Jake Hershey, age 21, has been riding almost since the beginning of our sport. He has always been a positive presence on the scene. He started announcing events a couple years ago, and today is the official announcer for the Razor Global Domination Tour competitions. I hit up Jake with a few questions to learn more about him and his announcing career.
Jordan Jasa: Lets start at the beginning. When did you start riding?
Jake Hershey: Sheesh! I started riding back in 2002 around the time the A2 square deck was introduced and there were really only a few riders in my area like Jesse Macaluso and Chris Bartnicki.
When did you first start going to competitions? Did announcing seem like something you wanted to do?
The first competition I went to was actually the first east coast contest in the US and that was in 2006 at The Incline Club. Seeing as I lived down the street it was a must. I had Jon Reyes and Sanchez staying at my house. Terry Price and dudes I looked up to were all there and it was insane!
So then what was your first announcing gig, and how did that happen?
I am pretty sure the first contest I announced was back in 2010 in Newport, Delaware at the ECX Spring contest? I may be wrong, but I think I am right (Collin DaSilva helped me with that one). The owner of ECX, Mike Lashbrook, was doing the announcing and asked me if I wanted to help him out with it. I said yes and afterwards I got LOADS of compliments from riders, parents, friends, etc.
Can you explain your relationship with the Razor Global Domination Tour? You seem to be at every stop doing announcing yeah?Oh yeah ;) Last year I did the announcing for their stop at Rye Airfield in New Hampshire which was super tight! Then after hearing me there they did some talking and asked me to come to every event and be their official announcer! This was crazy for me and a huge step in my career!
Do you take notes from announcers in other sports? Are you trying to be our Sal Masekela?
HA! Funny you say that. I was at X Games this year with Razor doing demos and took note of the announcer for skateboarding. I found his contact info and shot him an email. To my surprise I woke up with an email back from him. Told me how he came about to where he is today and stuff like that. Really chill and inspiring.
What are some of your future goals/plans?
Well, my major goal is to make announcing my full time career cause I am tired of working at pizzerias and other types of stuff :P but in all seriousness I have a few things planned, may not be for a little while, but its in the works currently. And that is the Jake Hershey's contest series. When I have more info I'll let everyone know! As for short term goals, I definitely want to hop on tour with a company/team and announce for them at each stop. Almost like Catfish would do for Props BMX.How can people reach you to announce their event?
They can reach me at anytime at my email scootmaster13@gmail.com !! I would give out my phone number but you know those hooligans these days will prank call me! :P
Any last words/thanks/shoutouts?
HUGE shout out to Tee Tirado over at Spoil'd Bratt Skateshop for everything she has ever helped me out with, as well as my sponsors Elyts, 841, AO, Magray Scooter Co, and SoloChristo Ministries. As well as a huge thanks to Inside-Scooters for hooking me up big time! <3 p="p">
www,facebook.com/jakehersheyannouncer
ReplyDeleteall about the money nothing else
ReplyDeletethis kid got an interview on IS????
ReplyDeleteHes just in this shit for money. He doesbt care about the sport
If you read the interview, I actually care about the sport more than a lot of people, which is why I believe its crucial that we have somebody like myself at every major competition, representing the sport, as well as calling out the tricks as they are not as "ooo he did a lot of whips, that was a pretty cool flair." No thats not what its about, its about getting a crowd excited. I am good at this. Not being conceited, just what people have told me. Wouldn't you guys wanna get paid for what you are good at? Especially since when on trips for contest I lose days at work and have BILLS to pay, because my parents don't pay for everything. I have to work. This is my job. Thank you for all of my supporters. And to all the haters, keep hating. Its provocative. Gets the people going!!
DeleteYoure a joke.....
DeleteAnd you are anonymous :) <3
DeleteHe's been here since the fucking beginning, how does he not care about the sport?
Delete<3 you Jason
DeleteAnd just a quick addition, do you guys think Sal Masakela does his commentating for free? I don't think so :)
ReplyDeleteYoure not Selema Mabena Masakela.. Youre Jake Hershey. And you announce in the sport of scootering.
DeleteYou can relate yourself more to a Yoyo competition announcer. Youre on that level dude.
Yeah, pretty sure Jake knows he's not Sal?
DeleteSo you just compared our sport to Yoyoing? You're just confusing me now lol.
And aren't we trying to get the sport to that level? Or do you just want to be underground forever? I love scootering more than anything. I choose riding over anything. I've been doing it 10 years. And I just want to see it grow. And the people who have hired me, I never asked for money once, they chose to pay me. I'm not in it to be rich and famous. I'm in it because its what I love to do.
DeleteI rode with Jake this afternoon in 90+ degree temp, 90%+ humidity and he drove and HOUR just to meet me and shred for a little bit. I've known this guy since almost when I started riding, he's been around longer than 95% of the people here also. We learned double whips flat in like 02 at incline. I cannot vouch more for this guy that he is legit and loves our sport.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note: if you knew what he got paid right now when he DOES announce you wouldn't be talking crap. Its not he's at a comp everyday, or every week, or even every month sometimes but we NEED people like this to promote our sport and he's darn good at it because he knows tricks, gets you hyped, and HAS BEEN AROUND/rides like you and me.
Sad that you guys are trying to shoot down somebody that is helping us and trying to do what he loves. He has bills to pay and works at a pizza shop to make ends meet this is just getting more towards doing what he loves instead of waiting tables.
Moral of the story is the next time you're going to talk crap on somebody for trying to do what they love and make a living off it think about if you were in their shoes. Somebody tell me if they had this talent announcing and loved being around scootering they wouldn't try to combine them. If you DID you wouldn't appreciate people trying to shoot you down.
Wrote a book but appreciate Jake Hershey <3
- Andy Bradford
Thanks for backing me homie. Love you like a brother. And ill see you for a sesh Friday!
Delete...and for free he'll propose to a girl at every event
ReplyDeleteThat's just dumb man.
DeleteJake i didn't mean anything personally, i just feel like announcing should be a volunteer service. Especially in such a small tightly knit community. If someone offers to pay you for your help...heck yeah! But looking for work to announce scooter competitions? Just seems a bit silly. Jakes a good guy. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteIt was a volunteer service. I announced at many contests for free not EVER thinking about getting paid. Then organizers started hitting me up saying "announce our event and we will pay you x amount of dollars." Why would I turn that down? I announced X Games free of charge. I'm not worried about money, this is what God has placed me to do, money is not of my concern.
DeletePeople are so stupid. Just volunteer! Yea right! How is he suppose to get to the event, where does he stay? Oh I wonder if get gets to eat? The sport needs a voice and Jake is that voice and he should and will make a living at it. Matt maybe you should go in your community and volunteer for something.
DeleteJake don't listen to these niggas. They don't know what they're talking about.
ReplyDeleteYou should really start your own traveling competition. The only people in the sport who don't support you are anonymous.-kt
ReplyDeleteProps to you jake, trying to do the same thing over the pond man :)
ReplyDeleteThank you guys <333
ReplyDeleteHire to announce? Is this serious? Scootering is so fucking gay now, oh my god.
ReplyDeleteHow does that make it gay? If not for prior commitments I would've been hired to announce Free Flow Tour at their NJ stop. If anything it makes it even more legit. Who are you? And do you know what scootering was like 10 years ago? And how much fun it was, and for most of us, still is? I am so glad to see our sport to where it is and I cannot wait for it to get as big as all the other action sports. I love everyone. Conversation ends here. Like my page www.facebook.com/JakeHersheyAnnouncer
DeleteIt's funny how some of you always say oh he's in it for the money, he sucks. Bla bla bla. This always happens after things like the lucky vertx shit and now addict and district. Come on guys just because there are a few bad companies out there doesn't mean that jake is a bad guy. Oh and btw if you're so great do what jake does without taking any money. Come at me
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing hurts my brain so much.
ReplyDeleteYou tha man son!
ReplyDeletethis has me so dissapointed, i can only wish i was apart of scootering 10 years ago at the start.. because if everyone in our community continues to shoot down everything just so they can hear themselfs talk then it seems like im going to be a part of the end of scootering:/ and its sad that 90% of the people that comment, argue, and disrespect the blogs, forums, and most of all the OG's that stuck to the sport when there WAS NO MONEY IN IT now are being hated for trying to make a living and expand the industry and comunity arnt even close to the level of respect that should be shown to jake, jordan, steven, kingsley and so many other riders now adays... the hating has to stop between scooter riders, its self destructive.
ReplyDeletebut for Jake is a remarkable guy that i got to know pretty recently and he definitly deserves to be announcing at the comps but most of all he deserves to be paid for it. good luck jake! You have a huge fan here, Michael Hohmann
I lovveee you jakke hershey! Your an amazing person who I've known for some time now.. don't listen to these people trying to knockyou down you know you've been doing this since the start and you know how much sweat blood and pain you put into riding to get to be as awesome as you are today!! Keep on going before you know it you'll be at the top looking down on all these "haters".. youre already half way there ;)
ReplyDelete-some girl ;) <3