A 13-year-old teen from Ringwood who picked up a wakeboard for the first time three years ago is heading to a national competition.

Max Cuckney has been participating in the water sport for the past three years having never previously picked up a wakeboard, snowboard, skateboard or surfboard.

He made it to the top five in the 10 to 13 category of the amateur finals at the Plastic Playground Wake Park Championships in London last Saturday, July 16.

Max will be taking part in the UK Cable Nationals in Sheffield which is being held on Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23.

His proud dad, Spencer, said: "Wakeboarding has gone without boats and since they put in a cable in the New Forest three years ago, Max has done it.

"He tried kick boxing and football, but just didn't have the same interest in it. But he has won the British Championships for his 10 to 14 age category in 2014.

"My daughter, Lola, my wife, Katie and I also do wakeboarding. But Max is the last on the lake until 9pm every night right through the winter. It's what he wants to do in life. He'll be travelling, riding and it will become a way of life.

"My daughter, Lola, is the British Mini Girls wakeboarding champion from last year. Max is also on the American team and uses an American board for his competitions."

Spencer says that his son is sponsored by several organisations including New Forest Wake Park as well as an American watersports equipment firm, a wakeboarding park in Turkey and a sunglasses company. He also has clothing sponsorship from three further firms who have seen how confident Max is on a wakeboard.

Spencer said: "He's a bit of a maverick. He's the only one riding on an American board and he's riding against kids from Australia and all over the world.

"The thing is that in the future he will want to go further away and some of the best parks in the world are in Texas in Georgia, the Philippines and Thailand, which costs money. I guess it's a labour of love, really."

For more information and to follow Max's wakeboarding competitions, go to Instagram.com/maxcuckneyyy