THE LEGEND
MEET DAMON SMITH
BY ANNE-MARIE PRITCHETT DESIGNED BY EMILY MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOP SHELF PHOTO ON LOCATION AT BELLA COLLINA SAN CLEMENTE
When you think of a ‘dad bod,’ you probably visualize a middle-aged, average guy with a beer gut that reveals its true form when the shirt comes off. But dad bods have evolved. The Legendary Dad Bod Competition saw thousands of men of all shapes and sizes—from skinny to shredded, sculpted to softly round—come together to bring the ultimate physique into the limelight. In the end, these dads came out on top with one taking the trophy and $25,000.
OHIO-BORN, CALI-BASED DAMON SMITH was voted by his family, friends, and fans as the last dad standing. Smith kicks the ‘dad bod’ dogma to the curb. He is a dapper fellow who takes exceptional care of his body by li fting weights and playing soccer. He is an entrepreneur who has had his ups and downs over the last few decades but is back at the top of his game. While Smith finds success with his business, DS Consulting, his most significant achievement is his fatherdom to four beautiful children, all of whom joined him for a professional photoshoot at Bella Colina San Clemente.
The Smith family is full of life. While dad works hard to provide for his family, Tracey, his wife of 15 years, stays busy caring for their very active kids— Vanessa (15), Vianna (13), Damon Jr. (7), Tramon (4). On any given day, you can find one of the parents shuttling to and from school and various sporting events. Vannessa is a varsity track and field 4x1 superstar; Vianna just got straight As and plays basketball; DJ has recently transitioned to football from soccer, and TJ has all the skills for a bright future in sports. “They are good kids. We are very fortunate,” Smith boasted. “What I love most about being a dad is that you can literally watch yourself growing up. You can see their personalities evolve and then be like, ‘Wow, that’s what I do.’ It’s self-reflective; gives you emotions like you’ve never felt.”
The kids come right by their good nature. “I was raised very well and fortunate that my parents instilled good values in me, so I can now pass those on to my children. My dad says I am a trailblazer and that he is proud of me. And I guess you could call me a mama’s boy, too,” he said. Smith was his high school class president and later became the star forward on the Wittenburg University soccer team in Ohio.
When it comes to his own kids, “I’m just trying to be the cool dad to keep up,” he joked. But they couldn’t have nicer things to say about their patriarch. “I love how he will be talking to you, and then it ends up comedic. Like, he’ll be saying something funny, but he’s not even trying to be funny. It’s so natural. You don’t expect it because he’s so chill,” Vanessa bragged about her dad.
Fun facts: Smith is a huge Lakers fan, loves Star Wars, and has a custom-built lightsaber. He is obsessed with his Red Bentley (which he calls Bae), loves to fish, and dabbles in cryptocurrency, mainly Saitama. Smith enjoys wearing everything from comfortable Nike gear to high-quality fashion designers like Gucci, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton. He has created a family of shoe fanatics, as you can see in the photos.
@bossd_75
The LGD Competition was sponsored by Dadbod Apparel, LLC and Mission Critical
He and Tracey (who met on Myspace) are good role models showing the kids what true love looks like. “One thing I love about them is that when they are laughing, they create a storyline about the one thing they were laughing at,” said Vanessa.