In June 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada's Cameo Wilson flew into Vancouver, destroyed immediately, and drew a lot of attention from fellow skaters, local media-heads and sponsors. In just a few months he joined three new teams north of the 49th, killed some contests, partook in a few web edits and went on tour to BC's interior for two weeks. By the time he headed back to hang out in Vegas for a while, he had an NBD published in SBC Skateboard's Fall 2010 issue and a 6-page "Shazam" interview in Color #8.4.

"Vegas has its perks but isn't the greatest place for a kid to grow up, but Vancouver? It's so positive," the 21 year-old says over the phone while avoiding the blasting afternoon desert heat in Sin City. "I don't know what it is, the four months I spent in Van were so happy. I'd wake up smiling every day, and I was never bored. I love that place, for sure."

Cameo actually lived in Vancouver until he was about five, but has no recollection. 16 years later, his adult reunion with the west coast city gave "eventful" a whole new meaning...

Was Go Skate Day (June 21st) when you returned to Vancouver for the first time since you were a little kid? I remember seeing footage of you in Color's GSD videos, and I was like, "Who's that guy?"
[Laughs] I showed up maybe a couple weeks before that. The only reason I came back was to get my passport and ID sorted, and some kid at a park reminded me it was Go Skate Day and I should meet up with everyone at the Plaza. I showed up there and it was insane (watch Part 1 and Part 2 of Color's coverage). The day went really well, and everything jumped off from there.

You started racking up some sponsors in Van...
Yeah, I don't know. It just kinda happened. I got hooked up with DVS Canada, Stacks and Momentum wheels. I'm hyped, for sure. I got to meet a lot of cool people who helped me out. 

Who do you ride for down in the States?
Elwood, and Pharmacy Boardshop.

Tailslide 270 out. Keith Henry sequence.

What kind of impact did Canada have on you early on?
Canadian people are so nice and outgoing. On Go Skateboarding Day, so many people just came up to me, like, "Yo, my name's so-and-so. Good to have you out here." Canada's gorgeous and everything, but the people made me wanna stay. I've been telling my friends in Vegas all about it. I'm super hyped on Canada.

What were some other events you took part in while you were in Vancouver?
I skated on BLVD's team in the Vans Roadblock. Their team was a guy short. I also skated the AM Getting Paid qualifier and got second. Berger got first, which was an all-expenses trip to the big contest. During the qualifier we made a deal that whoever won would put the other guy up in his hotel room in Montreal. [*Update: Berger took first/$5000, and Cameo took third/$1000 at AM Getting Paid 2010 on Sept.24-26 – more info and videos right here // Cameo also took third and $250 at the AXE Twist Amateur Open on Day 1 of W49's Take The Cake on Oct.1-2.]

You met a ton of people during your stint in Vancouver. Who were some of the heads you were skating with?
I met Matt Berger at Tampa Am before, but I never really got to kick it with him until I was in Vancouver. I filmed with Jordan Mayfield and Dane Collison a lot. There's so many insane shredders, like Spencer Hamilton. A lot of talent up there.

Your 3-flip down Black Ice in #12.4 of SBC Skateboard is an Never-Been-Done. What's the story behind that?
I'm super hyped on it. Rich Odam shot that. Dane and Jordan filmed the angles. I just went for it and it's not as big as you think once you jump down, but it's really intimidating when you stand at the top of it.

Which approach did you take? Did you bomb down the street or run and jump on your board á la Reynolds?
Jumping on like Reynolds did is insane. I bombed the hill [laughs].

Growing up in the States, what was your knowledge of Canadian skateboarding before you spent Summer 2010 here?
Honestly, I didn't know much. I had no clue Spencer Hamilton and Wade Desarmo were Canadian [laughs]. I never really heard of Russ Milligan, Paul Machnau, Paul Trep – those dudes are animals. They shred. I also didn't know Canada had a whole different skate industry, and it was cool to see how the Canada and US industries are different.

You seem to have a knack for tranny. How did you get into it?
The park I grew up skating in Vegas, Desert Breeze, was a street course at first, then they built a huge snakerun that led into a bowl. The trannies are tight, so if you can skate The Breeze, you can skate anything.

So, which parks were your favourites to skate in Vancouver?
I like Kensington a lot, even though it's pretty small. Hastings bowl is mad fun, Bonsor's pretty chill. I don't really like the Plaza – it needs some tranny [laughs].

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Related:
Wrap Up: West 49's Take The Cake
etnies AM Getting Paid 2010: Am Got Paid
Serious Ringers at the Vans Roadblock