Extreme athletes "Grab Some Air" for recruiting

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Steve Lewis
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  It's almost 10 a.m. at the Joint Service Open House here and crowds are already starting to gather around a skate ramp that stands over ten feet tall. A group of skateboarders and BMX riders warm up on the ramp, giving the crowd a taste of what's to come.

After a few words from the announcer, the ramp suddenly comes alive with adrenaline-fueled performances by the extreme athletes.

Performances like this are part of the Air Force Reserve's most recent campaign, called "Grab Some Air," which is focused on attracting an active demographic of 17 to 24-year-olds into the Reserve. The campaign's tour recently stopped at the JSOH on May 15-16 to showcase the extreme athletes and gain potential recruits.

Master Sgt. Jeanette Masters, an in-service recruiter for the Pentagon and Bolling Air Force Base, D.C., said the Reserve recruiting team worked with Blaine Warren Advertising  an action sports company, ASA Entertainment to showcase the Grab Some Air campaign at such events as the JSOH. She helped coordinate the extreme athlete performance for the JSOH by requesting their appearance with the Air Force Reserve recruiting service headquarters.

"It's a synergistic effort that we're trying to create with the extreme athletes," said Sergeant Masters. "We have one of the most diverse acts at the Air Show."

Picture the JSOH performance like a real-life ESPN X Games event. Professional skateboarders clear the ramp while grabbing their boards with one hand. BMX riders easily slide across the rails of the ramp with their bike pegs. It's something BMX team rider, Koji Kraft said hopes will make a big impact on the Reserve recruiting efforts.

"This goes hand in hand with people who like to seek a rush. We (the extreme athletes) all have that same mentality" said Mr. Kraft.

Mr. Kraft, who's been riding his BMX bike professionally for the past 12 years, joins the other riders and skateboarders in the Grab Some Air campaign tour, which is scheduled to stop at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., and Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, this summer.

Lindsay Harris, a client relations manager with ASA Entertainment, has been working with the Reserve recruiting service and Blaine Warren Advertising in providing the extreme athletes for the Grab Some Air campaign.

"Our goal is to support the troops and help a marketing partner reach their target demographic," said Ms. Harris. "It's a great partnership."

As the extreme athletes and recruiters break down the ramp at the end of the JSOH, they now set their sights and talents on their next stop in Williamsburg. There, a new group of onlookers will experience the acrobatic maneuvers of the athletes and learn more about what it takes to become an Airman in the Air Force Reserve.