Magician Sterling Dietz is a pro at making things disappear and reappear on his own terms.

But maybe his most magical feat was winning the 2006 World Magic Seminar Teen Magic Competition — the very first time he entered a magic competition.

Dietz, a 14-year-old from Lynden, began studying magic as recently as December 2004.

Most of his competitors at the Las Vegas event, held Feb. 17-23, had been studying since the tender age of 7 or 8.

But his show took the top honors, winning Dietz the Lance Burton Award.

“It was a Cinderella story,” says the soft-spoken Lynden High School freshman with a tiny smile.

“I thought it was just impossible.”

Dietz admits he was daunted by the competition when he arrived at the event, considered one of the top showcases for teenage magicians.

“I was really going in blind,” he says.

But Dietz has been feeding a quiet fire for magic ever since he became entranced by magician Jeff McBride’s show at the Mount Baker Theatre in 2004.

Now, being a magician is his identity and his passion.

“I know this is what I’m going to do,” he says firmly.

In August 2005, he used $1,200 won at a chess tournament — his other hobby — to study with magicians in Las Vegas.

That led him to the Magic Seminar.

The win is a “nice stepping stone,” for his burgeoning career, he says. “I have new clients.”

He does one to two events under the stage name “Sterling the Majestic” per week.

Dressed in a black floor-length coat that looks like a piece of wardrobe from “The Matrix” movies (but that Dietz admits was purchased at Hot Topic), he is tweaking his act and practicing almost incessantly.

A typical day includes school, homework and lots of practice.

So how did he learn the closely guarded secrets?

“Magicians are pretty much a family,” he says simply.

Dietz’ repertoire includes sleight-of-hand card tricks, stage magic done with large props, and a special opener spinning glowing “poi” (a ball on a cord) — a nod to his Hawaiian heritage.

The other great part, he says, is connecting with the audience — even when you can’t see them very well.

“When you’re standing onstage in all the lights and you can’t see anything, you look out into the audience and try to connect with the shadows,” he says.

Bellingham magician John Walton, whom Dietz practices with, says Dietz “never gets nervous.”

For now, Sterling the Majestic will do birthday parties — and his homework.

But Dietz has grand ambitions. He hopes to work his way up to magician superstar Lance Burton territory.

“My dream is to really get a theater in Las Vegas with my initials on it, sort of like Lance Burton.”