Recreation
Smaller board, bigger thrill
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
For many, the beauty of surfing comes from moving in harmony with the ocean, from harnessing the power of the ocean for a low-impact ride shoreward.
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Others, like 35-year-old Scott Cress, have turned that idea around 180 degrees for a entirely different experience.
"Skimming is a little more extreme than surfing," Scott Cress said. "In surfing, you flow with the wave. With skimming, you're attacking it."
Dude, you're facing the wrong way.
Cress is one of a growing number of experienced surfers who have been turned on to the high-energy, high-risk lures of skimboarding, a sport that combines the basics of surfing with the creativity and daring of skateboarding and snowboarding.
"Skimming is a little more extreme than surfing," Cress says. "In surfing, you flow with the wave. With skimming, you're attacking it."
Skimmers start from the sand and chase receding waters as they feed larger waves. With careful timing, they hit the water on a short, oval-shaped board, climb the face of the wave, spin around at the crest and ride back in.
Sound difficult? It's harder than that.
"It's not a slow-moving sport by any means," Cress says. "The moves are all snappy, high impact and high energy. If you don't move explosively, the wave will knock you down."
Experienced skimmers are able to perform wide array of acrobatic maneuvers as they turn on the wave. Some simply use the wave as a ramp, rocketing skyward over the back.
"I first got into it because it was different," says 31-year-old John Tingey, a skimmer for 13 years. "It's more like skating or snowboarding than surfing. The maneuvers are more radical."
Skim boards are usually 4 1/2- to 5-feet tall, 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and 22 to 23 inches wide. They have no fins on the bottom, so turning is done rail to rail. Because of the tremendous potential impact involved, most boards are made of sturdy materials like carbon fiber or Kevlar, which also provide a reliable feel on the wave.
Skimboards are available for as low as $70. Better boards run $250 to $350.
According to Cress, the ideal skim spot has big waves moving through deep water and breaking on a steep shoreline.
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"Hawai'i is a great place for skimming because the water is consistently warm and clean," Cress says. "Sandy Beach and Waimea are really good spots, but you can also break your neck."
A skim board is usually 4 1/2- to 5-feet tall and 22-23 inches wide, giving riders more maneuverability in the wave, but the danger factor is greater than in surfing.
Indeed, skimming is an inherently risky way to approach the ocean, one that requires solid board skills and an understanding of the ocean.
"There's a steep learning curve," Cress says. "It takes a long time to get the hang of it and there are a lot of injuries, either from hitting the sand or the board."
Cress says he started skimming in 1985 while on vacation in Florida. A former competitive skimmer, Cress now organizes skimming events in Hawai'i.
The sport enjoyed a relative boom period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but remains relegated to the fringes of the surfing world. That may change. Cress says participation in the skimming has ballooned in the last year and a half, in part because of the sport's presence on the Internet. Cress' Web site, www.skimhawaii.com, averages about 700 hits a month.
