From Wikipedia: "Skimboarding (or skimming) is a boardsport in which a skimboard
(a smaller, sleeker version of a surfboard) is used to ride on an
incoming wave. Unlike surfing, skimboarding begins on the beach, with
the skimboarder running and dropping their board onto the thin wash of
previous waves. They use their momentum to 'skim' out to breaking
waves, which they then catch back into shore in a manner similar to
surfing. Another aspect of skimboarding is 'flatland' which involves
performing tricks derived from skateboarding such as ollies and
shuv-its on the wash of waves without catching shorebreaks.

History

The earliest known record of skimboarding goes back to 1920 in Laguna Beach, California.^[1] There are photographs from that time period of Laguna Beach lifeguards skimming along the sand on large plywood boards.

These boards were commonly circular in shape and not very well
designed for controlled skimboarding. In the early 1970s skimboards
started to take on a shape more similar to surfboards and began to be
manufactured out of fiberglass
instead of plywood. Tex Haines started the first skimboarding business
which he named Victoria after his home beach in Laguna. With rising
popularity, many others have sprung up and skimboards are now very easy
to come by.

Although skimboarding is predominantly a recreational activity like surfing, it has also evolved into a highly competitive water sport
and is now being taken more seriously. The Victoria Skimboards World
Championship of Skimboarding is held annually in Laguna Beach where
skimboarders from around the world compete in a number of age and skill
division levels.

[edit] Technique

The skimboarder stands within running distance of his chosen entry
point, skimboard in hand, and waits for a wave. As the desired wave
approaches the skimboarder runs towards the water. Depending on
conditions the board is either dropped on a thin layer of water from a
receding wave or on the thicker water in front of the wave. A rider
drops the board beside him and jumps on without having to catch up to
it. This is known as the "One-Step", although there are other variations such as the "Two-Step" and the "No-Step". The skimboarder will then attempt to slide to the wave possibly "pumping" or "glidding" to maintain speed. This technique is often summed up as "Run, Drop, Slide" and is considered the basis of advanced skimboarding. When the wave is reached it can be riden "down the line",
or the rider may launch off the waveface and attempt an aerial trick.
There are many additional ways a rider can get on the board. It is not
uncommon to see a rider run on a board front foot first even though
most skimboarders run on back foot first. A variation on "Run, Drop,
Slide" is the "Monkey Crawl" where the rider holds both sides
of the board and crouches down running into thick water with the board
on the surface, while maintaining a fast pace the rider quickly hops
and glides on the board. This technique is used for hitting larger
waves for the more advanced. Another variation on the standard drop is
the "suitcase drop" where the rider runs with the board held in
one hand like a suitcase then flicks their hand and drops it so it
lands flat before running on. The original technique, used with the
original round home-made boards, where the board is thrown ahead and
chased then jumped onto, is not the technique used with the modern type
of skim boards.

Novice demonstrating the Fistral Turn

Ideally, the skimmer should put his or her back foot far back on the
board and the front foot towards the front of the board somewhere
between the middle and nose of the board. A common technique for
finding the "center" of your board involves picking the side of the
board up by the rail with two fingers until the board is balanced and
doesn't lean forward or back, this is the approximate center of the
board. After successfully mounting the board it may be necessary to
lean slightly forward to avoid shifting your weight off center or to
momentarily shift weight slightly to the back to get over smaller waves
to reach the desired wave. The skimmer then glides out into the ocean
toward the oncoming wave, banks off it, and rides it back into shore.If
a skimboarder is not a "wave skimmer," then he or she can ride on a
short film of water or possibly on "flatland" in shallow water where
the rider may attempt to ride a rail or do "tech" (skateboard
orientated) tricks.

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