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Racer of the Fortnight – Cameron King

20 Year old American Cameron King lives at Manhattan Beach, California, and when he’s not ski racing, he’s studying Architecture at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

Having learned to ski at just 4 years of age, Cameron entered his first race in 1999 at the age of 8. It was a Region II race at Lake Elsinore and since then, along with his parents, this likable American has gone on to race in many countries around the world.

Cameron King by Billy Lacroix

Cameron King - Photo by Billy Lacroix

But after all his international travel, the race that tops them all for Cameron is Catalina. He said; “from start to finish, there is nothing like it. Racing across the open ocean with 42 foot boats, and being out in the middle of nowhere rolling up and down the swells for 62 grueling miles is one of a kind.”

For his typical water training, Cameron is out on the river in Parker, Arizona and as soon as he can find a crew, he gets on his Maha 360 or Air Cotto, depending on how rough it is, and cuts the wake for as long as the driver will pull him.

Off the water he aims to train at least 4 days a week, but sometimes with school and work it can be hard to find the time. With his trainer Jonathan Jones, he will focus mainly on strengthening his core muscles and balance and when he goes to the gym alone, he works on muscle strength.

Recently Cameron was fortunate enough to travel to Australia for several weeks of winter training. He said; “I owe a big thank you to the Stout family and several crews that I skied behind, for making my off-season training possible”.

All of this hard work of course is part of Cameron’s campaign to secure a place in the American F2 Team for the 2011 World Championships in Australia later this year. With his crew of John Doherty and Mike King, boat #777 will be pulling out all the stops in a bid to win the honor of representing the USA again.

Over the years, Cameron has notched up 4 US Open titles; 2009 and 2010 17-25 Men’s Champion and Men’s Formula 2 Champion. But his greatest title would have to be 2nd in Men’s Formula 2 at the 2009 World Championships in Belgium. He said; “the entire week in Belgium was beyond my expectations, and to share it with my family and friends was awesome. And all this was achieved with his faithful Australian DC ski & bindings.

In fact, the most memorable moment in Cameron’s ski racing career was the second race at the 2009 Worlds at Genk – said to be the roughest race of the four. Cameron said; “I was unsure if I would be able to contend with the front runners, but, unexpectedly, I finished the race with my first win at a worlds event. Surprised as I was, I gained the confidence knowing I could contend for a top spot overall. Standing at the top of that podium for the first time ever was the greatest moment; looking down seeing my family and friends and being able to share it with them was what really made the moment so significant and unforgettable”.

2009 World Championships - Belgium

2009 World Championships - Belgium

Cameron loves the adrenaline rush of ski racing, the competition, and the people. He said; “there is nothing like racing down the first straight or side by side across the finish line. Pushing myself against others is such a rush, and I haven’t found anything comparable. As for the people in the sport, there are people in ski racing that are like family. Even if they are thousands of miles away, I may not see them for years, but when we get back together it’s like we’ve only been apart for days”.

His best piece of advice to up and coming skiers is to always push themselves. He said; “I know it sounds cheesy, but I wish I learned this earlier in my ski racing career. When I was younger, there are several times I wished I had pushed myself further, and dug deeper to become a better skier”. Over the years, Cameron has learned to take a proactive approach to any racing career setbacks, as opposed to just being reactive. He said; “as the saying goes …mind over matter”.

Cameron takes his safety on the water very seriously and wherever he travels to compete, he always seems to attract attention over the safety gear he wears. But despite nicknames he gets, like the most famous “dreadlocks”, he really believes in all the safety gear he wears and even if it does look like a nuisance, he has raced with the gear for most of his life and doesn’t notice it any longer.

Cameron’s biggest influences in his ski racing career have been his family, and great skiers throughout the sport’s history such as Debbie Nordblad, Marsha Fitzgerald, Lori Dunsmore, Carlo Cassa and others. He said; “without my family’s support, I could not have achieved anywhere near as much in my career. Debbie, Marsha, Lori, and Carlo are inspirations to me, and I hope to become as great a skier as them someday”.

Cameron King

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His family has always supported his ski racing in the US and overseas. Most importantly to him, his parents have done everything they can to allow him to develop into the best skier possible. He is also fortunate to have the support from JayBird, an audio company based out of Utah. Jaybird focuses on athletic headphones, specializing in wireless Bluetooth connectivity, which is perfect for land training.

Cameron King

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Cameron King

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Cameron King

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