Steven Max
On the beautiful island of Aruba is where I was born 11 years ago. And it is there that I started windsurfing when I was 8 years old. My cute and funny little sister Alima who is six years old, together with both my parents, have been my biggest fans ever since.
Our house and garden are filled with the strangest animals, like handicapped owls, a Macaw (parrot), turtles, Limit the hamster and my blind Shiatsu puppy, called Sammy.
Besides windsurfing I’m also crazy about nature and all the animals in it, which is why when I grow up I want to be a windsurfing Marine Biologist.
School has always been fun for me and I love math, for which I score the highest of my class all the time.
My first and two favorite windsurf teachers are DJ Kuizinga and Francis Mobbs at the Aruba Active Vacations windsurf spot located at the Fishermen’s Huts. Even though they moved away they are both still my friends and a great example to me. I’m still learning from them today.
In July of 2007 my parents and I where on our usual vacation in Bonaire (we love Bonaire and have been going there several times a year for years now), when we found out that the Starboard Prokids Freestyle World championship was being held during our stay, so I practiced the Gecko all day every day until one day before the event I landed it. That’s how I won 2nd place that year and the proud feeling that gave me lasted all year and gave me extra gusto to go for it all over again the next year.
During the 2007/ 2008 season the Wind Racers Club of Aruba (WRCA) held several local competitions and in June 2008 the 1st place Freestyle and 2nd place Slalom/ Long distance went to me.
Right after an exciting and fun Aruba Hi-Winds, where I could not perform at my best due to a heavy flew attack, my family left for another vacation. We flew to Cabarete (Dominican Republic) for the annual International Cabarete Classic Freestyle and Slalom competition.
Our stay there has been one of the best ever, all due to the amazing efforts done by Pablito Guzman the organizer of this wonderful and fun event and his windsurfers, who where so welcoming and caring towards us. This is a must go to event for all windsurf lovers. I am definitely going back.
And even though the conditions there are very different from what I am used to, again after a couple of days of practicing all day, I won 1st place in Freestyle 14 years and under and 3rd place in Slalom 13 years and under.
With those victories under my belt I got on a plane again to go to the 2008 Starboard Prokids in Bonaire, where I competed in many heats for 5 days and was able to conquer the title of Freestyle World Champ/ 1st place.
In August 2008 my family and I moved to Curacao, where we now live, 5 min walking distance from the “Spanish waters” and Ocean and where you can find me every day on the water having a ball in front of the Windsurfing Curacao School for windsurfing, the best place to surf in Curacao.
At almost the end of last year in November, the first annual Curacao Heineken Regatta was held on the Ocean. A large Course Race was held in front of Willemstad and a bunch of excited windsurfers took off to compete for the honor of 1st place. I was the youngest and only participant of 10 years old and won this honor: 1st place in the 17 years and under category. I was really happy and very proud.
During the first anual Curacao Slalom Challenge in April 2009, I expected to end up on 4th or 5th place, because I felt I wasn't really fast yet, but I guess my almost daily training worked, because I conquered second place in the category 13 years and under. Not bad for the youngest competitor of the open ocean races, huh?
The Curacao Challenge was a really fun event, I recommend everyone to go next year, I am!
Also check out www.curacaochallenge.com
Now I am looking foward to this summer, where I would like to compete in the freestyle Prokids Worlds again and I'm going to the Aruba Hi-Winds in July, so c u on the water!
Steven Max
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