INTERVIEW BY TRENT FAHEY
Jake Hayes grew up in Sydney, cutting his teeth at iconic spots like Martin Place, Chifley Plaza and Cook and Phillip. He’ll always have a soft spot for the gritty Sydney city skate scene, but these days he lives in Koreatown, LA and he seems pretty comfortable in The City of Angels. He’s got an American girlfriend, a dog named Mr. Bigglesworth (who answers to Biggie), a couple of BMWs, and a safe place on the Deathwish team. Standing at six foot two, Jake has monster pop and is actually the joint world record holder for the world’s highest ollie. And as you’ll find out in his interview, he’s got a new shoe colourway, a particularly controversial board graphic, and some good stories up his sleeve.
Straight up, congrats on your New Balance colourway! Tell me about what went into making this whole thing happen and why you settled on baby blue?
Thanks, Trent! I’m super stoked New Balance gave me the opportunity. It was all a simple process, really. Obviously, the shoe is all one colour, so there’s not too much work in that regard. There’s a little black cat on the insole, which is a homage to an old Ocean Howell Birdhouse graphic from the early ’90s, which I also have tattooed on my leg. I went for the baby blue for a few reasons. I wanted it to be something that I could tell was my shoe when I saw it at the skate shop, as opposed to having more of a standard colourway that kind of just blends with everything else that’s out there. I wanted it to be something that everyone could get behind and not make it so specific to men. I’m also from New South Wales, and that’s our state colours, so everything worked out perfectly.
Have you skated in baby blue kicks before?
Honestly, I can’t say I have prior to this colourway. I’ve skated in a couple of pairs now and I like it. I wear a lot of black, so it’s nice to spice it up and get out of my comfort zone.
Was the last time you were in Australian when we went on Skate of Origin in 2019?
No, I was back in Australia at the beginning of 2020. I spent Christmas and New Years out there with friends and family. Then Franky Villani, his girlfriend Eliane, Levi Brown, Jake Darwen and the New Balance filmer Luke Murphy all flew over to Sydney for a little trip for Franky to film for his New Balance part that came out late last
