SKIMBOARDING STYLES

There are several primary ways in whichs of wax. (For best results with wax, try the hardest wax as a first layer then go up on softness till four layers of wax are applied. Remove all the wax layers before applying a new traction pad.) I would like edit to this info, I am a skimmer and a fiber glass board is best in water about a centimeter thick, wood boards work better in a little deeper water 2-3 inches. a skimboard can be ridden: either gliding over the thin layer of water atop the wettest sand and at the very edge of the ocean as wave remnants wash up onto the beach (called sand skimming) or in shallow sandy rivers and other shallow watered down areas (sometimes called sand skimming, flatland skimming, sandsliding, and sand surfing); or skimming from the beach directly into an incoming wave to throw a "fan" of water off the advancing shore break, catching air, or even riding across the wave face (referred to as wave skimming/wave riding). The waves that skimboarders ride are the type that break close in to shore, which is why skimming during high tide is best for wave skimming.

The latter style is more advanced than sand skimboarding, though flatland skimboarding has become more and more popular and taxingly difficult over the years. All skimboarders start by learning how to throw the board and run onto it while it is gliding across a thin layer of water. Wave skimming may offer a bigger variety of tricks, that are very hard, if you take skimming to the extreme. Only after they have mastered the basic techniques properly will they be able to attempt more complicated tricks, such as a pop shuv it, that involves waves, grinding rails, or skateboarding maneuvers. Sand skimboarding is considered to be a beginner's sport due to the relative lack of difficulty when compared to skimming on waves in hotspots such as Laguna Beach. Nevertheless, some flatland skimmers are able to perform tricks of great technical skill, many adapted from skateboarding, such as grinding rails.

Catching air

Wrap

Advanced skimboarders such as professional skimboarder Bill Bryan are able to do much more impressive tricks on their boards. The most common advanced move is called a Wrap. A skimmer can wrap the wave by throwing the board down toward the ocean, jumping onto it, and then hydroplaning out to the wave. When the skimmer reaches the wave, by shifting his or her weight the skimmer can wrap around it, which also propels him or her back to shore. To take it further, a very advanced move is called the Wrap Barrel. This is when you wrap the wave, but instead of coming back to shore, you turn farther and get into the barrel. This is a highly respectable trick and is very difficult to perform.

These two version of skimboarding are beach activities. However, creative skimmers have also been known to get permission to go on golf courses after it rains. The short dense grass is evenly cut and retains the level of water similar to that of a receding wave. Other improvisations included flooded backyards, and shallow wide rivers, but these obviously have no access to waves. Also, a temporary tarp with sand and water on top can make for a good place to skim. PVC pipes added to a flatland skim course to make for some pretty interesting grind rails.

When it comes to skimboarding, there is no such thing as one perfect wave. This is because it all depends on the rider's preference and skill level. Everyone has his or her own version of "the perfect wave". In general, however, the closer the waves break to shore the better, because the closer the waves are, the easier they are to get to. Although an advanced skimboarder may be able to reach waves farther out and thereby get longer rides, closer waves are generally regarded as better. Skimboarders with the intention of riding waves tend to prefer a steeper bank, or slope, of the sand in order to gain further speed and thus use less effort to reach the waves.

(wikipedia)