Jay: Welcome to the web site Jakey. Let's jump right in and talk about your cannon. Where did you ever get the idea for such odd ammunition for the cannon?

Jakey Hicks: Anna came across several of the caps for the oxy-acetylene set ups while we were searching for other stuff, and we put them aside "just in case". It so happened that they fit into the barrel of our cannon wonderfully, and with the addition of some lead core they were the approximate correct weight. Bruce, our expert, wasn't so sure, and at the last moment I scrounged some engine cylinders (pistons) as a back-up plan. We ended up using the larger ammo for more probable damage effect.

J: And more damage you did! What about that cannon? There was concern by the judge that the walls of the cannon were too thin. Was that a concern for you as well?

JH: No. The judge tried to play this up. If we had been repeatedly firing the cannon in heavy-use conditions, his concern would have been valid. Heavy use would have heated the barrel and put undue stress on the welds. We knew we'd be making a very limited number of shots, with plenty of time for the barrel to cool between fires, and had no worries about our barrel exploding, particularly after we reinforced the breech end of things.

J: I also seem to remember another judge saying that the cannon would get stronger after each shot. Something about the pressure and molecules...anyway, how did your team feel after each teams first shot?

JH: They didn't show on camera my father and I fighting just before our first shot... I wanted to check his sight and he didn't have the same idea and we were bickering as fathers and daughters will...The Washburns first shot was excellent, and we were truly excited for them - one of the machines had WORKED! Our excitement was somewhat dampened when ours missed, and my father later said that his heart fell into his knees at that point. It was strange not being able to see the cannons as this was happening, very detached and surreal. Bruce was fabulously calm and kept our spirits up, and we just gave it our best.

J: You did indeed! Did you know that the wall you were going to be firing at would be an unbonded cement block wall?

JH: We knew it would be a cinderblock wall, but it sure seemed a lot farther away once we got to the firing range! There was concern on build day as to whether or not we'd get a practice round, and we were frantically searching for another set of caps "just in case."

J: To switch gears, your glider took a nasty bump rendering it unflyable. Was it really unrepairable?

JH: When our glider crashed, the damages were in all of the worst places. Both main struts supporting the keel were snapped - hanging on by a shred of metal. The right trailing edge of the wing was sheared in two and the tension cable had snapped. The pilots box was bent 45 degrees up and away from where it should have been, making the tubing totally unsafe for another flight. If we'd had a whole 'nother day and been in the build bay we might have been able to salvage it. My dad said the next morning that he'd dreamed of a way to fix it, but by then it was too late. Anna and I were really pulling to at least try to put the thing in the air again, but the safety of the craft prevented us from doing so.

J: That's really too bad. To work 10 long hours and get 2 seconds of air time. Now, we all saw that your father was...um...how can I put this delicately...demanding. Is it fair for us, the armchair junkyard warrior, to say that he's a task master?

JH: Dad knows the shortest way to get things done and comes off gruff because he is so focused on finishing the task at hand. One strange thing about being the scroungers is that Anna and I would come back from trying to round up all the stuff on our list, and the plans may have changed while we were out there or Dad and the expert would be at a point in the plan where Anna and I would need to be brought up to speed. Once Dad gets going, he doesn't like to stop, so that was hard for him and I thought he did very well under the circumstances. What seems like "task-mastering" is really just his way of rallying the troops. Anna and I understand his style of communication so we were not offended. We also knew ahead of time that Dad was Captain for a reason, and that you need the support crew to have a full team. We had no problem taking orders - Dad has infinitely more experience than either of us and knows his stuff. We have the advantage of knowing how to reach him with humour, so it worked well.

J: It would appear then, that the adage about what you see on TV isn't necessarily what you perceive holds true. Were you "into" the show before competing?

JH: Actually, I had been watching since TLC started airing the british episodes in December of 2000. I was so enthusiastic about it that I went online looking for more information and discovered that RDF was looking for new contestants. I carted my video camera down to my Dad's house and cajoled Dad and Anna into filling out the applications and making the video. To be perfectly honest, they were just humouring me! I'd brought down a videotape of one of the shows ( I think it was the hovercraft episode ) and made them watch it before we did our clip. Dad's response was "We can do this. We can totally do this." I also have a brother, and while he has more hands-on mechanical experience than Anna, we thought that having two daughters on our team would up our chances of being selected. At that point, we were just thinking "How can we get them to notice us?" So we went down to Dad's shop and took some footage of Anna and I welding, Dad fixing the heating system, and some individual intros. Then we gathered some last-minute bits and pieces from Dad's garage and made a record player out of scrap. (You have to use the last three minutes of your audition video to show how a machine - any machine- works.) Using a sewing needle, a cake decorating tip, a coffee can, a metal funnel and a cordless drill we made the thing function and played a couple of records for the camera. When we got the call that we'd been selected we were amazed and elated!! And shaking in our boots - all of a sudden we started thinking about all the experience we DIDN'T have! We had a feeling we were in over our heads but were hoping to give it our best shot. So, every weekend until we flew to LA, we practiced - welding, engine repair, sewing skills, destruction techniques, anything we thought might come into play. We just wanted to have a good time while we were there and (hopefully!) not look stupid doing it!

J: I wouldn't say you looked stupid & neither should anyone else. What did you come away with from being on Junkyard Wars?

JH: It was interesting because we all came away with something different from our shared experience. One of the best things that came out of our appearances was the incredible sense of bonding between my sister, father, and I. It may look easy on TV, but let me tell you it is some very hard work out there in the junkyard! You really feel the clock breathing down the back of your neck, and while Anna and I are hams, my Dad wasn't used to the cameras being right there in your face so there was some adjusting we had to do. Anna and I came away with a renewed sense of what we're capable of under pressure and feeling proud to be positive role models for young women pursuing interests in primarily male-dominated fields. Dad came away with a feeling of accomplishment as none of us had ever built either of our challenges before and we truly had to work as a team.

J: That's really cool and I think that exemplifies the spirit of the show. How would you describe the over-all experience?

JH: Amazing, incredible, educational, unforgettable. How can I describe it? It was the most fun I've ever had working that hard! One of the best vacations I've ever had the good fortune to take part in! I have to say that participating in Junkyard Wars was probably one of the highlights of my life so far and that I would encourage anyone who's got the skill and the chutzpah to apply.

J: We'll wrap up with the all-important question...Would you do it again?

JH: In a heartbeat. Everyone I've spoken to who's been a part of the production has said the same thing. Speaking of which, I'm looking for a woman who kicks ass at engines for the possibility of reapplying with a new team. Any ladies out there reside in Portland and eat, breathe and sleep motors? Give me call! Laura Sol (from the Dukes of Spook) and I would love to put together a mean team of Junkyard Grrls for another go at the trophy.....

J: If there are any ladies interested, send me an email and I'll pass your note along to Jakey who can give you more details. I think it'd be a hoot! Jakey, thanks for your time. I'll give you the last word.