Jesse

Jesse

Anchored, Ritualistic, Human Tarzan

“The most exciting moment in parkour is when I do something that I wasn’t sure I could do. There is this incredible gratifying moment when I see that I am capable of more than I thought I was. A lot of training is hunting for those moments.”

“ I’ve climbed the Williamsburg bridge. I went all the way to the top. Last time, I went up to a cable at the top and I practiced balancing on the cable. I wanted to see how being above ground, several hundred feet, would affect my balance.”

“Teetering between scared and comfortable is the edge I like to live. I think it is a healthy practice in everyday life, not only in parkour. The alternative is you stay within your comfort zone and your world actually becomes smaller and smaller.”

“You have to be OK with being uncomfortable in NYC. You’re dealing with eight million other people who all have their hopes and dreams and ideas. They are living their lives literally on top of you, and you have to be OK with that. You have to be OK with being part of this giant experiment.”

“I feel at peace around the city. I had this idea 10 years ago, that it is a greater testament to inner piece to be able to meditate in the middle of Times Square versus out on some mountain. That has been a model for me.”

“I really like this idea of rituals. Every morning I have a 15-minute call with my friend to exchange three graces and set an intention for the day. I think it is important to have these rituals here in NYC because we’re always changing and the city is always changing. The ritual becomes this benchmark. It can help align you, or tell you when you are not aligned. Otherwise it’s just chaos.”

“For people coming here, I recommend, rather than coming in with a plan, to say yes, go with the flow, and find a totally genuine New York experience. Less of a checklist, and more of a feeling.”

“In February, I went dancing for one of my friends’ birthdays to a club in the Lower East Side. We danced a few hours. We went from dancing to something like Burning Man at a spa. Wild people, steam rooms, sauna, ice bath, fire massages, costumes and dancing. Then we went to Rockaway Beach and jumped in the ocean. Then we sat on top of the Red House out there. It was a wide way of experiencing the city in a very narrow amount of time.”

“Would it be humane to have a hamster without a hamster wheel? I think it’s not. I would like to see more social spaces in New York City. I want to create opportunities for people to come together and connect through movement.”

Q&A

“ The city has inexhaustible possibility. It is a cup that’s overflowing and could not possibly be poured out.”

What neighborhood do you live in? Bed-Stuy.

Best thing about living there? Tree-lined streets and my backyard.

Favorite neighborhood in NYC? Chinatown.

Favorite street to stroll? Mile after mile of the Riverside Park along the Hudson River.

Why? From skateparks to thick woods, from monuments to the swinging rings. It’s incredible that they’ve dedicated so much space in so many different ways to get us more in touch with the animals that live inside us.

Favorite bar? Swift, East Village.

Hidden gem? Donut Plant on the Lower East Side —Crème Brûlée donut.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? You become a New Yorker when you realize that you can be anyone you want to be in New York and start being yourself.

Your New York soundtrack? Late night skating is done well to “My Girls” by the Animal Collective.

Can we come visit you? Yes! (3 minute video interview quotedmagazine.com/jesse)

Favorite restaurant? Cheeky Sandwiches, Lower East Side. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

5 THINGS THAT TELL A STORY ABOUT JESSE

PAPER CRANE “One day I folded 1,000 paper cranes in one day. I did it to win the heart of a girl. I had the focus to just sit there and make it happen. I have that kind of drive in me. It certainly was a really nice effort, but now I think that energy could have gone to something a little bit more personally relevant.”

PAINTING “About 10 years ago, we were up all night for a parkour training throughout the city, and I found this thing in the garbage. We all signed the back. I think seven out of the people who signed it, are still part of the parkour community today. It’s pretty cool.”

PADLOCK “A friend told me that if I could unlock a door that he couldn’t open, I could take whatever was behind it. I had never opened a lock, but I confidently told him I’d do it. I played around with it and I was able to do it. There’s a life lesson in that.”

MUG “My Superwoman girlfriend gave me this mug of a picture of my dog Bella. She is my spirit animal. She knows how to be calm and peaceful, friendly, energetic, but she also gets into trouble. She is like a soulmate.”

RITUAL OBJECT “This was given to me by a friend. It’s part of my morning ritual or before I leave the house routine, just to remind me that I’m still dreaming. Life is still a dream.”