When Jordan Temkin started racing about three years ago, he says drone racing wasn’t an official thing. It was just something he did with his friends.
“I put the goggles on for the first time and I was like well I'm Superman,” Temkin remembers saying. “I can do whatever I want.”
He didn't think one of those thing would be becoming a professional drone racer.
“I never knew I would ever be doing something like this you know?” Temkin says. “It started out you know just as a passion.”
Temkin quit his job, got hired by the Drone Racing League and has been competing professionally in drone races across the world ever since. His secret to winning races?
“In the end if you don't crash and you're a little faster than everyone else you're good,” Temkin says.
Which is not as easy as it sounds. The drones racers use aren't like the ones in the store that hover for you. It's all manual, which Temkin says teaches you a lot.
“Think everyone should get into drone racing it's really cool,” Temkin says. “I mean especially for kids.”
14-year-old Dave Zubkov already has, and can see himself as a professional drone racer too.
“I think that's kind of what I want to do when I grow up,” Zubkov says. “To kind of be like Jordan and stuff like that.”
Now, working a dream job, one that just a few years ago didn't exist, Tempkin has this advice for others who want to do the same.
“Take the chance you know?” Tempkin says. “It doesn't matter if you're making a bunch of money just do what you love.”
