Jake is one of the most low-key ripping skateboarders out there, in my opinion. His talent speaks for itself, but he’s never shoving it in your face, you know? He lets the skating do the talking, and that’s all that matters.
The dude has been on a roll lately, traveling a ton, filming, and living the wild life of a pro skater. But in the latest MOB First episode, he heads back to his childhood home in Melbourne, Florida, to pillage through his old boards, front yard obstacles, OG spots and so much more. A proper homecoming. Take a look:
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They talk injuries, including the time Fred Gall broke his neck. “Fred Gall kneed me in the head and broke my neck,” he says with a chuckle. “Cool sentence to be able to say. I’m really happy I can say that sentence.” I mean, yeah, all things considered—that’s super dope.
Related: Jake Yanko and Connor Lerian Put OJ’s All-Terrain ‘Super Juice’ Wheels to the Test in LA
Going through all the stuff in his old room was rad, too. Skateboard Heaven was a “book” he made about wanting to go to Woodward. Amazing. All the old trophies and childhood posters on the wall. Pure gold.
And of course, no edit like this would be complete without visiting some of the OG spots from his childhood and reflecting on the days of being nothing more than a hungry up-and-comer. Before he was Jake Yanko the Welcome pro, he was just another kid from Florida trying to live the dream. So rad.
As always, I’m not here to spoil it all, though. Jake rips. No debate. And learning more about where it all began was super rad to see. Everyone has a story and I wanna hear them all. If you haven’t already, press play and get stoked.