Matt Jaskol and the wonder wheel of tea

What can I say about Matt, other than he is one of the most intresting people I have ever had the cance to meet and party with. To give you a base line, the first time we met he invited me to dress up and film a verstion of mocking bird in Palmer Alaska at 3am. You know Mocking bird from dumb and dumber... well soon after this we began or journy into the wild weird world of the Brian and Matt friendship. From calls to bounce odd ideas at strange hrs. of the day to randem pics in our inboxes, Yes Matt has become a life long. I had to bring you this interview, not just because I call Matt my friend but because he is truly an amazing human who has done som pretty rad things during his time here on earth. So go hide in the bathroom and have fun reading. 

Blue skies

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Tell me who you are.

Matt Jaskol, AKA,  Matty J, AKA Raskol, AKA Hollywood, AKA Jaskolhoff, there’s more and they get less flattering.. 

35yrs old Cali born Vegas Raised race car driver most of my life. 

I’m an empathetic, NONE adrenaline junkie, life junkie. Still sorting out life as it is fluid and ever changing! 

What do you do for work?  

Haha like others before me (Hatz) that’s a loaded question. Primarily from the age of 18 to about 30 it was motorsports related.  Working as a professional racing driver, racing instructor, racing mentor, development driver, teens driver smart presenter/instructor, stunt driving, dealer training, test driver, basically anything in the motorsports/automotive industry someone would shake a dollar bill at me I did.. when I turned 30 life changed a bit. I wasn’t happy and started taking on less work less travel for work and skydiving. My father had a heart attack July 2015 and survived open heart triple bypass.. I left my job as the Chief Instructor at Dream Racing in Vegas and took over his Wood business that was going to go bankrupt while he was in a hospital. That became life for nearly 5yrs running that business, still doing some motorsports work when I had time, started a small business or too. More recently started doing more skydive work, social media management as a side hustle, started a small CBD business, work with Liquidsky,. As much as I hate when people say this I guess you could say an Amature Entrepreneur.. But really I just like to do different things. Probably a little bit too much but it keeps life interesting. 

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Listen we about to go FAST

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How did you become interested in skydiving? 

Interesting story. Was coaching and training a guy to be a racing instructor at my work back in 2011/2012 (Dream Racing in Vegas) guy named Nic (AKA @SavageSac) turns out this guy is a fairly talented avid skydiver/Base jumper/wing suiter. Around late 2012 early 2013 starts inviting me on some adventures just to watch. Like voyeurism but, different.. watching he and guys like Scotty Bob, And a bunch of others BASE jump and wingsuit. 2014 I became single for the first time in 8yrs. Also was turning 30. Call it a mid mid life crisis I decided to finally do a jump. Was scared as shit but it was something I wanted and needed in my life at the time. And still to this day. 

When did you start?

September 2014. 

Reagan or Nixon?

All I can really say is that, I’m not a Crook… ✌️✌️

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He is a crook !

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What is your most memorable moment as a skydiver to date?

Taking my dad to Egypt and Hatz taking him for a tandem out of a C-130 over the pyramids and me filming. Fucking incredible. 

What is your favorite part of the skydiver life so far? 

I would say traveling to new places and see it from above and the crazy interesting people you meet. 

 

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The day Matt and I met in Alaska

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What is your least favorite part of the lifestyle?

The heavy opinions and “sky god” too cool for school attitudes you run into a little too often… it's like that with many things in life for sure but my biggest pet peeve is a “professional” skydiver absolutely talking trash about another brand when they have ZERO experience with that brand or very little experience to being with. Hate that shit.. 

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Have you ever been known to frequent Turkisk bath houses? 

Who have you been talking to?? 

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 Classic Matt

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Tell us about a day in your life

PRE covid and Covid life because that’s a huge difference haha. 

Breakfast is a very important part of my life and I hate getting up late. 

Tell me about your shenanigans at boogies.

I love making people laugh so if I can be involved with or organize a funny video/stunt etc I’m all about it. I also like life away from the DZ at a boogie like checking out local food spots and such. 

 

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Your all shook up 

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I know you like to wear women's underwear, full backs or thongs?

Bro, come on… It’s a seasonal thing. Thongs summer, full backs winter. 

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Going for broke I see 

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Do You travel often?

I’d say I travel a lot more than most. Started young because of racing then for work (motorsports related) and then a lot since becoming a skydiver. I’m FAR from rich. I finance a lot of trips haha. Totally worth. 

 

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Alaska 2017

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Tell me about the racing and karts

Long story but to try and do the reader digestive version. I started racing motocross at the age of 5. Dad was a boat racer before I was born. We were always a bit of a gear head family, not very traditional. We spent holidays at the dunes riding or at the race track for my brother and I to race. When I was about 10 I started racing karts and even at that age, much like a young actor/performer/Olympian I decided I wanted to make racing a profession. 

By the age of 14/15 I was racing professionally in karts and junior formula cars. Received and racing scholarship at 16 (Skip Barber Racing academy) and at 17/18 was scouted by Red Bull and became a F1 development driver. The rest his history you could say.. Not always pretty. Racing is an insanely political, cut throat money driven business… It’s and amazing sport… Horrible business.. I’ll leave it there, for now.

 

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Vroom Vroom 

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I heard you were on TV, (who am I kidding, I watched every episode). What was that experience like?

Would be hard to explain in a short answer but it was the most painful (physically and mentally) emotional, difficult and transformative experience of my life. 42 days in a dense deserted jungle island(s) without food or shelter… Just unreal… And I would do it all over again and wish I could go back. 

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Castaway

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What's next for you and your adventures?

Man tough with Covid…. But, I did get my Tandem rating last year but didn’t have time to progress with it much. Doing outside video at GoJump Vegas I’m looking to do some more tandems this fall and I’d really like to get my AFF rating. Also still working on being back in a race car more next year. 

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Fuck Yeah Matt

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Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?

Not dead haha. But I’d like to be maybe still racing part time and see a few of my small businesses grow. Iv always wanted to own a cool coffee house and/or restaurant. A place people can chill in a cool environment and forget about their troubles for a bit. I’ll work towards that in the next 10yrs. And not be dead! 

What was your favorite boogie and why?

Gosh hard to pick one. Genuinely The Alaska boogies were some of my favorites with the uniqueness of the Solstice Landscape and hilarious Shenanigans. There’s a few because they have special meaning. 

The Egypt boogie where I brought my dad. 

Panama Boogie where I saw some friends I had not seen in 15 years totally unrelated to skydiving. 

 

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So much manliness

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Sweet or Sour?

Sour for sure! 

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 What im seeing in my head right now

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What is the craziest thing you have done at a boogie?

Drove a few hour to a glacier in Alaska dressed as president Nixon to release a Penguin (AKA Steve Barahona) out into the wild while running into people dressed in full trekking gear (Because we were on a full blown fucking Glacier in Alaska!) while that said “What in the actual fucking acid tripping damnation is going on here” to where we replied “Oh don’t worry we’re not on drugs we’re just skydivers making a video for the Gram!” Totally normal. And then they took photos with us. 

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Mocking Bird have you head the word

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Never mind a boogie, what's the craziest thing you've ever just done?...

I was sitting here trying to think… Iv done so much especially as a young man in the racing world. But then I realized I went into a fucking jungle and nearly starved to death (like actually starved to death) for 42 days on a TV show. So that was probably the craziest. But you know you’ve had a crazy life when you have to think about it and forget that small part haha. 

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But did you die
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I heard you like to pal around with a guy named Julio, what’s that like?

Pretty amazing as he has become one of my closest friends. Such a talented and brilliant guy. Always ahead of the curve and one of the hardest working guys I have ever meet next to my own father. The guy doesn’t stop. Love him. 

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Thats Not Julio

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If you could go back and give yourself some advice a year ago what would it be?

Buy Tesla stock haha. And yo, be careful of tinder and bumble there’s a LOT of trannys cruising around on there and it’s hard to tell 😑

Oh and brace for 2020 … 

* Looks legit to me 

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Do you have any advice for anyone looking to progress in this sport?  

 Don’t be in a fucking rush! And don’t be a Douche.. Remember why you started and hopefully it wasn’t just for the cool photos/videos. Although it’s not the worst reason. Find a good mentor and listen well. Oh and buy a Mirage 😜

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If you were a drink what would you be and why?

Hmmm, I don’t drink much but maybe an Old Fashioned.. Distinguished, refined, bold, one the rocks with 2 little ice balls LOL 

 

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Two people in two weeks 

Maybe I need to try one of these

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Do you prefer the number 3 or 43

3 

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 Perfect 

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After a few of them drinks, how would you feel if I whispered “cream pie” in your ear? 

Well I too like to party.

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 Now its a party Matt.

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Thank you Jaskok taking some time to do this with me. Dude lets send it soon again, I have so many short film ideas. 

Until then stay safe, keep on keeping on and Blue Skies