This year I skipped the contests on purpose.
Dunk Camp had just ended when I filmed this. I was already back home in Minnesota, and I can say it was an amazing week. This particular session was from Thursday, day four of the camp. There were contests running throughout the day and a show later that night. But for the first time, I sat the contests out, and I’m glad I did.
Day Four Of Dunk Camp
If you’ve followed my journey, you know this place means a lot to me. My first trip back in 2022 changed everything, and you can read about where it all started if you want the origin story. Last year was another level entirely, and I broke down that whole trip in my Dunk Camp 2023 recap.
So by the time day four rolled around this year, I’d been to Dunk Camp enough times to know exactly what I wanted out of it. The camp itself runs all day. You’re dunking with some of the best people in the sport, and on top of that there are contests and a show packed into the schedule. It’s a lot, and you have to decide where to spend your energy.
Why I Didn’t Enter Any Contests
This year I decided not to compete in any of the contests. There were two reasons.
The first one is simple. I won a low rim contest last year. That was already in my pocket, and I decided I didn’t really need to do another low rim contest just to prove something I’d already proven. Repeating it wouldn’t have moved me forward.
The second reason was my legs. They weren’t feeling great, and I wasn’t confident I’d get even close to winning the 10 foot contest. When you’re not bouncing the way you know you can, walking into a 10 foot contest is asking to come up short in front of everyone. I’d rather know my body than bet against it.
Training For The Long Run, Not The Trophy
It would have been easy to enter every contest just to enter them. A lot of dunkers do that. But chasing every single trophy isn’t the same as getting better, and the two goals can actually pull against each other.
I think about my dunking as a long term project. There’s a real difference between what you do in a contest and what you build in training, and I dug into that idea in my post on game dunks vs session dunks. Knowing when to push and when to hold back is part of the job. A shoulder injury taught me a version of that lesson once before, which is why I wrote about training smarter after getting hurt.
Skipping the contests this year was the same mindset. I didn’t need the win. I needed to protect my body and keep stacking real progress for the seasons ahead.
The Session That Surprised Me
Here’s the part I didn’t see coming. Even with dead legs, this session surprised me.
I was still hitting Eastbays. I was still pulling out some crazy dunks I hadn’t hit in a while. On legs that honestly didn’t feel ready, the day turned into one of the better ones I had all week. That’s the strange thing about not putting pressure on yourself. Once I took the contests off my plate, I could just dunk, and my body responded better than I expected.
The Eastbay is a dunk I’ve chased for years, so hitting it on tired legs meant a lot. If you’re curious about that one specifically, I told the full story of landing my first Eastbay and the work it took.
A Lot Of People And A Lot Of Fun
Beyond the dunks, the best part was who I got to share the floor with. I got to dunk with a lot of people, and it was a lot of fun. That’s the whole reason camp is special. You’re surrounded by people who love this the same way you do, all pushing each other to be the best they can be.
Sitting out the contests didn’t take anything away from that. If anything, it freed me up to enjoy the session for what it was.
The Show Is Coming Next
Later in the day was the show, and it was crazy. It genuinely surprised me. That deserves its own post, so I’m covering the day four Dunk Show separately, and that video is coming out very soon.
Looking back, choosing not to compete might have been one of the smarter calls I made all week. I didn’t need another low rim trophy, my legs weren’t ready for the 10 foot contest, and I still walked away with a session I’ll remember. Sometimes the right move is to step back from the spotlight and trust the long game.
About The Author
