Skimboarding
From Free net encyclopedia
Skimboarding (or skimming) is an activity involving riding a board on wet sand or shallow water. It has been described in turns alternately as a miscellaneous beach recreation activity and as a discipline of surfing. A skimboard rider is often called a skimboarder or skimmer.
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History
Skimboards
Image:Mikeboard.JPG Skimboarding is based primarily on the principle of hydroplaning, hence skimboards are smaller and thinner than surfboards, since they do not require as much buoyancy.
The skimboard is a craft of varying size, usually of some oval or teardrop shape, though some people use circular boards. They are typically made with a core of varying compositions of laminated wood or polystyrene foam, covered by a shell of GRP and/or various types of plastic, fairly rigid and relatively dense. Compared to a surfboard or bodyboard of similar area it is not very buoyant. It is rare to see a skimboard thicker than 2.5 cm. A well-made skimboard will have some nose lift and perhaps even some rocker, and may come with a rubberized traction surface also known as a deck pad, but you see those more on surfboards. If the board doesn't come with a rubberized traction surface surf wax can be used.
Styles
There are two primary ways in which a skimboard can be ridden: either gliding over the thin layer of water atop the wettest sand and at the very edge of the ocean as wave remnants wash up onto the beach (sometimes called sand skimming, flatland skimming, sandsliding, and sand surfing); or skimming from the beach directly into an incoming wave to throw a "fan" of water off the advancing shorebreak, catch air, or even ride across the wave face (referred to as wave skimming/riding). The waves that skimboarders ride are the type that break close in to shore.
The latter style is generally more advanced: all skimboarders start by learning how to throw the board and jump onto it on a thin layer of water, and only after they have mastered this properly will they attempt more complicated tricks on waves, so flatland skimming is considered a begginner's sport. Nevertheless, some flatland skimmers are able to perform tricks of great technical skill, many adapted from skating.
These two version of skimboarding are obviously beach activities. However, creative skimmers have also been known to get permission to go on golf courses after it rains. The short dense grass is evenly cut and retains the level of water similar to that of a receding wave. Other improvisations included flooded backyards, and shallow wide rivers, but these obviously have no access to waves. Also, a temporary tarp with sand and water on top can make for a good place to skim. PVC pipes added to a flatland skim course to make for some pretty interesting grind rails.
When it comes to skim boarding, there is no such thing as one perfect wave. This is because it all depends on the riders preference and skill level. Everyone has their own version of "the perfect wave". In general, however, the closer the waves break to shore, the better, since closer the waves are, the easier they are to get to. While an advanced skimboarder may be able to reach waves further out and thereby get longer rides, closer waves are generally regarded as better.
Links
- Kira Beach Team SkimBoarding Videos, Pictures, Tricks, History, Interviews, and Wave Forecasters
- Kayotics Skimboards Inc. Manufacturer of High Performance Skimboards and Apparel
- Skimboarding.ca Media Extensive online skimboarding resource features videos, pictures, rider profiles
- Mills Riderz Skim Crew Australian Flatland Skim Crew - Rider Profiles, Galleries, Videos etc.
- SkimCity Board Shop Which Board Is Right for Me, Pics, and How 2 Skim sections.