Skimboarding is a sport few people have heard about, and even fewer have tried. But this niche sport is growing, and it’s easy to see why. It’s an activity that you can do just about anywhere and requires minimal gear to get started.
With a skimboard, some water, and a little bit of practice, you can be soaking up the sun and having a blast in no time. With cozy beach towns like Seabrook offering lessons and gear, skimboarding can easily become your new favorite activity.
WHAT IS SKIMBOARDING?
When it comes to water sports, there is no shortage of unique ways that people have found to have fun. Think about skimboarding as surfing’s cousin. Both offer the freeing feeling of gliding on water, but skimboarding is a great leeway to catching waves on a surfboard.
The premise is simple. Grab a board, throw it down on the water, run towards it, and jump on. The momentum of your body paired with the smooth surface of the board on the water will carry you forward.
Once you master the basics, it’s a sport that you can do just about anywhere. A shallow shore of a lake, the mouth of a creek, the breaking waves of the ocean, or even a puddle in your backyard can turn into a skimboarding playground.
THE HISTORY OF SKIMBOARDING
Skimboarding originated alongside surfing in California’s beach towns. The distinctly short and wide skimboard was a combination of skateboarding and surfing and allowed surfers to glide both on sand and waves.
After surfing hit the masses, it took off and redefined California while skimboarding became more popular in niche communities across the west coast, Canada, and Europe. Unlike surfing, you don’t need the perfect wave or wind conditions to enjoy the sport.
The skimboarding communities utilized bodies of water that were overlooked by surfers. Skimboarding has always been a part of the Pacfic Northwest culture and has flourished in Seabrook.
SO, HOW DO I START?
One of the most appealing aspects of skimboarding is that it’s easy to start your journey. All you need is a skimboard, a little bit of water, and a can-do attitude. Many skimboarders go barefoot. You can wear anything from your regular swimwear to a wetsuit.
Here in Seabrook, you can rent a skimboard for an hour or an entire day from Buck’s Northwest (permanently closed) located in the heart of town on Front Street. Skimboards have a hardwood core and are flat and smooth on the bottom while featuring grippy texture on top. Sometimes they are waxed and other times they have textured foam to help your feet stick to the board.
Popular brands include Victoria Skimboards out of Southern California and DB Skimboards that are made locally in Tacoma.
The team over at Buck’s Northwest (permanently closed) can be described as avid outdoorsmen, to say the least. They live for the thrill of catching the perfect wave, landing a bike jump, mastering a 360 shuv-it on their skimboard, and sharing their love of nature.
The welcoming crew is ready to graciously guide you into any sport you’re willing to try. If you are interested in learning how to skimboard, a lesson can take you from a novice to a gnarly skimmer in about 90 minutes.
Learning how to skimboard is all about familiarity and understanding that the board isn’t something to be afraid of. For new learners, the instructors start with practicing on grass turf outside of the shop. By wetting the turf, you can practice running, throwing, and stepping on the board. It’s described as running and sliding on hardwood floors in your socks, Risky Business style. In the summer, you can test your footing in the skimpool before heading to the beach.
Their 50 foot long pool is filled with an inch or so of water so you can practice in a controlled environment with better footing. The skimpool is open late spring-early fall and is weather dependent.
Once you understand the basic techniques, you can head down to the beach and play around. At this point, the guides are pretty hands off and only need to give you slight adjustments and encouragements: Bend your knees. Keep butt low. Spread your feet. Lean forward. It’s all about self-confidence.
WHERE TO GO IN SEABROOK
Seabrook’s beach is the obvious place to go skimboarding. You can skim the lines of the waves all day long. If you want some variability, head to the Elk Creek outlet on the south side of town or the smaller creek by the Northern staircase. Seabrook’s beach is unique due to the geological remoteness.
You’ll rarely see a car driving along the beach making it safer and more peaceful. For families with kids who are interested in water sports, skimboarding is great because it is easy to supervise. You can also reserve time in the skimpool to get back to basics or try out a new trick.
TAKE YOUR TRICKS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
For those of you who are already familiar with the rush of gliding over water and want to skimboard on Washington’s wild coast, Seabrook is the place to be. The beach is your playground. Skim the wave breaks or head to one of the creek outlets to build your own park. With long curved pieces of driftwood, high walls, and varying depths of water, the possibilities are endless.
You can also hone in your skills with Buck’s skimpool featuring a box, kicker, and quarter pipe, plus an awesome community to help you master your tricks.
The team over at Buck’s are helpful capable individuals who take pride in enabling others to enjoy the same things that they do. They are there to laugh about the slips and cheer you on when you finally land that trick. A family committed to showing people everything that they love about the outdoors.
SEABROOK AS YOUR SKIMBOARDING DESTINATION
With soft sandy beaches, shallow meandering streams, and all the toys that you could imagine at Buck’s Northwest (permanently closed), there’s no shortage of excitement. In just a quick 5-minute walk to the beach from the shop. It’s easy to carry your gear down for a day, play, and meander back to the shop. Whether you want to try a new sport or refine your skills, Seabrook is the place to do it.
There’s no better place to stay and play than Seabrook, Washington. Browse all of the cozy cottages, coastal homes, and farmhouse retreats that Seabrook Vacation Rentals has to offer.