Skiing a long way from home

By Jack Kintner

Cameron Evans is a third-generation waterskier from Auckland, New Zealand, who came 7,000 miles, much farther than anyone else, to enter last weekend’s world-class meet at Borderline Sports Lake, a man-made private lake southeast of Blaine.

“It’s winter there, you know,” said Evans, 17, “and the weather makes it impossible to prepare for the worlds.” The world waterskiing championships will be held over Labor Day weekend outside Orlando, Florida.

Until then, Evans is staying with a family in Bellingham and training at this private facility with John and Terry Goodman, long-time competitors in their own right and manufacturers of high-end competitive water skis.

Evans’ grandfather began waterskiing almost 60 years ago, “right after he got back from the war,” Evans said. Both parents have been active competitors and his sister Victoria, 21, and brother Michael, 19, have both been to the world championships twice. Cameron Evans has been competing for eight years and is making his second trip to the worlds.
He competes on a 68 inch O’Brien Maple slalom ski, a 43 inch D3 Custom X trick ski and jumps on a pair of seven foot four inch Goodmans made in Bellingham of the same graphite and honeycomb construction found in the wings of B2 bombers.

In New Zealand Evans has won national titles in jumping and trick skiing three times and has been over-all champion in his age group twice. His best jump of 150 feet puts him into the top 10 in the world in his age group, under 17 prior to January of this year.

His best total for trick competition is a respectable 5,300 points, and in slalom has managed two buoys with 35 feet off the rope.
In Blaine last week, Evans scored well in trick competition but fell Sunday in jumping hard enough to sprain his wrist. He also sports a shiner a Golden Gloves boxer would be proud of.

“I’m looking forward to Orlando, though,” said Evans, “maybe even getting some time to go see Disney World.” Evans will spend the next two months training on Borderline Sports Lake and attending meets in the west.