

A few high-flotation foam core boards and "soft" boards have been built with thicknesses in excess of 5 cm (2 in). The most common thicknesses are 1.5 to 2 cm ( 5⁄ 8 to 3⁄ 4 in). Thickness of the board depends somewhat on the materials used in construction, but typically ranges from 1 to 2.5 cm ( 3⁄ 8 to 1 in). Riders typically favor a board length which reaches about their mid- chest height when stood on end. Man applying surfboard wax to a skimboard. Professionals have even started getting towed by waverunners into much larger waves. Skimboarding has developed since then to ride waves much like surfing, performing aerial maneuvers and pulling into the barrel of the wave. Skimboarding originated in Southern California when Laguna Beach lifeguards wanted to surf the local shore breaks that were too fast and shallow for surfboards. Skimboarders use their momentum to skim out to breaking waves, which they then catch back into shore in a manner similar to surfing.Īnother aspect of skimboarding is "flatland," which involves performing tricks derived from skateboarding such as ollies and shove-its on the wash of waves without catching shore breaks. Unlike surfing, skimboarding begins on the beach by dropping the board onto the thin wash of previous waves. Some of these are known as "wraps", "big spins", "360 shove-its" and "180s". Wave-riding skimboarders perform a variety of surface and air maneuvers, at various stages of their ride, out to, and back with, the wave. based competitive organizations including Premier Skim, Skim USA, and the United Skim Tour.

Skimboarding or skimming is a boardsport in which a skimboard (much like a surfboard but smaller and without fins) is used to glide across the water's surface to meet an incoming breaking wave, and ride it back to shore.
