In 2011, four year old Cameron Zaborny did his first Columbia Mini Muddy Buddy in Detroit, Michigan and loved every second of it. “All he talked about afterwards was how he couldn’t wait until the next Mini Muddy Buddy, “remembers his dad Marc. “We have an old garden area in the backyard and we made it into a mud area so Cam could practice. Muddy Buddy seriously became his Christmas. He couldn’t wait .”

When we announced that the Detroit event wasn’t going to happen in 2012, we received an email from Marc telling us how much young Cameron loved Muddy Buddy. “He was devastated when we told him that there wouldn’t be an event in Detroit this year,” continues Marc. “This is a kid who was crawling across the living room and pretending it’s the mud pit,” continues Marc. “We have bike tires set up in the back yard and a rock climbing wall on the jungle gym, and when Cam yells out ‘Muddy Buddy!’ everyone starts playing.

There was only one thing to do to keep such a devoted fan happy. We flew Cameron, Marc, Marc’s wife Kristine and three year old Katarina to Chicago so that Cameron could do the Mini muddy Buddy there. “Cam was third in the five year old heat, and he raced in a Hawaiian shirt, just like me,” smiles Marc. “As soon as we got back home, he took his medal and t-shirt to day care to show everyone. Cam and our entire family had the best time!”