Introduction of Skimboarding

Skimboarding started back in the late 1920s when Laguna Beach lifeguards used to skim on pieces of wood on the beach. During that time, skimboarding was called “skidboarding” or “the thing you do on the sand with a piece of wood” but eventually changed to skimboarding prior to the launch of Victoria skimboards in 1976 because “Skid” seemed to sound more of a negative connotation compared to “Skim” which seemed to be more of a positive image.

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.

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, 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.

	The Skim Jam