Every great windsurfer comes from somewhere, this for many of the top British riders means learning as a kid and then spending hours on the nearest lake with friends, having fun and learning as they went along.

Boards decided to take a look back at the childhoods of some of the best riders this country has produced, we started off with the current BWA champion Phil Horrocks and then introduced the life and times of Andy Bubble Chambers.

Now we step into the childhood of freestyle star Max Rowe. 

Please note, this feature does contain amusing childhood images.

Name: Max Rowe

Age: 25

Age when you started windsurfing: 13

Why, when, where did you start windsurfing?

I started windsurfing because my Dad was always into it. My first days learning were at Ardleigh reservoir during an activity week they ran for kids during the summer holidays.

How often did you windsurf?

During the summers I would probably go about twice a month until I was around 16 and some of my friends started being able to drive. From about 16 I had met a lot more people my own age that were windsurfing and that’s when I really started to get into it.

Where did you go?

I would normally go to Alton Water in Suffolk but as I improved I spent more time at Mersea Island, which is just a fifteen minute drive from my house in Colchester.

Did you have to convince your parents to take you? Or were they supportive?

At first I think it was more like my parents had to convince me to go, a little bit! But once I started to get into it more and more that quickly changed. I remember when I first learnt to drive I was sharing a car with my mum and my friends and I used to wait in the front garden for her to get back from work with our gear all ready to load on the roof as soon as she got out of the car. My parents have always been extremely supportive of my windsurfing and still even now, thought they don’t have to take me to the beach, I make up for it with plenty of airport pick ups or drop offs!!!

What sort of windsurfing did you do?

At first I was just blasting around and jumping a little bit, I was always interested in freestyle as I spent a lot of time skateboarding.

What were your dreams and ambitions as a kid?

I always wanted to do something that I loved doing, I dreamt a lot about being a professional sportsman it just so happened that it turned out to be windsurfing!

What advice would you give to yourself as a kid?

Don’t piss into the wind!

What advice would you give to any windsurfing kids now?

Never stop having fun!

Are there any young rippers out there that you know that have really impressed you?

Woah, there’s so many! I have been lucky enough to teach a load of kids windsurfing and the rate at which they learn is amazing. The ones that have impressed me the most are the guys coming through the ranks at Club Vass that I had been teaching since they were about 12 or 13, it makes me pretty stoked to see them all catching up with me now!