Whoever said that young skaters these days have everything handed to them?! For a rising pro who paid all his dues the old-fashioned way, look no further than Jake Yanko. Hailing from Melbourne, Florida, Yanko earned his stripes one after the other – and was even unfazed by suffering a broken neck at Rip Ride Rally in Philadelphia – on his way to the top. He built his all-terrain skills as a small gromet riding concrete parks along the Florida coastline and was drafted into the Monster Army amateur support program as a young teen. For the next few years, Jake kept crushing podiums on the am circuit, including top spots at X Games Minneapolis Next X Park and Zumiez Best Foot Forward contest, to increase his rank in the Monster Army all the way to General. Literally taking no shortcuts! In 2023, he entered the Tampa Am Concrete Jam – and won the trophy! – before finally turning pro for Welcome Skateboards in the most proper of ways: With a banging pro video part and a top-selling pro model featuring a shape he himself designed. Now that he’s officially arrived, prepare for Jake to spread his wings, because his time is now!