team skaters Jim McCall, Reggie Barnes, Shawn Peddie, Chris Baucom, Mark Lake, Yoyo Shulz, Blaize Blouin, Mark Partain, Buck Smith, Bob Umbel, Bill Robertson, Joe Humeres, Robert Rodriques, Paul Schneider, Tim Morris, Robbie Weir, Michael Gutierrez, Jason Brown, Hans Smit, Roberto "Boly" Cortes, Chuck Dinkins, Kelly Lynn, Greg Meischeid and many, many more. Incidently, Hans Smit won the 2006 World Open Amateur Freestyle Title in England. In the same contest, Yoyo Shulz won the 2006 World Title in 360 Spins. These guys are both family men with children but they still ride skateboards and they're still very effective competitors. These are the kind of results I expect though, so Congratulations you guys, but I'm not exactly surprised. October 13, 2006 Kelly Slater nailed down his 8th World Pro Surfing title in Mundaka, Spain. For 2007, Gabe Kling earned a hard-fought WQS entry into the coveted ASP WCT World Tour as one of 2007's new Top 44. Great surfing, Gabe. Soul Trip's Kelly Lynn just won the gnarly Downhill Speed Run through the snake at the Kona USA 30-Year Reunion Event and pocketed a fat check for his efforts. Another of several prime examples of effective Pro skateboarding by skaters over age 40. In Summer 2007 Gabe Kling won the WQS event in Japan, vaulting him to 11th place on the 2007 WQS Tour. Ben Bourgeois placed 2nd behind Gabe in Japan and then backed it up the following week at Fistral Beach, Newquay, England by WINNING his first 6-Star WQS Final. Ben jumped to 4th in the WQS 2007 rankings and ended the year in 8th place, securing him a spot on the 2008 World Championship Tour (Top 44) for the second time in his pro career. In November, Karina Petroni kicked ass in Hawaii at Haliewa, placing 3rd in big waves at the last 6-Star WQS of 2007, securing her a solid spot on the 2008 Women's World Championship Tour (Top 17). This will be Karina's rookie year on the Womens WCT. Gabe Kling finished the 2007 WCT outside of the required top 27 finish & thus did not re-qualify for 2008. Gabe's 2007 WQS finish was (2) places short of requalifying for the WCT thru the WQS, thus Gabe will have to re-apply his efforts on the WQS for 2008. Gabe is currently 3rd in line for any open slots that may become available on the 2008 WCT. Cory Lopez missed the top 27 cutoff in the WCT as well, & so both he and brother Shea Lopez will be joining Gabe on the 2008 WQS tour. Kelly Slater, CJ Hobgood, Damien Hobgood and Taylor Knox all finished the 2007 Mens WCT in the Top 16.
