LABUAN ACTIVITY AT THE WEEKEND
 "SKIM BOARD"

Skimboarding (or skimming) (or Skiffle Boarding) is a boardsport in which a skimboard (a smaller, sleeker version of a surfboard) is used to ride on an incoming wave.

"sources from wikipedia" 

Unlike surfing, skimboarding begins on the beach, with the skimboarder running and dropping their board onto the thin wash of previous waves. They use their momentum to 'skim' out to breaking waves, which they then catch back into shore in a manner similar to surfing. Another aspect of skimboarding is 'flatland' which involves performing tricks derived from skateboarding such as ollies and shuv-its on the wash of waves without catching shorebreaks.

"sources from wikipedia" 

 Thickness of the board depends somewhat on the materials used in construction,but typically ranges from 3/8 inch to 1 inch. A few high-flotation foam core boards and "soft" boards have been built with thicknesses in excess of 2 inches.

"sources from wikipedia" 

Most skimboards will have some nose lift, or rocker. There are three types of rockers generally used for skimboards. There is a constant rocker, which means that the board has a constant curve from nose to tail. Constant rockers are known for better control on bigger waves. Another type of rocker and the most commonly used is a hybrid rocker.This means that the board has a curve on the bottom through about 3/4 of the board's length, the rest (meaning the flat part) is usually the tail. This type of rocker is good for both speed and control on decent size waves; also the best type of board for flatland tricks. Last of all, a traditional rocker means that the board is almost completely flat except for the nose which has just a little bit of curve so as not to dig into the sand. This type of board might be used for speed runs, or selected as a beginner's board because it is the cheapest type to fabricate.

"sources from wikipedia" 

The earliest skimboards were circular or teardrop shaped, and these are still excellent shapes for a beginner. Rotational symmetry reinforces a rider's perception that his body's momentum and balance (ability) are more important than the orientation (geometry) of the board, in determining his direction of travel. This is a fact on any skimboard, especially on-shore.

"sources from wikipedia"

The next phase of development was generally patterned after the surfing industry. Whether due to popularity, or the hydrodynamic principles of surfboard design, skimboard manufacturers had best-selling results from surf inspired shapes. Skimboards have been made in fish shapes, pin tails, swallowtails, squash tails, and more variants of the surfboard theme.

"sources from wikipedia" 

Next came the realization that on thin water, the "rocker" (curvature away from a flat plane along the length) of the board will cause the nose to be carried in the air. So in terms of handling characteristics, the shape of the nose doesn't matter much. Also, a skimboarder's sideways stance doesn't necessarily have a "front" or "back" except as the rider favors goofy foot or regular foot. By creating a symmetric board which effectively fused two tail sections together at the middle, a rider could perform aerial stunts and land securely, facing in either direction.

"sources from wikipedia" 

It is also possible for a skimboarder to run and jump on his board when it's simply awash on a wave, floating free. He doesn't always need to follow the run-drop-slide sequence. A bidirectional shape means that the board can never be turned "backward" to the rider. Whichever way it's facing he has an equal chance to run and jump aboard, to continue riding.

"sources from wikipedia" 

The latest evolution of skimboard shape is based on the hyperbolic function, with double-concave sides creating a waistline at the middle. Snow skis and snowboards use this geometry to achieve a carve turn on snow. They maintain better speed by tracking along a precise arc, than by displacing some volume of the particles underfoot in order to turn. There is less drag by this mechanism, along with enhanced directional control.

"sources from wikipedia"  

Many consider the center of skimboarding to be located in Southern California, where skimboarding originated. It is home to some of the best conditions in the world for skimboarding. However, people skim in many more locations throughout the United States and internationally in Europe (the main locations being Portugal and France), Australia, Asia, and South America. However, many people skim inland because of difficulty with shore access. Flatland skimboarding can be done nearly anywhere: lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, puddles, or even wet grass. Flatland skim scenes have developed in places such as North America (Outer Banks, Washington, British Columbia, Ontario, Delaware, California, Florida, Utah, Texas, Long Island and The Great Lakes) Melbourne, Australia and Plimerton, Wellington NZ. In Europe is the Flatland skim scene fast growing, with the biggest group skimboarders situated in the Netherlands.
There's a curious fact in Recife, a city of Brasil: there can be no surfing due to shark attacks. Once people can't go surfing, many surf lovers are becoming skimmers, looking for the waves closer to the sand where sharks are not considered a danger. Boa Viagen's Beach is today a skimboarding hotspot.

"sources from wikipedia" 

A technique often used to reach hard-to-reach waves is side-slipping. It involves doing the normal one-step but once the rider has landed on the board, they turn the board sideways and crouch into balance, approaching the wave rail-first. This technique allows for the rider to have less surface friction which allows the rider to maintain a faster speed unlike the traditional way of going straight out into the on-coming wave. Another technique involves pumping the board both leading to and once on a wave to maintain speed.

"sources from wikipedia" 

 There are many types of dangers that skimboarders can face on a daily basis. Skimboarding is an increasingly popular activity on the beach. It is not uncommon to see fractures or dislocations of the lower limbs, some requiring serious medical attention. Lacerations, twisted ankles and bruises are also common, due to impacts with the board itself, or rocks, logs and other obstacles present on beaches. Drowning amongst skimboarders is not as likely as amongst surfers due to the shallow water in which skimboarding is usually practiced. However, if unconscious a skimboarder could easily drown. And also due to the shallow water breaking your neck is a very dangerous possibility when riding waves.

"sources from wikipedia"