Jay Roe Interview

I’ve had the chance to meet Jay once at Baco… like most people it would appear. I don’t think he really remembered me just because he was knocked silly that whole weekend from a crash. As TM for Kink who has really made a come back lately he stays super busy. This is a look into his life. Enjoy

Name:
*Jay Roe*

Location:
*Rochester, New York*

Years riding:
*8 or 9*

Your the TM for Kink, how long have you been at that gig and how did you end up getting the job?
*It has been about 2 years. Growing up in Rochester I have been around Kink since i started riding. I ended up getting a job in the warehouse for Kink and Blackout Distribution and that slowly turned into a sales/tm position at both companies. *

You are in charge of a pretty legit team like Doyle, Tocco, Sexton and the rest of the guys, how do you go about picking the team?
*The team is a group effort, everyone from my friends, dudes here at work and most importantly the team go about choosing who we want to support. The team right now is honestly a group of best friends. We travel together all the time, talk all the time and have an awesome time no > matter what. At this point, I would never put anyone on the team that even one dude on our team was iffy about. A Kink trip is like traveling around the world with your boys that you grew up with. *

Is there any big news at Kink you can tell us about? What does Kink have planned for 08′?
*There is all kinds of things going on constantly here at Kink now. We will be debuting “The Outfit” which is going be the next frame available from us. The highly aniticipated “Empire Revision C” frame which is going to be a treat and a bunch more new products. Unforutantely, the Empire Revision C frame will not have a pierced headtube or weigh anywhere close to 8 pounds. The most important and exciting thing we have going on right now is “Safety First”. You’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out what that is though. “Safety First”*

You have been traveling the last week or so in Europe, what are you up to over there? Are you riding much?
*Myself, Tony Hamlin, Steve Debusk, Kink flow rider Tom Dillon and our boy Jessy Twin just decided to take a hell trip over to London and basically just do whatever. We flew in with no plans, and left a week later with some good stories. The rain kind of balled up a lot of the riding we wanted to do, but it was still fun. After that we headed to Brighton, England for a week long stay at the Seventies Apartment they have rented out over there. We met up with Sexton and Darryl Tocco and shredded all week. It was an amazing time, Brighton is a really cool place, the people are dope and the spots are endless. Ed Allen was filming for the Seventies DVD and it was just a really chill week full of riding, partying for most dudes and some beach action. *

How do you think your riding is effected being able to be around all the dudes on the team?
*Ha, sometimes it is really good and other times not so much. Everyone on our team kills it and riding with them on a regular basis is enough to push anyones riding. I try to hold my own on trips but sometimes its just to overwhelming and all of the sudden I find myself not even trying when we roll up to spots. I just sit down and watch. *

Who is your typical riding crew? Any guys you see that should be getting coverage nobody knows about?
*On a daily basis, I ride with my best friends and roomates Tom Dillon, Tony Hamlin, Jessy Twin when his acl isnt torn for a whole year, Matt Antes who works here at Kink with me and Steve Debusk. Our riding crew is actually pretty funny, Tom rides flow for Kink, Steve Debusk completely kills it and not many people even know about him. He rides flow for United. and Then Tony Hamlin obviously had his FBM days and lately has just been traveling with me and destroying everything. Tony is easily one of the most under the radar, underrated riders out there right now. He won’t be sponsorless for long though…*

How often do you get to ride with work and everything else going on?
*I actually ride everyday, rarely here in Rochester we don’t ride for a day. Its just all we really have going, if we decide to not ride for a day, we normally sit around my room bored as hell thinking…why aren’t we riding? Lately I have been on the road a ton for work which means I am riding and working at the same time. On Kink trips and random trips I get to ride a lot which is definitely one of the best things about my job. Working for most people means they can’t ride as much. In my case it means I get to ride a lot more. *

What are some of your favorite spots to ride?
*Anything with transition! Honestly, I am a park baby. I love riding a good skatepark more than anything. Good concrete parks and just an awesome skatepark never get old to me.*

What are some tricks you cannot get sick of doing?
*Tabletops.*

If I remember right I saw you get pretty messed up at Baco in Wisconsin, what is your worst riding injury?
*Ha yea, I got real messed up at that contest. I have been pretty fortunate with injuries. Nothing that has kept me out for a real long time. Ive got fake front teeth from a few bad falls, the normal random knock outs. In February I fractured 7 ribs out in Cali cause I suck at riding. *

Outside of riding and work what are you into?
*….I don’t know how to answer that. If I’m not riding im at work. And if im not at work im either working somewhere on a trip which means im also riding. Before I go to bed I sit on my computer for a long time and listen to music…This was a depressing question. *

You have done a fair amount of traveling in your day, where are some of your favorite places?
* Myself, Doyle and Sexton did a South France road trip last fall and that was really fun. I really like going to Phoenix, AZ, that is probably my favorite place in the states right now. *

Where are some places you haven’t been but you really want to go to?
*Austrailia, hopefully that will happen soon. I also want to travel through Spain soon. *

Do you think traveling can change the way a person thinks?
*Yea for sure. It can either make you really appreciate where your from…or make you never want to come home. *

You seem into music a fair share, do you go to many shows or anything like that?
*Yea, lately I have missing so many good shows cause I am never home. But I try to catch as many of the bands I like as I can. *

What kind of bands do you listen to? Any you suggest people to check out?
*I listen to quite a bit of random genres. Anything from like strange pop rock to like experimental stoner rock. haha I don’t know. Lately I have been listening to a lot of the new Headlights album. Electric President, Pelican, Tides, Giant. Even the oldies but goodies like Archers of Loaf and Sunny Day Real Esate.*

What are some must have things you cannot go anywhere without?
*My Blanket, IPOD and bike. *

Who or what are the biggest influences in your life?
*The people that > surround me on a daily basis and everyone I meet on the road. Anyone who does thier thing, lives free and lives happy. *

What are some things you do that you probably shouldn’t?
*I sleep, I > never eat, I spend a lot of money that I don’t have. *

Any good stories with run-ins with the cops? I know the Kink trip from the new props was pretty funny.
*I got a ticket for riding on the Sidewalk here in Rochester last summer right after being yelled at for riding in the street by the cops. *

If you had won the lottery, what would you do with the cash?
*Buy a new van. Other than that I would just continue living the way I do. I’d pay for more of my friends to travel with me probabaly. *

If you could spend the day with anybody alive, dead, fictional, who would it be and what would you do?
*Lester Bangs. We would go to a coffee shop and he’d rant and rave all day long. It would be amazing. I don’t even drink coffee. *

What are some things you would like to accomplish in the next few years?
*Continue building on and growing with Kink. Really if I can just continue living the way I do, riding, working and traveling I would feel as accomplished as I could be I think. I couldn’t really ask for much more out of life right now (besides a girlfriend maybe). *

What is the best advice or quote you have ever heard?
*The only true currency in this bankrupt world… is what you share with someone else when you’re uncool.*

What kind of advice do you have for kids just getting into BMX?
*Watch Walters part in Time Well Spent, Find out as much as you can About Joe Rich, Van Homan, Doyle and Brian Yeagle. Make sure your BRAKES work ok, then go shred. *

How about advice for somebody who wants to be a TM or work in the industry?
*Meet as many people as you can and don’t freak them out. I think a lot of peoples positions in the industry are ones they kind of fall into. When you live your life through bike riding, it is only natural that it turns into your job as well.*

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
*My parents for sure, they have supported me since the day I quit playing sports and came home all banged up from the skatepark. I am definitely fortunate to have them behind my dumbass doing what I do. I don’t think I’d be as happy with my life and who I am if it wasn’t for them. They are rad. Matt Antes for actually being solely responsible for me even having a job here and putting up with me. Everyone else I work with, Zack, Reez and Bobby. The entire Kink team for being amazing. Aaron Burto for being one of the baddest dudes around, Eric at DC. Walter Pieringer and everyone at props for bringing me on Road Fools. *

Anything else you would like to say?
*We’ll Live, Be Free and Die Happy.*