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VOLLEYBALL Some might call him a beach bum, but to really understand what AVP pro Dana Camacho is all about, you have to spend a little time getting to know him and his game. By Jon Hastings VAGABONDwww.digbeachvolleyball.com | 2009 #5 32 Aspen, Colorado, Labor Day, 2007 I was walking north at 7:45 a.m. on Mill Street, anticipating an inevitable collision with perhaps beach volleyball’s most intriguing character. Dana Camacho, puffing a Marlboro and ignoring his companion, was walking west on Durant Street. I calculated that in about 30 paces we would arrive at the same corner for an awkward encounter. I was familiar with the intrigue surrounding the enigmatic Camacho, but I wasn’t sure he knew me. We arrived on one of Aspen’s most fashionable intersections in marching-band rhythm. We were headed for the same destination. Much of the previous evening in my condo was spent speculating on whether Camacho was going to be up before noon, let alone by 8 for his scheduled match, so when our eyes met and the smoke cleared from his most recent exhale, I was obligated to offer a cordial: “What’s up?” I knew what was up. Camacho, 32, was on his way to what locals referred to as the Chart House courts, primarily used for the men’s open division at the popular Motherlode Tournament. He was paired against my son in the first losers’ bracket match of the day. Connor Hastings and his partner Andy Northness had finished their cereal and milk at 7 and had been warming up at the courts for probably 20 minutes. Conversely, Camacho’s blue eyes looked bloodshot. I figured the tequila he had the night before was working overtime as breakfast. “Not much,” he replied to my obligatory morning greeting. “Except my partner is a retard.” That partner would be the 6-5 Billy Chenoweth, a fellow Floridian who was walking in sync with the 5-9 Camacho. He showed no visible reaction to the less-than-flattering comment. I laughed uncomfortably. “Who put you guys in the losers’?” I asked, steering the subject away from retarded partners. “Didn’t matter who put us there,” said Camacho. “Anybody can beat a retard.” Chenoweth, of course, is a talented player who’s good enough to record many AVP main-draw finishes, as well as qualify as one of the USA’s Under-26 representatives in this summer’s FIVB developmental tour. Camacho’s standards, however, are different. He remembers reigning gold medalist Phil Dalhausser as somewhat of a volleyball klutz. Move forward two years to the AVP’s Manhattan Open in July of 2009. Camacho and his partner, Mike Bruning, a popular lower- ranked main draw player who’s almost completely deaf (an affliction most consider ideal for playing with Camacho), are pitted against Paul Baxter and Jonathan Acosta in the losers’ bracket on an outer court. Camacho attracts cult interest for most of his matches. In this one, he had launched his NASA approved sky ball serve on several occasions and dazzled the crowd with some incomparable digs. The match was in the third set and reaching critical mass, a time when Camacho can either thrive or wilt – often depending on the connection he has with his partner. After a long rally, Bruning tipped the ball on a block attempt and was trapped at the net, off balance. Camacho dove to get the misdirected shot. Then, seeing that Bruning was in no position to make a play, he went for an improbable kill. While in the air stretched out horizontally, he sent a line-drive dig with purpose into the top of the tape. The ball hung on the net for a split second and then fell near Bruning’s feet. It was a point for Baxter PHOTO BY DON LIEBIG and Acosta but recognized as a calculated shot by Camacho. www.digbeachvolleyball.com 33 PHOTOS BY PETER BROUILLET “I know I can be a jerk on the court, but I play with serious emotions.” Tom Feuer, who produced most of the Prime and Fox Sports broadcasts of the early AVP days, was standing near the serving line watching the play. He marveled at what he saw. “He tried to send the ball intentionally into the tape and have it dribble over,” said Feuer, who also enjoys the game as a player. “That was a brilliant attempt. Who can think that fast?” I saw the same thing. I classified Camacho as a volleyball savant. Feuer didn’t hesitate. “That’s exactly what he is. He’s a volleyball savant.” clubbing anymore. Not for seven or eight years. I may go to a few parties, Some of Camacho’s moves have not been but nothing like I used to.” so brilliant. He served four months in jail in 2006 for being the Camacho, who’s now based out of a friend’s San Diego home, didn’t middleman in a marijuana exchange, which is a nice way to say he was grow up with much family support. His first exposure to the game was involved in a drug deal. He has more ink on his arms than the Denver when he was six years old, watching the early telecasts (the ones Feuer Nuggets’ backcourt. His address is fluid, usually on a couch he didn’t produced) of Karch Kiraly, Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, Tim Hovland pay for. Most of the time he has no job, except beach volleyball. By most and Mike Dodd. He would watch the volleyball by himself. “I saw it on standards of society, he would be categorized “a loser.” TV, and it looked like something I wanted to do.” People who get to know Camacho see it differently. Ryan Cronin, a Camacho’s father wasn’t involved in his life and his mother, Nancy, qualifier player on the AVP Tour, says Camacho has an indescribable faced the pitfalls of a single mom raising an only child in a tough quality that makes him genuine and likable. “Dana can stay on your neighborhood of Miami. Dana spent ample time on the streets but found couch uninvited for three months, eat your food, not offer you a dime, refuge at a west Miami recreation center playing volleyball against adults and you’re happy he was there,” says Cronin. on lighted courts. His quickness, leaping ability and natural ball control Dan Madden, another volleyball player who monitors the sport closely, gave him an identity – something to feel good about. doesn’t think there’s a gray area when it comes to Camacho. “If you say you don’t like Dana Camacho, you either don’t know him or you’re He earned his first money playing lying,” says Madden. volleyball at 14, an open win worth $500. He moved out of Camacho wouldn’t be truly forthright if he didn’t admit he’s failed the house when he was 15, trying to scrape out an existence playing beach to capitalize on some of his talent. Estimates have him winning more volleyball in the series of East Coast events that offered small money than 100 satellite events since he started playing in 1994, from Rich purses. His first beach partner was fellow Floridian George Roumain, Heiles’ East End Tournaments (where Dalhausser and Nick Lucena got who made a national splash as an indoor star at Pepperdine and later their starts) to the Motherlode (three times) to Seaside (three times) with the USA National Team and on the AVP Tour. Camacho’s entry and countless smaller paydays across the country that seldom reach four into the game was more of a ripple, but the wake has been consistent. figures. His AVP success has been marginal at best. He has played in AVP star Sean Rosenthal is a supporter of Camacho’s game. The pair 40 AVP events since 1998, never finishing higher than 13th. His AVP won an event together in Manhattan Beach back when Rosie’s Raiders career prize money through the Hermosa Open was just over $4,500. were partying without purpose. “It was seven or eight years ago, but we Those are numbers for a player who never really had much business spanked everybody,” says Rosenthal. “We beat some good teams: (John) pursuing the sport professionally. Hyden and Andy Witt, Casey Jennings and Lee LeGrande. Some people might think he’s overachieved because he’s only 5-9, but I think he could But Camacho is different. be doing a lot better out here if he would have trained seriously, maybe “Yeah, I think he could have been a guy getting some decent finishes attracted a big, quality partner. I can say this, he was fun to play with and out here,” says Dalhausser, the gold-medal klutz who Camacho used to ball control was not an issue.” school back in Florida in the early part of this decade. “He likes to run his Former Olympian Kevin Wong was one of those marquee big guys mouth, and fans seem to like that. If he would have been more serious – who contemplated a Camacho pairing six or seven years ago. “He was on trained, taken care of himself – who knows how much success he could my list of defenders I was thinking about when I needed a partner.” said have? He might be limited with his size siding out against the very top Wong. The seven-time tour winner considers Camacho a guy that gives players, but I’ve seen him do some unbelievable things.” the tour an edge, much like John Daly does on the PGA Tour.

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