Cameron had a tidy stack of video clips in 411 at a time when heads were tripping over each other to get in. Dude even had an opener - a no-nonsense switch back tail on the curved Venice Beach ledge. Lamentably, a full part never materialized. After scoping a handful of buddy cam clips someone posted on Youtube, I started to get curious. Why didn't it happen for this guy? Some people burn bright and then fade out, but this cat didn't even get his cut! Thanks to the genius of Myspace networking, I was able to track down Cameron and ask him some questions. - Dustin Umberger

Dustin: During the late 90's and early 00's, you were stacking some impressive clips in 411 and other people's video parts. You even had a 411 opener. Have you been sitting on a full part this whole time? Where can we see more footage of Cameron?

Cameron: Filming is crazy! Sometimes I would try tricks for days! I did have a section with 2 minutes of footage on a episode of The Captain and Casey Show on the Fuel network. Most of the footage on there is throwaway or dork footage though. Back in the mid 90's we would always film with a ghetto 8mm video camera and also borrowed the girl one when Robbie got on girl. So a lot of the footage is not usable or I felt it wasn't.

Dustin: You were seen rocking a lot of World gear in those 90's clips. Were you on flow for one of those companies at the time?

Cameron: Yeah. I got boards for a few years from World. I think it was like 1998 to 2001 or something like that. I was suppose to ride for Shaolin or at least I thought. I would bring new footage in to show Rodney then I just started getting over it. That company had a short life so I was like whatever and just sold my decks and partied and stopped filming all the time.

Dustin: What are some of your most memorable experiences during the Venice Pit era?

Cameron: The Venice Pit was a crazy place! There are so many crazy stories there! Imagine skateboarding and falling into a pile of shit or puke. It happened every day there! Needles on the ground, used condoms in the hallway with urine and blood around them. Just sick shit everywhere. But it was so much fun to skate. No one would ever go down there so you could skate it all day. I couldn't tell you how many times my board slipped and and flew into a homeless persons home and hit them! I remember when Muska moved up to LA and Felix, they started skating it too. It was crazy. We were all like whoa what are these dudes doing here. One time this dude robbed like 8 rollerbladers just to show off to his friends. There were cops searching your bags a lot there for drugs and shit but they were always cool. When it rained it would wash all the sin out and it would be clean for a day!

Dustin: How did you meet Robbie McKinley? Is it a coincidence that you are both highly skilled, yet fairly underrated skaters?

Cameron: I met Robbie randomly at the beach in Santa Monica in like 95 or 96? I ended up renting a room from Marko Jazbinsek of Sugar Skateboards and started linking up with their whole crew. Me and Robbie skated everyday after that. So many spots were so close to our houses. We had the SM Courthouse, Venice Pit, SM Beach gaps, and tons of table schools close by. Robbie was so consistant! My kind of skateboarding takes days to land tricks and he just pulls shit out of his ass! At the time every company wanted to get their hands on him. He never really cared or kissed ass. I think that's why he was undercover because he kept a low key profile and didn't try to run a sell-out image. I tried using the same sources as he was but I think I went about it the wrong way and it worked against me.

Dustin: How did you become involved with Hotrod Skate Shop? Do you still see some of the old locals out skating like Preston Acuff or Steve Hernandez?

Cameron: I started going to Hotrod around 96 just to try to get free griptape or whatever. The dudes that worked there would always give everyone a hard time! I think the first time I went in there they made me feel crappy and I left pissed! I later ended up being friends with the owner and bought half the business and now we are partners. I completly changed the store to my updated view of fashion and lifestyle. I see Preston Acuff around all the time. He is always at some hot club with some hot chick! Just saw him on some random commercial a couple days ago so I know that he is doing well! I haven't heard from Steve for days. Hope all those guys are doing good. And as you probably know the whole old management of Hotrod does The Captain and Casey Show on Fuel.

Dustin: Why wasn't your switch back tail to backside flip out released in a video? It seems like you did that trick way before it was normal to see such a thing.

Cameron: It never got released because I was saving it for a video part in like 99 and it never happened so it went to the dead footage vault. That was my trick back then so I was always trying to do different variations of it. I tried switch backside tail slide switch heelflip for like a year! Damn, fucking trick killed me! Skating is nuts when you think about how much time you will put into a trick!

Dustin: Were you ever on track to making a career of skateboarding? How often do you get to skate now in light of your shop owner responsibilities?

Cameron: I wanted to make money skateboarding but after seeing all my friends being used by the industry and me having to wait so long to get in that I got over it. I just started finding ways to make money on the side. And then that lead to me owning Hotrod and Cease and Desist Collection. Cease and Desist is a lot of fun because I get to re issue old decks that I always wanted when I was young.

Dustin: Why is the sand gap spot such an iconic spot to film? People continue to skate there today despite the sandy ground and gnarled ledge factor.

Cameron: The view down at the beach is amazing! So that place films so well! Plus you don't get kicked out and there are pretty girls everywhere! Besides getting sand in you bearings you can spend hours there and probably pick up some hot girls.

Dustin: It seems like Venice Beach has a fairly high sketch factor with all the weirdos and crowds of people around. What's the craziest thing you've seen go down there?

Cameron: I have seen some shit go down there. Crazy shit like homeless women shitting in the street to a homeless couple having sex on a bench. There was also a crazy riot there! The pit would always have homeless fights and randomness! Also I forgot about porn stars walking around naked taking photos at the pit! I just remember everyone skating then just stopping and staring.

Dustin: Finally, what are your future goals for skateboarding?

Cameron: My future goals are to get back on my board and try to get my friend to let me into The Berrics again! That place is so much fun and you learn your shit so fast! I would love to film a part too. I am getting more free time now and I am getting way more psyched on skating!