I grew up in Colorado, where fishing opportunities were few and far between. But every spring, I’d get the chance to visit my grandparents in Naples, Florida — and that’s where everything started.

When I was in 5th grade, I realized something that would change my life forever: you could catch a shark from shore.
I’d always go fishing with my grandparents’ neighbor, Jack. He had this massive 80-size spinning reel on a 12-foot surf rod, and to me, that thing looked like a cannon. We’d spend hours on the beach chasing anything that would bite — rays, smaller fish, even baby hammerheads. The biggest shark I could land back then was a two-foot hammer. But Jack fueled my obsession; those trips were all I looked forward to each year.

As a kid, I was glued to YouTube, watching guys like Josh Jorgensen from BlacktipH land monster sharks from the sand. I idolized that lifestyle — and every year in Naples, I’d chase that dream of catching something massive.
Then, during my sophomore year of high school, it finally happened. I landed my first real shark — a 7-foot nurse shark that pushed close to 200 pounds. From that moment, I was hooked for life.

By my senior year, I wanted to go bigger. My cofounder, Asher, and I scraped together $300 for a small charter boat. We set up for goliath grouper and sharks, and after two solid hookups — a 60-pounder and a 200-pounder — it happened. The rod bent, line started screaming, and after a 45-minute battle on my 50W International, we landed an 11-foot tiger shark estimated around 600 pounds. That fight changed everything.

After college, I moved down to Florida full-time. I landed a job, started fishing the beaches twice a week, and began pouring everything I had into this passion — over $15,000 in rods, reels, drones, and gear — all to create something bigger.
Today, through HammerHQ, I’m building a platform to share that same feeling of adrenaline, obsession, and respect for the ocean that started with those Naples trips years ago. HammerHQ is more than a content page — it’s about curating a full shore-based shark fishing experience for anyone who’s ever dreamed of landing a true giant from the sand.