Talk a bit about where you are from and how it all started for you as a Wave Rider?

CAM: Well I live in Hawaii… I come from a very athletic family…   I grew up in the water. I think I was chasing fish with my father at the age of 18months, ha! I grew up wakeboarding and surfing and a lot of fishing… I always gravitated to all kinds of board sports like skating, surfing and snowboarding. Kiting was a logical progression for me, but my roots have always been in the ocean riding waves.

Q2: You show a serious passion for strapless riding. Where do you see strapless in the future of the sport?

CAM: YES?? Ha I believe in strapless riding and try to push the boundaries of what is possible. If that is from huge barrels or massive airs, all strapless. I believe wave riding is the future of the sport it’s a part that everyone can connect with. I think strapless riding keeps it from looking kooky.  And I think you can do anything without straps. This is why I pushed the world tour last year, by being the only rider to ride every event strapless. Eventually others will see the light J

Q3: You competed on the KPWT last year, any competitions for you in 2010?

CAM: Not totally sure yet? Mauricio from the PKRA has spoken to me about competing in the full range of contests they have this year on the world tour, For me it is very import to see a commitment and have judging criteria that rewards strapless riding versus someone that is strapped in..

Q4: Where is your home-break and what are your favorite conditions? 

CAM: Hookipa Maui is my home break.  And you cannot beat side shore 20knots and 7ft surf.

Q5: Besides Kiteboarding and surfing, what else keeps you in the water?

CAM: Well, kiting isn’t all that I do. I basically am in the water all the time. I surf, kitesurf, tow surf, Stand Up Paddle a lot of the outside breaks on maui, and when the surf is down Im spear fishing or fishing. My life revolves around the ocean and I live in it.

Q6: Talk to us a bit about the future of kitesurfing and where you feel it is headed.

CAM: Kitesurfing as a sport is in a very interest place there are so many different categories of involvement. People have a wide range of gear to enjoy that is safer and easier to use than ever. The time for people to learn or get involved in the sport has dropped so much.

For me the different sides like freestyle a lot of people have lost a lot of interest in doing handlepasses, racing will be what it is, the people that enjoy that type of commitment to doing courses will always enjoy that aspect. For me, wave riding is finally coming into it’s own.  The level is really going through the roof, the gear has finally caught up with athleticism of some of the riders that have been doing with out the help of the gear. You are going to see things coming out of the waves that will blow your mind.

Q7: You have travelled to many sublime locations for kite. Talk a bit about your travels and favourite breaks.

CAM: Wow! I have a lot of great places, but it is very hard to beat Maui. So many good break so for me, a nice place to live… Or you could go to Morocco….  As for travel I have spent a lot of time out in the south pacific, Indonesia, Australia, tons of amazing places to kite.  But I always love going home to Maui.

Richard Mellon interview for Prokitespain.