It was sometime late in 1995 on a trip to California when I first saw people Skimboarding. I don’t mean gently chucking the board down, running to it, leaping on and managing a slow short slide, as we had always done. I mean people properly Skimming, riding the board out to meet an incoming wave and then surfing the wave back to shore. The spot was The Wedge in Newport and the surf on that day was about 3 feet.
For those not familiar with The Wedge, the beach has a boulder breakwater that runs out to sea on the left hand side, this offers protection to Newport harbour. When the swell is out of the South, the wave backwashes off the breakwater and travels back across the beach connecting with the following wave and creating the wedge effect. It may have only been 3 foot the day I was there but when you get whomped by one it feels more like a 6-foot wave!
To see these lads ripping the wave to pieces and snaking off down the beach really opened my eyes and I have always appreciated the skill of Skimboarding from that day. If Surf Report followers fancy a flavour of the thrill I experienced on that day then check out the clip below to see The Wedge at work and a master class in the art Skimboarding.
