Athlete-turned-designer: Jay DeMerit's new speakers spark change

Jay DeMerit didn’t make it in American soccer – but that didn’t stop him from making his way to the top of European leagues.

DeMerit’s journey from rags to soccer riches is documented in Rise & Shine The Jay DeMerit Story – a Kickstarter documentary that not only showcased his story, but also started his first philanthropic foundation.

Now the professional soccer player is giving his Rise and Shine Foundation a leg up with some of his pre-athlete experience in industrial design.

Rockit Log/Kickstarter

DeMerit designed a number of different speakers, called Rockit Logs, using reclaimed wood from logging operations. He turned this abandoned wood into works of visual and audio art with high acoustic quality.

Each speaker uses bluetooth connections, with more than 10 hours of battery life and up to 60 watts of audio power.

For the first while, sales of DeMerit’s Rockit Logs will go towards funding the hardware investment to mass produce the audio technology. But once that’s settled, all proceeds from these speakers will support the Rise and Shine Foundation.

DeMerit also partnered with other celebrities to bring some custom designs to the Rockit Logs.

The Snow Queen by Ashleigh McIvor/Kickstarter

Each custom speaker can come signed by the celebrity, and the proceeds from the speaker will go towards a charity of the celebrity’s choice:

• The Snow Queen by Ashleigh McIvor, Canadian Olympic gold medalist. Proceeds go to Rise and Shine Foundation.
• The Keeper by Tim Howard, pro soccer keeper. Proceeds go to America Scores Denver.
• The MVP by Steve Nash, Canadian basketball player. Proceeds go to the Steve Nash Foundation. SOLD OUT
• Boston Strong by Eliza Bushki, actress. Proceeds go to Camp Hale Girls Program. SOLD OUT
• Don’t Fake the Funk by The Funk Hunters, Vancouver music duo. Proceeds go to the Music Heals Charitable Foundation.
• Cream of the Crop by Sean Pettit, Red Bull pro skier. Proceeds go to the McMorris Foundation.
• El Heffe by Jeff McConnell, Portmanteau Stereo co-founder. Proceeds go to his charity.
• The Stork by Eddie Lack, NHL goaltender. Proceeds go to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
• Pemby Fest by Pemberton Music Festival. The purchase of this stereo comes with two VIP passes to the festival.

Rockit Logs also come with other interesting designs, like the Suitcase Stereo, the Beer Pong Table, and the Coffee Table – although they cost more.

All of these designs are available through Kickstarter – you can get the ordinary Rockit Log for $199, you can customize your own Rockit Log for $249, or you can get one of the celebrity Rockit Logs for $299.

For more information on Jay DeMerit’s reclaimed wood speakers, check them out on Kickstarter. Check his foundation out on Twitter.