Everyone was a grom once – even Kelly Slater and Shaun White.

It’s hard to picture, right? When you’ve grown up tracing the careers of these action sports “superstars”, it is almost impossible to imagine a time when they weren’t dominating the best waves, dirt tracks, pipes and bowls in the world.

Like a warped version of It’s A Wonderful Life, sometimes it is strange to consider a surf, skate, snowboard or moto scene where the pillars of the sport didn’t exist.

Who would have been the first snowboarder to lay down a back-to-back double cork in the superpipe? Would any surfer have managed to dominate the WCT for over 20 years?

But the legends do exist – and action sports are all the better for it. Even at nine-year-old, it seems these guys were already stars in the making.

Stacy Peralta was one of those tiny groms that make you feel ancient just watching him ride. Travis Pastrana was already building jumps in his backyard.

So, which action stars’ pasts have we delved into for a quick peek? Click through our yearbook-style slidereel and find out…