Introduction
When it comes to locations, skim boarding is a bit of a hybrid between paddle boarding and boogie boarding. Paddle boarding can be done in most areas, you don’t need to be near a beach. However, boogie boarding is mostly done at beaches. Skim boarding sits in between where it’s often done at beaches, but it can be done in rivers or other shallow area spots.
What makes a good location for skim boarding?
It’s important to distinguish the two different areas of skim boarding: wave skimming and flatland skimming. Flatland skimming is using the skim board to glide along a shallow pool of water and works best in flat areas. With wave skimming, instead of skimming along the water’s edge, you skim into the water and towards the waves. As you’d expect, this means a location that may be best for flatland skimming may not be the best location for wave skimming and vise versa.
What are the best conditions for flatland skim boarding?
For flatland skim boarding it is ideal to have it be flat, to have room to operate without large crowds around, and smooth and firm ground to skim on.
Flat.
A flat ground to skim board on is helpful because it is easier to maintain balance on, it is easier to skim in one straight direction, and it allows you to go faster than if you were tilted at an incline.
Smooth and firm ground.
You want the ground to be smooth with very few intrusions. The smoother it is, the better your skim board will glide. Additionally, you want to avoid intrusions on the ground such as bumps or rocks along the way. This is important because a small rock or crevice can throw you off your skim board. Lastly, a firm ground will help the board stay up and prevent you from sinking in if it was soft and loose.
Less crowded and a long runway.
Especially for a beginner, the more room you have to skim board, the better. You don’t want to have to weave in and out of people while skim boarding or have to wait for people to get out of your way before you can throw the skim board. You also want room in case you were to wipe out. It’s better to wipe out on your own than fall into other people, potentially hurting yourself or others. It is also important to have a long runway so you can have room to throw your skim board and get onto it. It is much easier to skim when you have more than enough space to skim through.
What are the best conditions for wave skim boarding?
For wave skim boarding, it is ideal to have a moderate incline leading towards the waves, have smooth and firm ground without intrusions, and waves that crash onto the shore.
Moderate incline.
This factor really comes down to the situation. Steep inclines can be helpful in certain cases and moderate inclines in others. However, for beginners a moderate incline will be best. The steepness of the ground will dictate how fast you enter the water heading into the waves. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to shoot for something less steep so you can be more comfortable. You want enough speed to make it out to the waves, but not too much where you reach the wave before it breaks. It’s a balance and really depends on the specific scenario you are in.
Smooth and firm ground.
Similar to flatland skim boarding, you want smooth ground without intrusions that would obstruct your path and firm ground that allows the board to glide without sinking.
Waves breaking.
The purpose to wave skim boarding is skimming towards the waves to ride them or do tricks off of them. Without the waves breaking, there isn’t much you can do.
Popular beaches to skim boarding
Laguna Beach, California
This is where skim boarding originated in the 1920s. VIC Skimboarding World Championship is held here once a year as well. There are two events each year, one in Laguna Beach, California and the other in Dewey Beach, Delaware.
Wedge Beach, California
This is a popular spot for wave skim boarders. The waves are high and inconsistent. It is not the best spot for beginners, but it is one of the more famous wave skim boarding spots out there.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
Skim USA Tour holds their Skim Jam event at Jennette’s Pier in Outer Banks. This event is hosted by United Skim Tours which is a youth organization that has been around for 30 years promoting the sport of skim boarding. This is a great area to skim board. However, it’s worth noting that the beach gets busy in the summer and may be better to try out in the off season if you want more room to maneuver.
Dewey Beach, Delaware
Zap Pro-Am World Championships of Skimboarding is held here each year. VIC Skimboarding World Championship is also held here once a year where its other event is held in Laguna Beach, California. This beach is well known for its angled waves, giving skim boarders the opportunity to catch longer rides on them.
Skaket Beach, Maine
This is a great spot for beginners looking to flatland skim board. There are long stretches of the flat beach giving plenty of room to learn skim boarding.
Vilano Beach, Florida
The Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am tournament is held here each year. This beach is most popular for wave skim boarders. The incline is quite steep making it less friendly for flatland skim boarders. However, there are more beaches more suitable to flatland skim boarding in Florida such as Fort Lauderdale Beach or Daytona Beach.
Popular rivers for skim boarding
Richmond, Virginia
The James River is nearby Richmond, Virginia. Dominion Energy Riverrock throws an outdoor sports and music festival each year where they have now introduced skim boarding into the line up.
Tacoma, Washington
Chambers Creek in Tacoma, Washington is a popular flatland skim boarding spot. DB Skimboards has hosted a tournament here called Chambers Creek Throwdown before.
St. George, Utah
The virgin river runs through here and is a popular skim boarding spot. It is well known for the great sand here and can be visited most times of the year. You’ll find other skim boarders doing a variety of tricks here from grinding rails and going off of ramps.
Conclusion
There are many great locations for skim boarding! Now that you where are the best places to skim board, you may be interested in getting started in skim boarding with these 10 tips, reading what you need to skim board, or learning about skim boarding’s origins.
