Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Skimboarding

You are on a beach vacation and you see kids and teens chasing and jumping onto short fat surfboards right along the shoreline. They glide along and sometimes do what look like skateboard tricks. You're thinking how clever, looks like a lot of fun. What you probably don't know is that "Skimboarding" has an international professional skimboard tour. The United Skim Tour has 8 events scheduled for 2014 from Sununga, Brazil to Newport Beach, CA in the USA. There is also an amateur tour sponsored by Skim USA.

Picking a Skimboard

Choosing the right skimboard isn't as hard as it might seem. If you are a beginner on a budget, pick a wood skimboard that is up to your chest and is appropriate for your weight. Boards of this type will cost between $50 and $100. Once you can consistently stay up on your board and skim the shoreline, how fast you run and how powerful the waves are where you intend to skimboard come into play. At that point you will want to graduate to a fiberglass board, which you can buy at a surf shop near one of Orange Beach condos or Gulf Shores rentals.

Fiberglass boards can cost several hundred dollars or more. But they are essential to performing tricks and skimboarding away from the shoreline. Fiberglass skimboards are lighter and faster. Selecting a high-end skimboard can be somewhat intimidating. There are a number of factors to consider.

Thickness - for executing turns the thinner the board, the easier to turn. However thinner boards sacrifice speed. Boards are typically 3/8 inch to 1 inch.

Rocker - a board's rocker is the degree to which the board is curved from head to tail. There are three types of rocker: constant, hybrid and traditional. A constant rocker has the same bend from nose to tail. A hybrid has a constant bend through about � of the board and is flat beyond that. A traditional rocker is mostly flat, with the exception of the nose. A traditional rocker is used when waves are far out.

Composition - the board has two primary components: the foam core and then several layers of cloth. The binding used to connect it all is called the resin. There are 4 types of cloth and several resins. Without getting into a chemistry lesson, the composition of the board impacts its flexibility, bounce and durability. At the top of the line you have a carbon/epoxy combination that is extremely fast, flexible and durable. If you are concerned about the composition of your board, you are a fairly advanced skimboarder and how it "feels" to you should be the deciding factor.

How to Skimboard - The Basics

To get started you will be doing "Flatland" Skimboarding. Flatland Skimboarding is done on coastal shores along the water edge. The steps involved are 1) Pick a wave 2) Chase the wave 3) Throw your board down 4) Get on the board 5) Ride the board. The key to throwing the board is to get low to the ground and slide the board in front of you. Getting on the board is the toughest job. Rule 1, don't hop on it, run onto it. Gradually put your weight into the board and glide onto it.

Tricks

Similar to skateboarding, skimboarding tricks are limited only by your imagination. Flatland Skimboarding is very similar to skate boarding. Tricks like ollies, shuvits, 360s, headstands and big spins are popular. Once you get out on waves, the ultimate tricks are barrels, tubes and aerial maneuvers.

Gulf Shores Resources

The 32 miles of white sandy beaches along Alabama's gulf coast provide a perfect skimboarding venue. You can walk out of our Gulf Shores condos and Orange Beach rentals and jump on your board every day. Gulf Shores has hosted several major skimboarding events from the "Easter Shred Fest" to the "King of the Beach" skim jam. Gulf Shores has several prominent skimboarding shops, many locations to rent gear and coaches to provide lessons.