Buying advice for skimboards
Anyone who has spent a week on the Atlantic beach in France has often seen these boards - the skimboards ! You can buy them on every corner and you can often see children gliding around with them on a flat film of water in the sand.
Now the sport is much more than just whizzing around on a watery surface and you can find the boards in every surf shop! If you've ever searched for it online, you've probably come across professional skimboarder Austin Keen, whose video went viral some time ago. But what exactly is it and is it worth reading more about it online? We answer your most important questions here!
What is skimboarding and how does it work?
In principle, skimboarding is nothing more than aquaplanning. Of course, in the beginning you need the right board for the right type of skimboarding - but more on that later! So once you have bought your own skimboard, you can start looking for a suitable place. As a rule, almost any soil with a 2-5cm deep area of water is suitable. The goal of skimboarding is to glide across the surface with momentum - and ideally to incorporate a trick in between at some point.
Here you will find a video on how best to practice pushing.
What types of skimboarding are there?
- Waveskimming = With waveskimming you want to surf a real wave from land and ride it back to the shore.
- Jumpskimming = You slide towards the wave from the beach and try to do the coolest trick possible - usually air over the wave
- Flatland skimming / inland skimboarding = This type of skimboarding is easiest for landlocked surfers because you don't need an ocean or other waves. You slide anywhere there is shallow water (such as a water-flooded meadow) and try to do jumps and tricks over built-up ramps.
How is a skimboard different from a surfboard?
In terms of appearance, a skimboard is very different from a surfboard. As a rule, they are significantly smaller and therefore easier to handle - oval in shape and slightly curved towards the edges. The boards are usually made of wood (for flatland skimming) or epoxy or polyester (for wave or jump skimming).
The modern construction of the epoxy boards is almost the same as that for surfing - an EPS foam core is surrounded by an epoxy laminate. This means the boards remain extremely light and you can slide at least three times as far as with conventional wooden boards. In comparison, wooden boards are often a little more resistant and if you slip over a stone, you don't have to repair the board straight away.
What else do I need?
If you own an epoxy or polyester skimboard, we recommend buying a repair kit as a preventive measure and taking it with you on vacation. It is also recommended to buy a wax. The surfaces of skimboards are usually smooth, which is why you can easily slip on them. Here You can find various surf waxes in our online shop - but we are always happy if you stop by our store!
In our opinion, skimboarding is extremely cool and definitely worth trying! If you would like to know more about it, just come to our surf shop in Zurich at Stauffacher and we will be happy to help you! After watching this video, you'll be just as stoked as we are :-).
