5 Things You Need to Know About Skimboarding

1. In the Beginning

Skimboarding began in Laguna Beach, California, in the 1920s when lifeguards used small pieces of plywood to glide along the shallow shoreline waters. By the mid-1970s, others adopted the new sport and surfing magazines wrote about it. This exposure increased the popularity of skimboarding across the U.S. and overseas. Locals to Laguna Beach opened the first shop dedicated to the sport in 1976. Today you can find all types of skimboards at most local beach marts and watch young and old alike testing the waters of this sport.

2. What to Bring

Aside from your swimsuit, some waves and sunscreen, the only thing you need is the board itself. Skimboards are made of either wood or foam. Wood boards are cheaper but heavier, making it harder to stay on top of a wave. These are better for sand skimming. Foam boards are more expensive but are also lighter and perform better in the waves. The board you choose just depends on the type of skimming you plan on doing.

3. Best Places to Skimboard

Skimboarders don't need huge waves or deep waters to enjoy their sport, making it a great activity to try along the shorelines of oceans and lakes alike. If you want to ride waves, ocean shores are your best bet. Choose a steep beach where waves break closer to the shore for the best wave riding. If you prefer to skim across the sand, almost any flat shoreline will do, though you'll still need some waves coming up onto shore. Try to find a beach with soft smooth sand and not too many rocks and shells. This gives you a smooth ride and makes for a softer landing should you fall.

4. Learn to Skimboard

Once you have your board at the beach you're ready to skim. To sand skim, toss your skimboard flat into the shallow part of a wave going back out into the water. When you see the board skimming along the water, run along beside it and step lightly onto it with one foot towards the front and one towards the back, similar to how you would stand on a skateboard. Once you're balanced, ride the wave along the shoreline as long as water remains under your board. If you prefer to wave skim, take your board out into deeper waters to ride the waves much like a surfer. Whether you're riding along the sand or in the waves, skimboards allow you to do fun and impressive tricks like 360s, ollies, flyaways and shuvits.

5. Skim to Win

Skimmboarding competitions take place on every ocean shore in the U.S. The West Coast is the most popular area, with major competitions held at Laguna Beach, Baja and Santa Cruz, California. The East Coast has its hot spots in New Jersey and Delaware and further down the coast at Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, South Carolina. Some major contests also take place on the coasts of Florida and Texas.