Feature: A life-long love of skateboarding inspired Max Jamieson to start his own school

Since the moment he jumped onto his first skateboard as a child in Portugal, Max Jamieson has been hooked! Now the founder of Cambridge’s Shredder Skate School, he passes on the joy of the thrilling sport to a whole new generation

When did you launch Shredder and what inspired you?

I started the school in 2016 as I was giving skateboarding lessons as a way to raise money for the new skate park in Burwell. I ended up donating £6,000 to the skate park but in the process, my lessons got so popular that I thought maybe I could give this a go full-time. I still teach at Burwell Skate Park but we’ve since expanded with coaches giving lessons in Trumpington, Jesus Green, Cottenham, Saffron Walden, Chelmsford, Harlow and scooter lessons at Saffron Walden and Orchard Park as well.

Take me back a little; were you a skateboarder as a child?

I had a bit of a strange upbringing; I got taken out of primary school to go travelling around Europe in a campervan with my family. After two years we ended up in Portugal and lived on an organic farm there and that’s where me and my brother started skateboarding.

Tell me the inspiration for the school’s cool name?

For the first year, it was called Burwell Skate School and then I was talking to my Mum who said perhaps it was too location-specific. Shredder is a termination used in skateboarding, so if you’re good at it you’re called a shredder. It originates from surfing, referring to shredding the waves.

What does the skate school offer?

We offer group sessions, one-to-ones, two-to-ones, birthday parties, holiday clubs and we also work in schools. You might catch us at events as we get hired by the local council to run events in parks. We teach any age from four upwards, and our oldest student has been 56!

Shredder has a charitable ethos of giving back, doesn’t it?

Yes, as well as raising money for Burwell Skate Park we’ve donated to a funding pot in Bury St Edmunds to replace lights at their skate park. We also put a lot of money into prizes for our competitions to ensure all the kids that enter get a prize.

What kind of feedback do you get from the children you teach?

That they just love it. My emphasis is always on fun over progression, though progression is always an aim. I taught a child with additional needs once who really struggled with his mobility and balance but after a month of skateboarding with me, he was able to ride his bike without stabilisers because his confidence had risen so much. Skateboarding builds a lot of resilience because it’s 99 per cent failure so it teaches you to keep getting up and trying again.

We also pride ourselves on community and building friendship groups. Unlike other traditional sports, there are no rules so you’re free to express your creativity, and can hang out with your friends all day at the skate park whilst doing it!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of teaching skateboarding?

That I get to do something I love! It still doesn’t feel like a real job for me. I get to go to work alongside children that are interested in the same thing as me and it’s so rewarding to see their progression and how skateboarding gives them confidence in other areas of their lives. Once you’ve overcome that fear on a skateboard it can translate into the rest of your life so you don’t have to be scared about anything.

Find out more at shredderskateschool.co.uk