What Is Skimboard?
How to skimboard? Before taking up this sport, have your first look at some background information.
Skimboarding had its origin in Southern California. It involves skimboarders’ performance with a skimboard on sea surface. There is a variant to this sport when skimboarders slide on sand.
The performer often glides into and out of the wave to make movements. Skimboarding has become widely accepted in many countries as professional competitions are held yearly.
How To Skimboard?
Get Your Start:
It is crucial to pick the right equipment no matter how eager for the sport you are.
It is recommended that you first try on sand because it involves no skills such as swimming, so it can become less intimidating. In this case, considering your low budget, you can invest in some wooden and flat boards at a random local sport store.
Or if you just want to step out of your comfort zone, try skimming on the sea. The whole experience is about risking at first and enjoying the feeling of overcoming your fear later.
Because of that, the foam board certainly comes to your top list. This is a specifically designed board to be extra light and curved for more dynamic movements along the waves.
Choose the location
Go to the seashore with smooth and flat sand for your sand skim. If you go skimming on the sea, calm sea is your choice since you can start from the shore and move further into the stronger waves.
Learn to swim
This is not the specific physical requirement for this sport but for all water sports. Safety precautions is taken into careful consideration when you enjoy the fun.
Warm Up First:
When you feel confident enough and go straight for the sport, it is time to warm up.
Leg warm up
Make sure you stretch your body parts in case of sudden cramps. Moreover, skimboarding involves a wide range of movements with your legs, so you need to have more warm up exercises on your lower body parts.
Work on your running
This is the basic requirement in your warm up, alongside leg warm up. You will have to run and chase the board a lot as it slides on the surface of shallow water, so get ready by going for a few hundred meters of running to warm your muscles.
Basic Steps:
Get on the board
You have to start on your own. Create your own momentum. Hold the board with two hands. Place the board on sand before you jump on it with your feet. Then, use your body weight to slide the board along the sand to the coming waves. Remember to maintain balance.
Maintain balance
Balancing is often the hardest part of the game. Just a slight change in the wave break can make you start again However, once you have mastered it, the game seems less intimidating and more rewarding.
At first, many beginners just freak out when they are not in any control of their boards. The feeling of falling off the board can happen at any time.
However, we have some useful tips for you. Just lower your body center by bending your knees a bit and spread your legs evenly to reach the two corners of the board. Practice makes perfect.
Move forward
When you are done with your first two basic steps, it is time to make some movements. Try not to lean forward or backward too much because of a high chance of your falling off your board. Be gentle with your body movements, then you can gradually gain control and move into your desired direction.
Another important factor is the direction of the waves. My advice is not to go against them. Try to turn your lower body around and make a cut on the inside of the coming wave. This is called ‘the wave tearing’.
Be ready to fall off your board
Always bear in mind that practise makes perfect, even you fail many times. Do not give up. Try to start all again and gain some experience for your improvements.
Some Cool Tricks:
If you have mastered the basics, it is time to move on to something new, something more challenging. We introduce you to these three intermediate level tricks.
The Spin
This is one of the most entertaining trick to watch, yet easiest to perform. Once you are done with moving around, try to lower your body weight, use one hand to touch the water surface and the other hand to spin. You will need to squat down as low as possible to maintain gravity on the board.
This tricks requires speed and precision, that means a lot of practice to get yourself to the next level. Does it sound interesting?
Hippy jump
Simply by jumping over something while your board goes under, you are able to perform another trick. Bend your knees to get the momentum before you jump, then bend your knees when you land.
Timing is also important, since speed is involved.
See also: Discover Some Skimboard Tricks
Safety precautions
- Never try to perform flips in shallow areas to avoid unwanted injuries
- Warm up first to prevent sudden cramps
- Learn to swim to survive in case of accidents
- Know your body limit.
Conclusion
How to skimboard? After reading this article, do you get the answer?. This is the end of our tutorial.
Like any sport, if you are into skimboarding, it is not too difficult to try and fall in love with it.
Go out and pick your favorite board. Get to the shore and have your first try. Remember not to give in. Allow yourself to enjoy it.
We have provided you with basic knowledge. Hope you will succeed. Good luck!
