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 Skimboarding is a sport similar to surfing which takes
place near the shore. The skimboarder stands about twenty feet
from the ocean with skimboard in hand and waits for a wave. When they
see a wave they run towards it with their skimboard still in hand. Upon
reaching the wet sand they drop the board and jump onto it as quickly as
possible. Once on the board, the skimmer must remain as stable as
possible and prepare to make the transition to the ocean. The skimmer
then (hopefully) glides out into the ocean toward the oncoming wave,
banks off of it, and rides it back into shore. There are many
possibilities for riding the waves and this is where skimboarding gets
really interesting. See Skimming
101 for a more detailed description of how to get on your board and
prepare to ride a wave.
Skimboarding has a rich history.
What started over 60 years ago on round wood boards has evolved into a
highly competitive water sport. Most people know skimboarding as
"that thing you do on the sand," and while this is true,
skimboarding has become so much more than that. As a trip to the picture
section of Skim Online will show, modern skimboarding has evolved
into a "real" sport where the limits are being tested by some
of the best board riders on the planet.
Modern skimboards are made out of fiberglass or carbon fiber and high
density foam to serve as a core. The fiberglass/carbon fiber is a fabric
which becomes stiff when saturated with resin and left to cure. When this fiberglass or carbon fiber is laid over a
shaped piece of foam, saturated with resin and left to cure, a skimboard
is made. Skimboards vaguely resemble surfboards (Click
here for a picture), they are about half the length, half the
thickness, and slightly wider. Unlike surfboards, skimboards have no
skegs (fins on the bottom of the board used for controlling
direction). They are much less stable and require a lot of practice
to be able to control. Because they are less stable and
specifically because they lack skegs, many things can be done on a
skimboard that cannot be done on a surfboard.
I hope that Skim Online is able to teach you everything
you want to know about Skimboarding. If there is ever anything
that you would like to see on the site, or if you have a specific
questions, please Contact Me
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