The Why Behind the Work: Jake Kinney

Shredding and Serving in San Diego

As we gear up for an epic summer of Mobile Camps, we’re stoked to introduce you to one of the incredible leaders bringing the Camp Royal experience to the West Coast—specifically, San Diego. This summer, we’re partnering with Jake Kinney, whose life reflects exactly what ROYAL is all about: living with purpose, pursuing Jesus, and using action sports as a tool to reach and inspire the next generation.

Husband to Abigail and dad to two rad sons—Sayler (8) and Judah (4)—Jake is a family-first kind of guy who knows what it means to lead with love and live out his calling both at home and in ministry. He currently serves as the Outreach Director for Ride Nature California and also works with ROYAL behind the scenes on programming. When he’s not doing that, you can probably find him coaching mountain biking or hanging out with his crew, building up the local action sports community in a way that’s deeply intentional.

Rooted in Mission, Fueled by Passion

Jake’s connection with ROYAL goes way back—to the early days of outreach events at pro mountain bike races where he first met ROYAL’s founder. Years later, God reconnected their paths through mutual friends. Since then, they’ve continued to walk in partnership, driven by a shared mission, vision, and set of values.

So what is it about ROYAL’s mission that resonates so deeply with him? “Finding your identity in Christ and not in the sports we do,” he says. “Through the sports we love, we can share about Jesus while still growing in our walk with the Lord.”

This summer, Jake’s taking that passion straight into the streets, trails, and skateparks of San Diego—leading one of ROYAL’s Mobile Camps and bringing a fresh model of discipleship and stoke to kids in their own backyards. “I love this model,” he says. “We still get to shred and progress in our sports while growing in our spiritual formation.”

Local Spots, Eternal Impact

That fusion—of faith and fundamentals, progression and purpose—is what makes Mobile Camps so special. For Jake, it’s about more than just riding. It’s about helping campers see their local spots in a new way. Pushing them to grow in their skills while pointing them toward deeper spiritual growth. And it’s about those unforgettable moments when a kid lands a new trick or learns something new—and you get to celebrate that together.

Coming from a strong background in both coaching and camp ministry, he’s no stranger to those kinds of moments. And he lives for them. “I always look forward to campers learning something new,” he says. “It’s such a privilege to get to share in that feeling and experience with them.”

As we launch into San Diego and beyond this summer, we’re grateful for kingdom-minded partners like Jake—people who live out ROYAL’s mission every day and are helping take that mission even further. So whether you’re a returning camper, a local parent, or someone looking to get involved—we can’t wait for you to meet him and the team, and to see what God does through this powerful week of camp in San Diego.