New trend for boarders

The wavegarden in Bristol, waves in a river in Germany, “jetsurf “ (surfing with engines) etc. a lot of new trends have come along in the last years that make life for us board riders more comfortable and funny. Another great innovation, especially for those poor guys that are not living next to the beach, is the skimboard. A german newspaper wrote about it as one of the most booming sports in 2014. If you want to make sure to know the most important things about skimboards, read the following facts:

Origin

The small and mostly wooden boards were first used in the USA and in Canada probably. Today the sport is well-known and practised there. E.g. in Dewey Beach at the East Coast of the U.S. they have schools, shops and even competitions. Some people say that skimboards were originally used by the Baywatch in California to move around in the water and on the sandy beaches.

How does it work?

We could say that skimboarding is a kind of mix of skating and surfing and it basically works like aquaplaning. The boards are quite small, between 35 and 52 inch, and have an oval shape. To get speed you run along the shore and towards the water and through the board just into the line, where the water begins. Step two is to jump on the board and try to keep gliding for a few meters. Once you’ve learned to do that you can also try to catch a little shorebreak wave and surf it as usual. Advanced skimboarders even add jumps or tricks to their ride.

The big advantage over surfing is the possibility to do skimboarding not only at the sea but also in lakes, rivers, lagoons or wherever there is shallow water over a smooth and even ground (preferably sand). And another plus factor: the material consists of a small and light board and a swimsuit 😉 If you have ever been kite or windsurfing you sure know what I’m talking about…

If you want to learn more about skimboarding or just need some up-to-date news, check out one of the skimboard websites.