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SALT LAKE CITY — Living in Utah, quick access to the fresh air and the mountains can be easy to take for granted.
For Vic Rowberry, being outside is simply a way of life. "When I was a boy, I was a Scout," he said.
For many, that's where it stops — but not for Rowberry. He spent nearly 40 years working for the Boy Scouts. "Went to camp, loved it there, worked on camp staff, and later went back and was a camp director," he said. "I kind of felt a calling when I was about 18 that I wanted to work with youth."
But now, facing retirement, Rowberry was reluctant to give it up. So, he took his skills to the masses. "We decided to do a basic canoeing video," said Rowberry. "We put it out there and it had 60,000 views and we thought, 'OK, let's get going and do some more.'"
He started his own YouTube channel called "OSME," or "Outdoor Skills Made Easy."
He even has his own website up and running. Although being on camera has turned teacher into student, Rowberry knew he had something to offer.
"I found that there are a lot of people that just don't have those skills, and it seems basic to me because I've been doing that all my life," he said. "But there's skills that are basic that a lot of people just don't know and want to know."
His videos cover everything from first aid to canoeing techniques, all the way to cooking peach cobbler in a Dutch oven. Of course, Rowberry couldn't do all of this alone. He brought in a guy named Tim, who's a legitimate Hollywood producer.
"He's got a real passion and a talent for running the camera and doing the editing," said Rowberry. "And he's worked on some great programs for History Channel and HGTV, and a few different things."
Tim recognized the importance of what Rowberry's trying to do.
"If we can make your first time going out of doors easier, then we've met our goal," he said.
But how was a guy from Utah that was trying to start a Youtube channel from the ground up able to recruit an actual producer to help him?
"My dad's amazing, he's always been amazing at teaching," said Tim.
It helps when the producer's your son.
"He's an Eagle Scout also," Vic Rowberry added with a smile.
To both Rowberrys, it all boils down to one thing: planting a seed.
"Maybe a lot of kids that are growing up and are thinking maybe now's the time to get into the outdoors," said Vic Rowberry.
And maybe, just maybe, reaching those children, like a father to a son.
"Kids who live in the city who might not have a father figure, and he can be the Internet's dad," said Tim Rowberry. "I love that. I love that idea."
