Jones Soda Goes BASE Jumping…The adventures of our IT Guy

Bridge Day is the largest extreme sports event and the largest gathering of BASE jumpers in the world, held on the third Saturday in October every year in Fayetteville, West Virginia, USA.

The second annual Grill Games took off this Wednesday at Jones Soda and spatulas were flying.  Last year Eric, our operations wizard, won using trick machinery by smoking his pork in Battle Ribs, this year Battle Burger got underway and the kitchen (Webber grills on our roof) was heating up!  But this would be no ordinary burger cook-off, the secret ingredient in every burger was Jones Soda! So who’s cuisine would reign supreme, well to decide that we invited a smattering of local celebrity judges:

Captain Sig Hansen: Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch Captain of the Northwest and Local BA

Erik “The Red” Denmark: Competitive eater and 8th place finisher in the annual Coney Island Nathan’s Hot Dog eating championship with 38 dogs in 10 minutes

Mark Wright: KCPQ 13 Fox TV Anchor

Brian Canlis: Co-Owner of Nationally Revered Canlis Restaurant in Seattle, WA

Luke and Jen: Host and Producer for 97.3 Kiro Radio’s show TBTL

Alexa: Jones STP Cycling Coach/Michael Jackson DJ

As our esteemed panel of Judges began to settle the Jones chefs got right to it and let me tell you the heat was on in Jones Chef Stadium.  The roof of Jones is metallic silver so on a normal 80 degree such as Wednesday, it’s about 95 degrees while you’re leaning over a hot grill trying to create burger perfection.  Nonetheless the battle for best burger was at stake and each chef was gunning for a year’s worth of bragging rights with a Grill Games Crown.  Like clockwork burgers starting flooding towards the judges panel, spicy, cheesy, bacon-y, greasy, salty, onion-y, and peppery patties found there way one after another in front of our judges placed atop fresh baked ciabatta, brioche, and whatever else anyone could create.  As the bevy of burgers continued to flood in the judges started to sit further back in their seat, loosening their belt loops, aside from Erik “The Red” Denmark who had worn elastic and finished every burger, side, and the majority of Captain Sig’s dinner as well.  Slowly as stomachs settled and we provided several guest judges with Jones Antacid Flavor soda the grill smoke had cleared and our panel had made it’s decisions.  The 2009 champion of the second annual Grill Games went to team Milberglar!  Although fellow Jonesers wanted an appeal when they learned his secret ingredient used was Jones Soda water.  Alas a victor was named and a crowd of Seattlites were fed glorious burgers until they hurt. Thanks again to Captain Sig, who endured numerous pirate comments and Discovery Channel-esque real time narrating as he ate his burgers, “A now let’s go to the Captain of the Northwestern, he looks sullen and full…will he be able to finish this last burger?!”.  Thanks to Mr. Red who is going to come back and break the World Record for most 12 oz beverages consumed in 5 minutes! Thanks to Jen and Luke from 97.3 for rocking out with us, thanks to Brian Canlis who brought his culinary refined pallet to an event with a bunch of amateur chefs and made us feel special.  Thanks to Mark Wright for swinging by and not only judging but covering the event, and lastly thanks to Alexa for training us for the STP only so we could eat a ton of burgers weeks later and get fat again!

For the rest of the picks, head to our Flickr account and as always, peep us on Facebook and Twitter

Check out the winning menu item:

In 1776 some BA dudes in wigs got together for the release party of the Declaration of Independence.  Fast Forward to today and there’s still buzz about the declaration! Sit on that JK Rowling!  So how should we celebrate? A series of controlled explosions, over-eating, leave work early two days prior to a holiday because you can, make sure to apply NO sunscreen so you can be that guy on Monday, wear red white and blue pants, listen to Lee Greenwood sing “God Bless the USA”, well if you have done at least one if not a combination of these things we at Jones salute you!   Summer time is about the great outdoors, slip n’ slides, sneaking out, continually playing little league baseball against your own will, or forgetting everything you learned in school the year prior.  So this 4th, in typical American fashion, try to do it all at once.  Maybe that means sneaking out of your little league game on a slip n’ slide into The Great Outdoors.  Or, maybe it means just taking it easy for a weekend, or maybe you should stop reading things at your computer and freaking leave!!! Either way, have a sweet ass 4th and if you’re looking for a tasty and mysterious summer flavored concoction grab some Jones Jumble on your way out.

Preston Pollard has been riding for the Jones Flo team fro about 2 years now.  From the fridgid mountains of Alaska, Preston learned to Skate despite sub-zero temperatures during days without sunrise.  Preston left board-sliding frozen park benches for the sunny streets of Hollywood!  He now get’s his skating in 365 and enjoysg the lavish life of being on MTV shows like Parental Control, radio interviews, and interviewing up-and-comers like i-carly’s Drake Kemper.  Preston is no stranger to talking, believe me, so he continues to meet people and rep Jones and himself in LA.  Through all of Preston’s success though he remains humble and thankful for what he has been given.  He preaches this same message to students at schools around the country.  He tells kids to follow their dreams but remain grateful for everything they’ve been given.  He’s sort of like a young Alaskan Tony Rabbins, with a little less of a Lurch from Adams Family thing going on.

He is one of three recent Jones Flo Riders to have his own bottle run along with skateboarders Sky Siljeg and Mitchie Brusco. He’s having a bottle release party in a couple weeks back home in Alaska. Now 20 years old, he is still kick-flipping, just over palm trees instead of igloos (kidding of course) and repping Jones!  Keep an eye out for this LA resident BA because it’s only a matter of time before he blows it up and makes it big.  In the words of Prestone “AK Stand Up!”  In the words of Jones, create some change and run with the little guy.  And finally in the words of Howard Dean…Yeaaaaaah!!!

Most offices don’t allow pets, or sometimes there’s one lame office pet like a parakeet or box turtle (I apologize to all parakeet & box turtle enthusiasts), but then again Jones Soda Co. is not most offices.  I guess I’ve already built this up to be something a little too crazy, it’s not like we have pterodactyls and Luck Dragons in here, but we do have a plethora of sweet dogs.  Don’t believe me? Well introducing our Dogs of all Seasons calender!  All photos are tasteful and non-airbrushed.

Einstein

Actually a prodigy of his era, Einstein was far advanced from his peers at the tender age of one (dog years) was inducted into Dogsa, an off-chute of Mensa for canines of extraordinary intelligence.  You can see from the far off look in his eyes he is contemplating deep questions of life, death, and the red ball in my hand as I take the picture.  He’s a visionary and a scholar and a member of the Jones team.

Fact: Einstein is the only dog to ever be on a Jones vending machine.

Gracie & Litchie

These two…dogs are a package deal, Gracie (the dark one) lives a bit more of a crazy life, wild hair, wild parties, and I think the leopard print sheets speak for herself.  Litchie is the ying to Gracie’s yang.  The more responsible of the two, this sister looks out for the fam, bearing their family crest on their neck they terrorize the Ops office upstairs keeping intruders out.

Haley

Haley is a pooch on a mission, she don’t mess around.  Normally rocking a Jones bandanna, sticking her head out the side of her convertible, or taking Emmas, her close friend and roommate, for a walk.  She enjoys food, boats, food, and fun.  What a Gal!

Mac-Attack

Don’t let the soft sprinkled pedals and chic tub fool you, this is one hardened Mountain Dog! The youngest of the resident dogs, what he lacks in overall worldly knowledge he makes up in mountain instinct and stone cold looks.  Look for him to blossom into a strapping young canine and an office lady killer.

Mr. Mung

Don’t let this picture fool you, this is definitely the smallest dog at Jones Soda, weighing in at a whopping 4lbs Mr. Mung is the smallest member of the canine club.  Most likely some Jones employees will not know of Mr. Mung existence until this blog due to his small stature and ability to hide in the clothes of his good friend Hannah.

Stella

Clearly the inspiration for Tennessee Williams Character from “A Street Car Named Desire” Stella, she has also spawned a great sketch comedy show that most people think was influenced by “The State,” which is ridiculous.  Another relative baby in the dog world, she is learning quickly and is the first dog you see every morning at the reception desk.

Tucker

Don’t let this picture fool you either, this is the bow of a Princess Royale cruise boat, this is the biggest golden retriever in the history of retrievers.  Tucker, better known as Clifford the big red dog, some how crams himself into the smallest office in the building.  Known most prevalently for his slow motion 360s and bucking bronco dance move, he is the only dog we have that might have some luck dragon blood in him.

There are still some dogs at large in this calender so we end in July.  To make up for this injustice I leave you with this.

Sorry Jonesers, due to the awesomely long weekend we are not doing free soda Friday in office, I’ll see you guys next Friday! holla!

Jones is gearing up for the Seattle to Portland this year and have been riding to work and on weekends to get themselves in prime Lance condition.  Sometimes it’s hard to convince people to ride 25 miles, so in order to do so you must create incentives.  This is much how the sales business works, create an incentive and your team will produce.  This tactic is widely used throughout the business community, although typically a cash incentive is the customary, but since when has Jones been customary.  Our loyal Jones Soldiers cruised all the way from Jones HQ to Red hook for the incentive of beautiful, frothy, IPAs, Amber, Blondes, ESBs, and Porters…in moderation of course.

From Legal, to Ops. to whatever Emily does we can all come together!

As seen below, the kind peeps at Red hook treat us well.  Mark won the Brat eating contest with 7, second place was Amanda with 1.  Needless to say, the day was full of laughs, crashes were kept to a mimimum (Judy), and everyone got 50 miles closer to tackling the STP! So when you see the Jones Team mobbing to Portland with a big ‘Ol RV behind them picking up stragglers and feeding them Jones Gaba and 24c, shout us out and we’ll throw you some Jones product too!  Later Friends, we’ll see you on the streets!

Check out Rob's racing shirt accompanied w/ some B-Ham Guns...oooh

They’re Here!!!!Jones Soda has come out with a Hispanic Soda! Jones refresco de caña pura comes in 4 delicious flavors, Limon(Lime), Tutti Frutti(Fruit Punch), Crema De Piña (Pineapple Cream), y Naranja Mandarina (Mandarin Orange).   So far this hispanic soda fad is sweeping the Southwest so if you’re in the vecinity, it’s looking  bueno for you!  For the rest of the nation just sit tight and wish upon an estrella that Jones Hispanic soda will come your way.

So I leave you with one of the best cinematic scenes in history dubbed in Spanish.

Local Seattle clothing and art design company Spacecraft (our next door neighbors) are teaming up with Mad Bunny to throw a bad ass art show on this Friday, May 22nd from 5-10pm.  If that wasn’t enough all of the proceeds for the clothing and art you buy goes to the support of the Bali School Fund For Kids!  This is a charity very close to the heart of our neighbors because they started Bali making their clothes  and still frequent there.  So head to 9th and Thomas in South Lake Union Seattle and see the works of Stefan Hofman, Japan’s Mad Bunny, Pat Wright,  and Lib Tech’s artists Quincy Quigg and Ryan Davis.  Also you can dabble in the acoustical guitar strummage of Scott Sullivan and watch Jones Soda’s own sponsored Athlete Sky Siljeg throw some gnarly tricks on his board and maybe even dazzle us with some original artwork. The Bar across the street Venik, will be serving Jones Soda Hispanic Limon cocktails to Jonesers of age and it should be an all out rager so grab some friends and check out some sweet artwork, clothes, hats, and photos that all benefit the Bali School for Kids Fund and leave with some sweet gear! Check out Spacecraft on the web and remember to follow us on Twitter and Facebook fools.

Sky Siljeg, Jones Soda Athlete, skying high at the Bowl-A-Rama