The countdown is officially on! JACKALOPE Montreal is happening in a week, and the hype levels are through the roof. Coming off an insane summer run (including back-to-back 1st place finishes over in Spain) vert powerhouse Jojo Jones is heading into Montreal on a massive wave of momentum.
After climbing the ladder through Ventura and Virginia Beach, Josiah locked in his very first Pro win at JACKALOPE Mississauga back in July. And to make it even sweeter? He did it on his birthday weekend!
We caught up with Jojo right before he packs his bags for MTL to chat about leveling up his trick list, his friendly rivalry with JD, and his first-time trip to Quebec. Check out the Q&A below!
You’ve had an absolute dream season so far! First off, how did it feel to climb the ladder through Ventura and Virginia Beach to finally lock in your first Pro win at JACKALOPE Mississauga?
It felt amazing. It was my first pro win, and it was just such an awesome weekend. It was my birthday weekend, so it was amazing, such a great time. I was so happy.
What did you bring to the ramp in Mississauga that set your score apart from the previous stops?
I added a few different tricks! I added the 720 and some extra flip tricks that were a little bit more difficult. So I feel like that's one of the reasons why my score was up a bit more than Virginia Beach and Ventura.
You pulled off a Double Flip Indie and that wild Samba Flip! Then after Mississauga, you took that momentum straight to Spain and swept both contests. How was that trip?
It was amazing. My buddy Nell invited me out to these contests—just such a great time. The people out there are amazing and the ramp was so much fun. I got first place in both events, so it went pretty well! It feels good.
Now word on the street is you and JD have been talking about the Season Championship heading into Montreal…
Yeah! About two weeks ago, I was at Vert Alert with JD, and we were talking about the season championship. We're gonna battle it out, so it's gonna be a good time.
With heavy hitters like JD on the line-up, does having him in the field change your approach on the ramp?
Yeah. He's so good and so consistent. I definitely gotta skate my best—he's amazing.
So what’s the game plan for JACKALOPE Montreal? Are you saving energy or just sending it?
I've been working on a few tricks that I wanna add. I'm just gonna try to do my best, and hopefully I can put together the run that I want to do. I try to just relax and not rush things to stay healthy for the finals. That's all I do.
That’s the beauty of the JACKALOPE family: heavy competition on the ramp, pure camaraderie off it. Have you been making cool connections on tour?
Yeah. Some of them I've skated with a bunch, and I've made new friends like Rony and Pietro. It's been pretty rad.
This is going to be your very first time visiting Montreal! Outside of the contest, what are you most hyped to experience?
I'm just looking forward to skating the new spots and checking out the city. I've never been to Montreal, so I'm excited. It's gonna be a good time.
DON'T MISS THE VERT CONTEST!
Jojo is locked, loaded, and ready to put on a show at the Old Port of Montreal. Will he keep his win streak alive and claim the season crown, or will JD step up for the battle? There's only one way to find out.
Last words from Double Joe himself:
"Can't wait to see you all in Montreal!"
