Seldom in life do we ever happen upon rare and immediately profound connections. I am certain after walking upon this earth for nearly half of a century that true brotherhood is a rare thing. So uncommon that if you are to ever experience it, you are sure to smile and acknowledge just how fortunate you are.
In this life, I have had the unique pleasure of having a small handful of these instances where you simply need to pinch yourself because you immediately know it when you experience it. Many of us have been excited to meet new people, and over time, through exchanges of energy, you can discern for yourself whether they are, in fact, your tribe... or not. As the years go by, so do your interactions with others. Some are lifelong, while others eventually show their true colors.
Enter stage left Jake Dalke. I saw a new notification one day in my dm not thinking much of it. However, upon reading the message, I was quickly thinking “No way!" The similarities in our lives were uncanny. From growing up as watermen, surfing, spearfishing, travel abroad, living much of our lives in Laguna Beach minutes away from one another to lots of time spent in the Hawaiian islands. The similarities were truly many, however, not to be outshone was bowhunting.
Jake was 28 years old when he randomly found bowhunting and I was also 28 years old when I found bowhunting! How could it be possible that two extremely similar men on very closely relatable paths find a new love in youthful adulthood? I couldn’t ignore the parallels and upon spending just a little time together in the mountains, we both realized pretty quickly that lifelong brotherhood was our reality.
Jake ripping the top off a good one deep in the South Pacific
Fast forward to the next phase of our journey; we had spoken a lot about project GL and the execution strategy in how we intended to launch a next-level apparel brand in hunt. Jake immediately gravitated to the idea, and within a short time, we began strategizing his involvement in building the brand.
The ethos of the hunt whether it be by land or sea is in his DNA.
He's either chasing waves and big fish south of the equator or stalking herd bulls in the great North American back country
Jake is a very capable man. Having delved into real estate development overseas in Indonesia, a self-sustaining man, a world-traveled big-wave surfer, accomplished spear fisherman, and fierce waterman, Jake’s endeavor in stepping into bowhunting has been remarkably similar to mine: every tag he has acquired, he has punched! The man is an accomplished entrepreneur and also a killer.
I am not sure there are very many other ways that I can collectively continue to brag about what this young man has done in his short time here on earth; however, I can say that he is a fierce competitor, capable of greatness, and he is here standing proud and strong, arms locked with myself and team Gray Light! Moreover, Jake is just a good human being, full of life, a beautiful spirit, father to a sweet little boy named Reef, and most importantly, my dear friend.
I wanted to introduce you to Gray Light’s VP of Sales, Jake Dalke! Jake will be heading up many different initiatives within the Gray Light brand. He will be communicating with all of you about our progress and our hunts. Jake will lead the charge here in the GL blog with many relatable topics along with so many other things within leadership and branding efforts. Please welcome Jake and in time you all will also see how incredible he is with whatever he touches! With great excitement, I would like to welcome Jake to the team and, moving forward, here with regularity in our own Gray Light field notes blog as well as many other internal initiatives in the future! Thank you for your attention; we will see you here again soon!
