Zink qualifies for world event again

Carson City's Cameron Zink continues to make his mark on the international level in mountain bike racing.

For the second straight year, Zink, who graduated in June from Carson High, qualified for the World Championships as a member of the USA Junior Cycling team in the mountain biking downhill event. The World Championships will be in September in Les Gets, France. Last year, Zink, 18, competed in the World Championships in Lugano, Switzerland.

At the beginning of this year, Zink was named to the Santa Cruz Syndicate Bike Team, with a salary and all expenses paid. The team features some of the top riders in the world, including Australian Nathan Rennie and top ranked junior Henry O'Donnell of Downieville, Calif.

Zink competed in the Sea Otter Invitational Jumping Contest in April, placing fifth in the televised event.

From May through this month, Zink competed in NORBA national races in Big Bear, Calif., Snowshoe, W. Va., Mt. Snow, Vt., Mt. Sainte Ann, Quebec and Calgary, Alberta. His best finish was at Mt. Snow where he won to guarantee him the automatic third spot on the USA team for the World Championships.

In addition, Zink has won prize money, including $500 in Montreal in front of 12,000 fans.

Later this month he will travel back to Canada to compete in an invitational contest in Whistler, British Columbia. His next NORBA race will be at Mt Schweitzer, Idaho on Aug. 1, and then on to Aspen, Colo., and Durango. Colo., before the World Championships.

Zink also received the cover photo and a five page interview with photos in the May-June issue of Decline Magazine, a well-respected bi-monthly mountain bike magazine. He is also featured doing a back flip in a photo from the SeaOtter contest in the current July-August Decline issue.