Documentary on Sarasota Olympic skateboarder debuts in private screening

“Into the Spotlight: The Jake Ilardi Story” – a documentary about the Osprey resident turned professional skateboarder who became a member of the first U.S. Olympic skateboarding team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics – is a passion project created by Jake’s twin brother Nate Ilardi and their longtime friend Liam Jordan.

Nate Ilardi served as cinematographer and an editor on the film, which was directed by Jordan, a Ringling College graduate.

Both men gave credit to Rick Ives, an Atlanta-based freelance editor who also works with Marvel Studios, for taking 90 hours of raw footage and producing a two-hour editor's cut.

“We’re too close to Jake to be able to cut a whole movie together,” Jordan said during a panel discussion moderated by Benny Ray of The Compound Boardshop.

The 93-minute film made its theatrical debut Feb. 4 in a private screening at CMX CineBistro Siesta Key. The trailer can be found on YouTube at https://bit.ly/3uvDd7B.

Ives, whose initial knowledge about skateboarding consisted of knowing that Tony Hawk is a legendary skateboarder, turned out to be a perfect counterpoint to the filmmakers' knowledge.

“My goal with this movie was to present this to an audience that not necessarily knows much about skateboarding,” Jordan said. “I want a family to be able to watch it, enjoy it – really it’s a character piece on Jake.

“It’s two twin brothers and we’re following their journey,” he later added. “Nate’s a big part of the story, too.”

Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Granny

The film opens and closes with words from Paulette Moulton, affectionately known as Granny and Hawk talking about Jake. Moulton recalled how she bought the twins their first skateboards from Walmart – Mickey Mouse for Jake and Winnie the Pooh for Nate. Hawk said he first noticed images of Ilardi’s showmanship as more than just a “trick of the week,” but “more “Whoa! What is going on there?”

Nate started documenting his brother on a digital Kodak bought by their grandmother when they were 8.

Those early videos helped earn his brother valuable exposure and early sponsorships.

Jordan’s character study captures the relationship between the twins and their tireless work ethic, as well as Jake’s growth as he progresses through highs, such as turning pro and clinching his Olympic berth at the Worldskate Street Skateboarding Championships in Rome, and lows, like injuring himself while attempting a rail trick at Hollywood High, and a subpar performance at The Dew Tour Stop in Des Moines, Iowa prior to Rome.

It also captured Jake’s efforts to restore and upgrade Payne Skate Park in Sarasota.

Before the Olympics, he approached the city of Sarasota about improvements needed at the skate park and then started a GoFundMe page to raise money to build a quarter pipe and replace aging rails at the park.

He is still raising funds for park improvements through a nonprofit, Skate City SRQ and is talking with the city parks department about further improvements and even a possible expansion.

“Hopefully we can make it to where we have an Olympic qualifier in Sarasota for the 2028 games,” Jake said.

A reluctant beginning

Jordan and Nate Ilardi were together when they learned that Jake had a chance to become an Olympian. Skateboarding was one of five sports added to the Olympic roster by the host country.

Jake was the second-ranked street skater in the U.S. and sixth in the world when Nate – who has filmed for clients ranging from the WNBA and the U.S. Soccer Federation to 60 Minutes Australia through his company, ilardimedia.com – asked Jordan if he wanted to team up on a documentary project.

Jake was skeptical about the project at first.

“I’m used to Nate and all of the other filmers following me around and skating and stuff but not showing emotion, following me around to the PT (physical therapy) all that stuff,” he said. “I had my reservations at first but I'm really happy with how the film turned out and couldn’t be more proud of these boys and super stoked to be working with them still.”

Nate also explained to his brother that it was part of the process.

“As a filmmaker growing my business I knew that these are the moments that make the best story, so we’re going to have to be there at all times,” Nate said.

Jordan said he noted a change in Jake as things progressed and by the Dew Tour, he was checking to make sure they didn’t forget his microphone when he made his runs.

“We saw Jake’s growth of being comfortable on camera. It just took a while for him to get used to having a crew following him while he was upset or when he was winning or failing,” Jordan said.

Into the future

The two filmmakers plan on next screening the movie in New York City, with an eye toward an eventual public showing in Sarasota and ultimately securing a deal with a streaming service for general exposure.

Jake Ilardi returned to California Feb. 8 to train for his next contest and create more street footage with his sights set on a possible Olympic berth, July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris.

He is currently ranked 34th in the world and sixth in the U.S. – the top 44 in the world and top six in each country can earn a spot.

“I’m kind of chilling for the world spot but teeter-tottering for the U.S. spot, like I was in Rome a few years ago,” Jake said. “So pressure’s on for the next contest; gotta stay healthy, got to stay on top of my game and give them what I’ve got at the next one.”

That next contest is the WorldSkate Olympic street skate quaifier in Dubai, March 3-10.

If he advances beyond that to Phase two, the next hurdles are competitions May 14-19 in Shanghai and June 18-23 in Budapst.

“The past three years of qualifying, it hasn’t been my best,” he said. “So if I do make it to Phase 2 I’ll be able to make up for it in those following two contests.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Documentary that started with an Olympic dream screened in Sarasota