Australian skateboarding sensation Jackson Pilz has assembled quite a life story already, even though he just turned 17 in October.

Here's how Jackson Pilz describes the first five years of his life: "I was born in Sydney at the Royal North Shore Hospital ... I moved to Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast when I was around 5 months old ... Not really sure what happened in between 5 months and 5 years. Then I found skateboarding."

Okay, young man, you're forgiven for forgetting all those preschool events. It can be kind of tough to remember your second or third birthday party. But to get on a skateboard at the age of 5, that's an earlier start than most skateboarders enjoy.

By the time Jackson Pilz turned 7, he was already entering competitions. He had the benefit of a family that would take him all across Australia.

"This was really a fun time for a young kid," Jackson understates.

At age 11, Jackson Pilz was already competing alongside the men. He finished eighth in the Australian nationals, making his debut in Melbourne in front of thousands of fans in Rod Laver Arena, named for one of the top tennis stars of all time.

"It was hard to imagine that things would get better than that, but then at the age of 13, I made my first overseas trip," says Jackson Pilz, describing a visit to England and then to the United States, where he practiced his craft at Woodward West Skate Camp in southern California. His skateboarding skills have also taken him to Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Denmark.

Jackson Pilz, unlike many skateboarders, does not express a preference for street or vert.

"I find that doing a bit of everything keeps you really well-rounded and opens so many more doors when it comes to finding people to skate with. I've skated with some of my biggest idols including Bucky Lasek, Colin McKay, Bob Burnquist, Rune Glifberg and heaps more," Jackson says.

Jackson Pilz keeps up with his schooling, but he explains, "If I can't skate, I go stir crazy." The local skate park at Coolum Beach is on the ocean, and Jackson says, "Life's pretty good in Coolum." Jackson Pilz just may wish that he could remain a teenager forever.

Sources:
www.billabong.com/au/html_gl/text_rider.php?pid=2&rid=44
411vm.com/skaters/Jackson_Pilz/1136/
www.fkdbearings.com/australia/fkd_australia_team_pilz.html