Magazine Article: X Moms

Dana @ Dew Tour

 It never surprised Dana, mother of skateboarder Jake Asdel, when her son  showed more interest in skateboards then anything else he was introduced to. Jake often rode on his fathers skateboard to preschool as his preferred mode of transportation. The family backyard had a half pipe consuming it for several years. Some kids have swing-sets… Jake had a half-pipe.

Dana spent many years organizing her days especially weekends around getting Jake to a skate park and then running errands while he skated in order to be available to pick him and his friends up when they were finished. The Asdel family was fortunate to have the local skate park, Skate Street less then 10 minutes from their home. While Skate Street was Jake’s daily hang out for hours on end, he also wanted to venture out to skate other parks. Dana and Eddie were always available to take him where he needed to go and then be there for the return trip home.

Jake enjoyed going to Woodward as a camper for 6 years. These were exciting times for the Asdel family getting Jake ready for camp but especially to pick him up and see the large ramps and street parks he had been skating at. Usually he would participate in a contest at the end of camp and the family loved to cheer him on. Jake’s older sister Morgan has often commented that she is her brother’s number one fan.

Jake @ contest

Jake has been able to do a lot traveling with his skateboard competitions. He has been able to skate several famous spots all over the country. Usually Jake’s father Eddie Asdel would accompany Jake to these contests, but Dana enjoys the memories of the Vancouver Dam Am that her and Jake went to together. “It was exciting to travel to Canada with Jake. I loved watching him learn to do his tricks in a new park. It was so great to have that one on one time with him. It was especially fun because we celebrated his 18^th birthday while in Vancouver and I tried so hard to make it special for him. I have great memories of our trip together.”

Another thing Dana recalls from Jake’s traveling experiences was he never went anywhere without his skateboard. “I can’t remember a time that we have boarded an airplane without a skateboard, usually attached to his backpack as carry on luggage. I loved watching Jake walk through the terminals with his backpack and skateboard. It did worry a little once he started riding his skateboard in the terminals but that's Jake's style."

Jake off the 126 hwy

Jake is currently serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guatemala. His family is so proud of him and his decision to serve the Lord as a missionary. Although Jake is not able to skate every day as was his normal routine when living at home. He didn’t go to Guatemala with out his favorite traveling companion… his skateboard. Dana says she isn’t sure how often he will be able to skate in Guatemala but she has seen some spots in pictures that he has sent home that she imagines her son must be eying as a place to try. “I admire my son for his sacrifice to serve as a missionary in a foreign country and to learn a new language. And I know that when he returns so will the skating adventure, it’s just apart of him and apart of our family.”