So I took a trip down to Florida to visit a friend this week. And I was finally privy to what this whole skimming thing is about. I've seen people throw skimboards into the surf up in Long Beach, NY, but mostly unsuccessfully... that was all I knew about them 'till now. I wonder if everyone else knows?

Apparently this sport has been around since the 20’s (birthed in Laguna?) but the skimming we see today surged in the 70’s. And it's not just the second choice for a surfer stuck with uncooperative surf. In fact, many prefer it.

Like most action sports, riders are constantly pushing the limits of this sport which encompasses the agility and tricks of surfing--and skating-- on a twin-tip board, often also designed with a rocker. Not needing to be as buoyant as a surfboard, skimboards are made much thinner (but similarly with foam core, fiberglass & resin) and often accessorized with a traction pad from companies that mainly supply the surf industry, like Astrodeck. Despite its smaller following then other water boardsports, skimboarding is one of the most high-tech, and while you can pick up a lower-end skimboard for under $100 a top-of-the-line model can run you $400-$500.

Not only did I catch a couple videos, I was able to see it live-action style down at--was it Siesta or Lido?-- in Sarasota. The swell was only knee-to-chest (pushing it) deep, but  they need little more than a thin lapping at the shore to get going. Uncharacteristically for me, I declined a shot at it, fearing a cracked skull for the rest of the week. Hopefully I'll get a second go at it...

Skim magazine has over 60,000 readers. Readership increases by about 25% a year. Skimboard sales, according to Zap, a leading manufacturer, have increased in the 30% and 40% each year since 2000! And, yes, we have a bunch of skim manufacturers at Surf Expo. While they don’t try to intrude or make a big scene, one of the ideas skimmers quietly believe is that one day they will induce a new path of surfing to take on what every other boardsport has to this day: SWITCH.

I'll be watching.