Skim Online: Skimboarding News Story

Bill Bryan Wins In Cocoa Beach
April 05 , 2002

By Brad Evers

Bill Bryan started off the 2002 contest season just as he had hoped by winning the second annual Ron Jon Skim Festival in Cocoa Beach, FL. Once again, the skimboard contest held in conjunction with the Duke Boyd Surfwear 38th Easter Surf Festival went off smoothly. There were hundreds of people on the beach which made for a very different skimming environment. With $1500 up for grabs, the pros were enthusiastic as ever and the amateurs were ripping as usual. However since high tide was 2 hours before the contest even started, the minimal knee-high waves turned into unreachable troughing whitewater ripples later in the day, leaving most of the competitors to perform speed runs and shuvit tricks. Showing that skimmers can adapt to the wave conditions, Bill Bryan did some outstanding shuvit-tricks, airs, and stylish riding despite the humiliating skimming conditions. While he and Brad Evers dueled for the 1^st place title at low tide, the crowd looked on with anticipation of the next creative run.

It seems that more of the spectators were interested in the skimming event than the surfing event because the skim contest boundaries were packed with standing, eager spectators, while the surf contest had fans that were simply sunbathing. In the future, if the contest date coincides with a mid-day high tide, this will be an excellent venue through which to introduce the sport of skimboarding to the unenlightened surf industry and fans. While Cocoa Beach does not provide the best skim in south Florida, the crowds and number of surfers looking on provide a great platform to display our sport.

Bill Bryan
Brad Evers
Grady Archbold
Steve Boomhower
George Bryan
Keith Fanning

The day after the contest (April Fools Day) the conditions got a lot better and many of the traveling pros got to experience some classic Florida conditions at a nearby spot called Spanish House. Scroll down for some frame grabs.

Cocoa Beach Frame Grabs