How to learn and practice Skimboard

11 December, 2020 · 0 comments

How to learn and practice Skimboard

Maybe this is the first time you see the word Skimboarding or Skimboard, it has happened to me too, so we have researched a bit to tell you today what is this about Skimboarding, Skimboard or just Skim.

It’s a sport that originated in California and at first was a technique used by lifeguards to travel greater distances by sliding along the beach.

Today it is considered a sport specialty that is situated between surfing and skateboarding, as it contains movements and maneuvers of both sports.

Picture of Jacob Bergeron skimming at Pismo Beach Pier, Pismo Beach, CA, USA. | Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

What is Skimboard?

Skim or Skimboarding is a sport considered to be the surfing of the waves on the shores of the beach, using a short board without fins.

This sport specialty, favors the execution of tricks and maneuvers difficult to achieve in surfing or skateboarding, of which it has turned out to be a hybrid.

Its main difference with surfing is that it starts at the edge of the beach. The sportsman stands attentive on the shore to wait for the best wave to break on it; when this happens, he runs towards it following a perpendicular trajectory to the line of the sea.

Getting on the board to slide on the water towards the wave, when the wave has just formed, it turns to lower the wall with movements that remind us of surfing, looking for the tube that forms the wave, arriving back to the shore; if he has the opportunity, the sportsman will take advantage of it to execute some tricks.

Skimboarding includes fun, spectacularity and dynamism in equal parts for those who practice it and for the spectators.

Picture of a girl practicing skimboarding in Ocean Beach, San Francisco, Estados Unidos. | Photo by Michael Henry on Unsplash

Requirements for learning and practicing Skimboard

To learn and practice Skim you only have to fulfill two quite simple requirements; one is to acquire a Skimboard, which are also quite economical; the second is to move to a beach with wide shores.

An additional detail is to be patient at first, until you are able to wait for the best waves and start to execute some tricks.

The basic requirements are:

The Board

We can find two types of boards to do Skimboarding; the wooden ones, elaborated with assembled layers of veneer, quite economic as far as the cost is concerned and the fiber ones that are smaller than the surfboards, without fins.

If you want to start practicing Skim, the most recommendable thing is to buy a wooden board; first because in the learning process, you will be able to damage several or because after a while you realize that this sport is not your thing and you decide to abandon it.

Fiber, carbon or foam boards are used for areas outside the breakwater, as they offer greater buoyancy and maneuverability to go beyond it, surf, perform tricks or jump over the waves.

Site Selection

It is important to select the best place to start learning and practicing Skimboarding; the most appropriate is to look for a beach that is wide, free of stones and obstacles so that the board slides easily, especially when you lack experience in Skimboarding.

The best recommendation to start learning is to practice on a shore with little unevenness, until you learn to keep your balance.

After you have mastered balance and jumps, you can practice with banks of greater unevenness, thus obtaining greater speed to execute tricks.

You

This is the third requirement for learning Skim; it is important to be in good physical shape, as well as willing, patient and consistent, especially at the beginning of the learning process.

Image of Jacob Bergeron in Pismo Beach Pier, Pismo Beach, CA, USA. | Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Movements to make to learn how to practice Skimboard

In this section we will see the necessary movements described in detail to learn Skimboard in a functional way. Here we go!

With the board in your hands, place yourself in the area where the sand is highest.
When you see the wave breaking, get ready to run.
When you notice the water is about to wash up on the shore, start the race with your board in hand.
When the water begins to recede, you must throw the board in front of you and jump to get on it.
Once on the board, keep your balance as much as possible, bending your body.
These steps must be repeated until you learn them well, after which you will be able to do your first tricks and surf the waves of the breakwater.

From our professional surfing center we have been teaching theoretical and practical basics about this sport, so if you are passionate and would like to practice it we advise you to take a look at our lanzarote surfcamp, which is one of the best of all lanzarote, thanks to our years of experience, professionalism and above all, the opinion of our users.

All this reinforces even more our dedication to what we love, which is nothing more than promoting and making the true concept of famara surf available to the public, a unique and exceptional surf thanks to the magnificent conditions that famara beach offers us. There is only one way to know it, and that is to experience it in your own way. Come and try it, we are waiting for you dear friend!