Skimboarding is an extreme sport that requires the athlete, called a skimboarder or skimmer, to ride on a board on very shallow water. It is very similar to surfing but with the smaller waves. The skimmer waits for the waves on shallow waters by standing about twenty feet from the sea. When he sees a wave, he runs towards it holding his skimboard, drops the skimboard and rides into it very quickly. Once he is on board, he must make his transition into the sea and glides to meet more oncoming waves.
The boards are commonly shaped in circular fashion for easy control in shallow waters. The modern boards are made from either carbon fiber or fiber glass with core made from high density foam.
The skimmer must be keen at judging waves. For beginners, it is advisable to choose a flat beach. From there he practices how to balance. For advanced skimmers, the skimboard can be ridden by gliding at the very edge of ocean where strong wind currents move the boards.
A common but relatively difficult trick in skimboarding is doing a 360. It is done by riding on wide open space, crouching low and balancing on the center of the board, then spinning the body with the board at 360 degrees.
One of the sport’s most famous names, Patrick LeBuhn, has innovated several tricks and maneuvers. One of these is called the Wrap. This is done by throwing the board to the ocean and hydroplaning out to the wave. The skimmer then shifts his weight to wrap around the wave and he gets propelled to the shore.
This sport traces it roots dating back to 1929 in the famous Laguna Beach of California. Because Laguna Beach is one of the world’s most famous beaches and playground of the rich and famous, skimboarding easily picked up to be a world wide sensation.
Despite the dangers of skimboarding, many people, especially the younger generation, get into the sport because of the thrill that can be derived and also because of the low cost of this sport. Except if one skims in exclusive and high class beaches, the only price to pay for the sport is the skimboard itself and the rental of the boat, if there is any. Other gears for skimboard include apparel and protective gears that be easily bought online. There are many DVDs on sale that is solely focus on skimboarding – events, athletes and techniques.
There are many competitions for skimboarding. Some of these contests in the United States are Bogue Banks Skim Bash in North Carolina and the West Coast Championships in Laguna Beach, California.
Around the world, the competitions include the International Portuguese Championships in Sta. Cruz, Portugal; International French Championships in Seignosse, France and Panama City Spring Break Skim Jam in Panama City.
Countries where skimboarding is popular include Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Namibia, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Venezuela, Italy, Japan and the Virgin Islands.
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