Who is Jake Kaminski ?
From his first shot at the age of six in Elma, New York, he was hooked. What initially started as a hobby slowly developed into a competitive lifestyle in which he learned what it takes to work passionately and tirelessly to achieve a goal. In 2003, Jake set his aim on competing in the Olympics and put everything he had into the sport. He earned residency at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA in 2006, where he trained full-time for 6 years under Coach Kisik Lee. Jake’s dedication and drive led to a highly successful competitive career, earning two Olympic Silver Medals (2012 & 2016), over fifteen international medals, two Pan-American Championship Gold Medals, numerous state medals and countless regional awards before retiring from competition in 2018 to settle down with his family in Florida.
An Ambassador for Archery
Post retirement, Jake
quickly realized archery wasn’t something he could walk away from. After 25 years and millions of arrows shot,
it was in his DNA. Being a professional archer
was about more than his personal success; it was about being an ambassador for
the sport and an inspiration to fellow archers.
Jake began spending more and more time offering his knowledge of all
aspects of archery in the form of seminars, coaching and books. Jake also reached a global audience with his
ever-growing YouTube channel, which has attracted archers of all skill levels
and disciplines from around the world and covers everything from advice, form,
mental management, tuning, equipment setup, gear reviews and testing. The demand for his time, expertise and
content grew until Jake, once again, found himself back in archery full-time.
The Search for Clarity
Jake was raised to
question everything and always found the smartest person in the room to see what
they were willing to share. As a
professional archer, he gained access to the people who designed his
equipment. Knowing how and why something
was engineered a particular way gave him a competitive edge, and fed his insatiable curiosity. “Was anything
overlooked?” “Were further improvements
possible?” Well aware of the lack of
data in the industry, Jake directed his curiosity into his YouTube content in
the form of highly detailed and comprehensive equipment reviews and testing. His obvious desire to bring data and clarity
to the industry did not go unnoticed.
A Partner Reaches Out
Across the world in Upper Austria, Jake’s content caught the attention of Thomas Finstermann. Thomas took up archery at the age of eight and shot competitively most of his life, representing Austria at both the European Field Championships and World Archery Field Championships. He also spends time coaching and assisting local archers in tuning their equipment. He shares Jake’s analytical nature and has always been able to identify flaws in anything technical. This led him to start his own company, ITS, now a world leader in industrial turbine technology. Thomas himself is an expert in physics, turbine engineering, thermodynamic optimization, fluid dynamics, and software development. In all his years shooting, archery equipment did not escape his discerning eye. This, along with his deep passion for the sport, prompted him to offer assistance to Jake in bringing data to the industry. Thomas’ contributions and input elevated Jake’s data-driven content to the delight of his audience.
Kaminski Archery: The Formation
As Jake and Thomas
continued working together, they discussed design issues that have plagued
equipment for the better part of 30 years and noted the same “new, better,
faster” marketing claims that get released every year without any supporting
data. They found commonality in the
belief that archery could be taken to another level with more data,
information, and clarity for the consumer.
Most importantly, they found themselves motivated by the same question,
“How much more performance can be achieved?”
Each had previously considered starting an archery company to address
these issues. While Jake was held back
by available resources and knowledge of material sciences and machining
practices, Thomas lacked a platform and the exposure necessary to get his ideas
and products into the hands of elite level shooters. They quickly realized that, together, they
had all the pieces. Kaminski Archery was
formed.
Kaminski Archery: The Rest of the Team
Years before Kaminski Archery, Jake met his wife, Heather Kaminski. From the very beginning, she was his biggest cheerleader. The two of them quickly developed into more than just a couple, but a true team, and partners in life who support each other in all endeavors. Heather was the perfect compliment to Jake, able to focus his attention beyond just archery performance. Heather directly facilitated the creation of their three books. She also was instrumental in him bringing his YouTube channel to the next level and organizing the administrative and customer service side of his product sales and coaching services. As Kaminski Archery formed, Heather has continued to provide her support anywhere and everywhere it is needed. And of course, she also "plays archery."
As work began on our first product, the Precision Tiller Bolts, Thomas’ son, Georg Finstermann, joined the team. Georg himself is an accomplished archer who shot for the Austrian National Team at two European Field Championships, bringing home a bronze team medal at their latest showing. Georg is also highly knowledgeable in the area of mechanical engineering and extremely proficient in 3D modeling, making him instrumental in conceptual design and R&D. He also spends much of his time working in the shop as a machinist, operator, and assembler directly making our high-end components and assembling them into final products.
As product release neared, Ryan Bon was brought onboard to work on the customer facing brand image. Ryan loves all things archery. Coming from a traditional archery background, Ryan also shoots compound and competes in barebow recurve winning his flight at The Vegas Shoot in 2023. He has an extensive background in graphic design and is a sales and marketing professional by trade. Ryan is responsible for and works on all aspects of the Kaminski Archery corporate image including design, marketing and branding.
Kaminski Archery: What Sets Us Apart
Kaminski Archery is a collective effort of a small team of archers to see how far we can take it, letting excellence and passion for the sport be our guide. We are deliberately structured to give ourselves the freedom to do things our way, control every stage from concept to production, all under our roof. We do not outsource. We proudly produce all our products in the US and Austria to ensure reliability and quality. Running our own in-house machines and having a two-time Olympic medalist involved in every stage of development, R&D and conceptual testing streamlines our prototyping and product development. It also gives us the ability to offer one-of-a-kind customization and tuning services. Additionally, by distributing from both the US and Austria, we reduce our customers shipping and customs costs that have become increasingly prohibitive.
Kaminski Archery: Our Mission Statement
Kaminski Archery is where passion drives precision. Everything we do is approached with the same dedication and pursuit of perfection that drove two-time Olympic medalist Jake Kaminski to success. Our products are designed to help archers achieve their goals and elevate their performance. We are more than just a company that sells archery equipment - we are a group of passionate archers who share a deep love for this sport. With our endless passion for performance and design... Kaminski Archery is Passion Driven Precision.