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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Skimboarding Spots

Use the map to find skim spots near you. You can grab the map and drag it around as well as zoom in and out.  Click on the marker to get some information about the spot. To submit a spot, check out the information below the map.



View Skim Spots in a larger map

To submit a spot send an email to rcskim@hotmail.com
  • Put “Skim Spot” as the subject of the email. 
  • Include the following information: 
    • Name of the spot. 
    • Location. 
    • A description of the skimboarding spot. 
    •  GPS Coordinates of the spot. An easy way to get this is to use Google maps. Find the spot on Google Maps. Right click on the spot and then select “what’s here” from the menu that pops up. When you do that, it will put an arrow on the spot and the GPS Coordinates will be put into the search box. Make sure you send these GPS Coordinates. 
    • Photos of the spot would be great. 
    •  Any links to videos at the spot would be awesome!

Skimboarding Rails







Skimboards










 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Skimboarding Spot: Sand Hollow - Hurricane, Utah

Sand Hollow
Sand Hollow Reservoir
Near Hurricane, Utah 

All along the south side of the lake there are nice sandy beaches. There are several pretty good skim spots. The sand is red sand like you would find in the Virgin River. One of the drawbacks of Sand Hollow is that it is a State Park, and as such, has an entrance fee. Day use is $10 per vehicle, including use of watercraft launches and OHV access. Sand Hollow can be a very nice, relaxing day at the beach. After you skim, you can go for a swim, or go cliff diving as well.

 




Skimboarding Spot: Santa Clara Waterfall - Santa Clara, Utah

Santa Clara Waterfall
Santa Clara River 
Santa Clara, Utah

This spot is fun because of the small waterfall gap.  You can transition from the top of the waterfall to the bottom of the waterfall. There is a good run up to the waterfall and and a good landing below.  You’ll probably want to bring a kicker or a box to help you make the transition.  There’s not much room to skim below the waterfall, but above is not bad.  If you’re not interested in trying the waterfall gap and just want to skim, then the Virgin River Waterfall skim spot may be a bit better place for you. But if you want to hit a fun feature that you can’t just find anywhere, check it out!







Skimboarding Spot: The Waterfall - St. George, Utah

The Waterfall 
Virgin River 
St. George, Utah 

The waterfall is the most popular place to skimboard in Southern Utah. The sand and water is great. Because it is so popular, there are quite often rails, kickers, etc. to be found there. One of the drawbacks is the water level. Usually during the summer months it is quite low and very good for skimboarding. However, if there is rain it will usually cause it to be high for a day or so and be unskimable or sketchy at best. There are other spots along the Virgin River to skim, however, they can often change and become rocky due to flooding. The waterfall has continued to be a prime spot, because of the waterfall feature, which has built up a great deposit of sand behind it that remains, even after flooding. There are some spots below the waterfall, but those seem to change and can get rocky if the river changes. Your best bet is to stay above the waterfall.



Skimboarding Spot: Saltair - Salt Lake City, Utah

Saltair
Great Salt Lake 
Salt Lake City, Utah

The Great Salt Lake can be a great place to skim, but you have to go at the right time. That time is in the evenings, particularly during the summer months. If you go in the middle of the day during the summer months, you will find it stinky and gross, with tons of dead rotting brine shrimp and brine flies all around. Early mornings aren't bad.  But if you go in the evenings you will find great sand, super long runs, and awesome sunsets! Why the difference? The Great Salt Lake is big enough that it has tides, and the tide goes out in the evening and leaves all the gross stuff up higher on the beach. Yes you still have to make your way past it, but once you get to the water in the evening it’s great! You can park at Saltair. You will have to walk a bit as the Lake has receded a bit since Saltair was built. I skimmed on the Great Salt Lake for several years while I was living in Salt Lake City. The lake is quite salty, so you’ll want to make sure you rinse your boards off after. There used to be some outside showers on the lake side of the Saltair building. I moved from Salt Lake several years ago and have not been back to skim, so I don’t know if the showers are still there. We also used to go to the gift shop in the Saltair building and get a free sample of salt water taffy.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Skimboarding Tricks


Beginner: Most of the beginner tricks are done on the water (as opposed to popping your board out of the water)



Intermediate: Most of these tricks require popping the board out of the water and/or a 180 rotation of the board



Advanced: Most of these tricks require popping the board out of the water and/or a 360 rotation of the board. Some also require a body varial.



Expert: Some of the most difficult tricks to do on a skimboard 


Skimboarding Tricks: Spins

How To Do Spins Trick Tips 

One of the first tricks that most people learn when they begin skimboarding is to spin.

To spin, bend down and stick your hand in the sand/water, this will cause you to begin to spin.

Tips

Use your “back” hand to create the spin
You can use the hand you put in the sand to help “push” you around and get a little more speed on your spin.

Squat more than bend
When you put your hand down in the sand, don’t just bend over. That will move your center of gravity from over the center of the board. To keep your center of gravity over the board, bend your knees and squat down a bit to reach down to the sand.

Lean
For better and more spins, adjust the way you are leaning so as to keep the part of the board that is at the front of your forward motion out of the water a bit. If that dips under the water, it will stop the board and you’ll crash.

Speed 
The faster you go, the more spins you will be able to do. Speed is the key.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Skimboarding Tricks: Hippy Jump

How To Do A Hippy Jump Trick Tips

A hippy jump is where you jump over and object while your board goes under it. Common objects are tree branches or rails.

 To do a hippy jump, ride up to the object with your knees slightly bent. Jump into the air and suck you legs up to clear the object as your board goes under the object. Watch the board clear the object, then land back on the board and ride away.

 Tips 

Combine with other tricks
This trick is a lot cooler if you combine it with other tricks like a backside shuvit.

Be careful of pop
Depending on the height of the object, you might not want to get too much pop if you are combining it with other tricks because the board will hit the object instead of going under it.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Skimboarding Videos


General Inland/Flatland Skimboarding Videos
Coming Soon!
Inland/Flatland Skimboarding Contest Videos
2012
2011
 2010
2009
2008
 2007
2006
2005

 Inland/Flatland Skimboarding Trick Videos 
Coming Soon
 Inland/Flatland Video Teasers 
Coming Soon
Wipouts
Coming Soon
Wave Skimboarding
Coming Soon

 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Skimboarding Pictures

















Dash Point Pro/Am 2005

Dash Point Pro/Am
2005


Sacramento Skimfest 2006

Sacramento Skimfest
2006


Dash Point Pro/Am 2006

Dash Point Pro/Am
2006


Sacramento Skimfest 2007

Sacramento Skimfest
2007


Virgin River Classic 2007

Virgin River Classic
2007



  

Dash Point Pro/Am 2007

Dash Point Pro/Am
2007




Chambers Creek Throwdown 2007

Chambers Creek Throwdown
2007


Virgin River Classic 2008

Virgin River Classic
2008


Dash Point Pro/Am 2008

Dash Point Pro/Am
2008


Chambers Creek Throwdown 2008

Chambers Creek Throwdown
2008


Sacramento Skimfest 2009

Sacramento Skimfest
2009


Virgin River Classic 2009

Virgin River Classic
2009

Dash Point Pro/Am 2009

Dash Point Pro/Am
2009

Chambers Creek Throwdown 2009

Chambers Creek Throwdown
2009

Sacramento Skimfest 2010

Sacramento Skimfest
2010


Virgin River Classic 2010

Virgin River Classic
2010


 

 

Chambers Creek Throwdown 2010

Chambers Creek Throwdown
2010

Dash Point Pro/Am 2010

Dash Point Pro/Am 
2010

 

Chambers Creek Throwdown 2011

Chambers Creek Throwdown 
2011 



 

 

 

Dash Point Pro/Am 2011

Dash Point Pro/Am 
2011


Sacramento Skimfest 2011

Sacramento Skimfest
2011







Dash Point Pro/Am 2012

Dash Point Pro/Am 
2012


Virgin River Classic 2011

Virgin River Classic
2011







Virgin River Classic 2012

Virgin River Classic 
2012

Skimboarding Tricks: Flat Backside (BS) 180

How To Do A Flat Backside (BS) 180 Trick Tips

A flat backside 180 is where you and the board rotate 180 degrees while on the water. Backside in this case means that your back foot is going to rotate in the direction of your back.

To do a backside 180 rotate your hips and swing your back leg in the direction of your back. The board should rotate 180 degrees with you on it.

Tips

Hip Rotation 
Don’t let your feet do all the work. Rotation at the hips will help drive the board around.

Lead with your head 
One thing that a lot of people struggle with is getting the upper part of their body to rotate when they are first learning the backside 180. If this is a problem, practice leading with your head. Rotate your head towards your back shoulder and then the rest of the way around (remember to rotate your hips as well). Your shoulder will follow as well as the rest of your body. The exaggerated head turn should help you get the feel of the rotation. Eventually you’ll want to get in the habit of looking down so when you start to pop your 180s you can see your landing. You can begin to make this adjustment by looking at the back of your board and following it around…again…not the front but the back of the board. Eventually you just start to do backside 180s and not even think about where you’re looking.

Turn your upper body
Another thing you can do to help you get this trick down is to turn your upper body so that it is facing backwards, then do the trick. You will probably find it much easier, however, you don’t want to continue to do this forever. It’s ok at first to help you get the feel, but eventually you’ll want to set up normally to do this trick.

Do it quick
You really want to learn to do this trick quick. This trick will be built upon to do other more advanced tricks like popping BS 180s out of the water and BS bigspins. For it to help, this trick needs to be learned right. It needs to be quick. This trick can technically be done by leaning on the rails and “coxing” the board around, however, that usually takes most of the run to do it. Technically that is a flat 180, but that is not the spirit of the trick. This trick needs to be done quick and succinctly so that it can help you develop other tricks.

Skimboarding Tricks: Flat Frontside (FS) 180

How To Do A Flat Frontside (FS) 180 Trick Tips

A flat frontside 180 is where you and the board rotate 180 degrees while on the water. Frontside in this case means that your front foot is going to rotate in the direction of your back.

To do a frontside 180 rotate your hips and swing your back leg forward. The board should rotate 180 degrees with you on it.

 Tips

Hip Rotation 
Don’t let your feet do all the work. Rotation at the hips will help drive the board around.

 Lead with your head
One thing that a lot of people struggle with is getting the upper part of their body to rotate when they are first learning the backside 180. If this is a problem, practice leading with your head. Rotate your head towards your back shoulder and then the rest of the way around (remember to rotate your hips as well). Your shoulder will follow as well as the rest of your body. The exaggerated head turn should help you get the feel of the rotation. Eventually you’ll want to get in the habit of looking down so when you start to pop your 180s you can see your landing. You can begin to make this adjustment by looking at the back of your board and following it around…again…not the front but the back of the board. Eventually you just start to do frontside 180s and not even think about where you’re looking.

Turn your upper body
Another thing you can do to help you get this trick down is to turn your upper body so that it is facing forwards, then do the trick. You will probably find it much easier, however, you don’t want to continue to do this forever. It’s ok at first to help you get the feel, but eventually you’ll want to set up normally to do this trick.

Do it quick 
You really want to learn to do this trick quick. This trick will be built upon to do other more advanced tricks like popping FS 180s out of the water and FS bigspins. For it to help, this trick needs to be learned right. It needs to be quick. This trick can technically be done by leaning on the rails and “coxing” the board around, however, that usually takes most of the run to do it. Technically that is a flat 180, but that is not the spirit of the trick. This trick needs to be done quick and succinctly so that it can help you develop other tricks.

Skimboarding Tricks: Shoot The Duck

How To Do A Shoot The Duck trick tips

Shoot the duck is a fun trick to learn when you’re first beginning.

To Shoot the duck, squat down on the board and stick your back leg forward. To help stabilize the board, put your back hand on the back of the board.

Tips

Spin
To liven the trick up a bit, quickly stick the foot of the leg that is kicked forward into the sand to start a spin.

Grab your toes
You can grab your toes to add a little flare to this trick as well.

Finish
Standing back up and riding away will help finish the trick off.

Skimboarding Tricks: Body Varial

How To Do A Body Varial Trick Tips

A body varial is where you jump in the air and rotate your body. This trick is often combined with other tricks, but if you are just doing a body varial, then the board would not rotate underneath you.

To do a body varial, bend your legs slightly and wind up your arms as you prepare to jump. Jump into the air and turn your body. Watch the board so you can land back on it and ride away. If you do a 180 body varial you will be riding switch after you land it.

Tips 

Rotation
A body varial can be done frontside or backside and be a 180, 360, or more. A frontside body varial is when your front shoulder rotates toward your back. A backside body varial is when your back shoulder rotates toward your back. Most people find the backside body varial a bit tricker just because you feel more “blind”.

Jump high for more rotations 
The higher you jump, the easier it will be to rotate more times.

Don’t spin the board 
This can be difficult at first because of a little physics principle called conservation of angular momentum (this usually causes the board to spin in the opposite direction of your body spin). If the board is spinning beneath you then you are relying on too much on your feet and take-off to create the spin. You want to use your upper body more. Practice this technique to help. You’ll need a partner. Stand facing your partner. Jump in the air and do a body varial. Your partner will tell you whether you will be doing your body varial frontside or backside. (They can also just say left or right if you prefer.) However, they will not tell you which one to do until after you have jumped into the air. This will give you practice using your upper body and hips to create the rotation rather than you feet to push off. That will help so the board doesn’t spin. This will be immensely helpful when you learn your bigspins. In a bigspin, you need the board to rotate the same directions as you do, but if you use your feet and take-off to create your spin, the board will spin in the opposite direction (it’s that conservation of angular momentum thing again - stinking physics!).

Learn it! 
It is definitely a good trick to get down as a beginner so that you can use it later in combination with other tricks.

Skimboarding Tricks: Backside (BS) 180

How To Do A Backside (BS) 180 Trick Tips

Also known as Backside Ollie 180 or Backside 180 Air. A backside 180 is where you pop the board out of the water and rotate it and your body 180 degrees. Backside in this case means that your back foot is going to rotate in the direction of your back.

To do a Backside 180, begin by turning your shoulders slightly in the opposite direction that you are going to spin. This is a wind up. Bend your knees to get ready to pop. Pop the board and unwind your shoulders. Bring the board with you as you turn backside. As you’re turning, stayed centered over the board just like for an ollie. Complete the rotation and prepare to land. Land softly, absorbing the landing with your legs by bending your knees. Land riding switch or fakie and skim away.

Tips

Foot Placement 
Get your back foot as far back as you can. It will help you scoop the back part of the board around.

Flat 180s
Practice doing flat backside 180s without popping out of the water. You’ll want to have these down and get the feel before you start popping them.

Bend your knees
Remember to bend your knees to help you get some pop out of the water. It will also help you keep your balance better as well as help with the landing.

Rotate your hips
Rotation at the hips will help drive the board around.

Get your ollies down
Obviously if you can’t Ollie, you won’t be able to pop the board out of the water and you will be doing a flat backside 180. So make sure you have a solid, controlled ollie before trying this trick.

Practice riding switch
Knowing how to ride switch can really help on the landing.

Rotate your head
One thing that a lot of people struggle with is getting the upper part of their body to rotate when they are first learning the backside 180. If this is a problem, practice leading with your head. Rotate your head towards your back shoulder and then the rest of the way around (remember to rotate your hips as well). Your shoulder will follow as well as the rest of your body. This does leave you a little blind on the landing, but the exaggerated head turn should help you get the feel of the rotation. Eventually you’ll want to probably look down so you can see your landing. You can begin to make this adjustment by looking at the back of your board and following it around…again…not the front but the back of the board. Eventually you just start to do backside 180s and not even think about where you’re looking.

Complete the rotation 
It’s actually quite difficult to completely rotate the board 180 degrees while in the air. If you watch close, most people only get the board around between 100-120 degrees in the air and then finish the rotation on the water.

Skimboarding Tricks: Frontside (FS) 180

How To Do A Frontside (FS) 180 Trick Tips 

A frontside 180 is where you pop the board out of the water and rotate it and your body 180 degrees. Frontside in this case means that your front foot is going to rotate in the direction of your back. The first 90 degrees, you will be facing the way you are going.

To do a frontside 180, bend your knees and wind up by twisting your shoulders in the opposite direction that you will be rotating. Pop the board while unwinding your shoulders and continue to turn them until they have rotated 180 degrees frontside. The momentum from unwinding your shoulders will help you rotate. Use your feet to help guide the board around. When you pop it should be like a normal ollie, unwind and turn your feet with the board. Complete the rotation and prepare to land. Land softly, absorbing the landing with your legs by bending your knees. Land riding switch or fakie and skim away. Be careful as it will be much harder to maintain control now that you’re in switch stance.

Tips

Flat 180s
You will also want to practice flat frontside 180s as well. It is important that you get a good feel for the frontside rotation. Frontside for most people is usually a bit tougher than backside. For some reason, backside rotations seem a little more natural.

 Get your ollies down
To begin with, you’re going to want to have your ollies down.

Practice riding switch 
Being able to comfortably ride switch can really help on the landing.

Complete the rotation
When you’re first landing these, don’t stress it too much if you’re not rotating a full and clean 180 degrees. You can come up a little short and under rotated and still be okay, just finish the rotation on the water.

Wind up
If you’re having trouble rotating a full 180 degrees, twist your shoulders more and unwind faster. Pop harder to get more air time.

Face Forward
It might help to position your shoulders facing forward instead of winding up if you are having trouble with the rotation. If you start it out this way, your body is pretty much already halfway there.

Skimboarding Tricks: Backside (BS) shuvit

How To Do A Backside Shuvit Trick Tips

A Backside shuvit is probably one of the first really cool tricks that you are going to learn. A Shuvit is where you jump into the air without spinning, and the skimboard rotates 180 degrees underneath you. Backside in this case means that the back of the board is going to rotate towards your back.

 To do a backside shuvit, bend your knees slightly and then jump into the air. As you jump, start to rotate the board in a backside rotation with your back foot. Keep an eye on the board while it spins around, and you are in the air. When you see that it has completed 180 degrees, catch it with your feet. This means put your feet down on the board, with your front foot near the middle of the board, and your back foot near the tail. Bend your knees when you land to absorb the shock. Keep your balance and ride away.

Tips

Be smooth
You don’t have to shove the board very hard to get it around 180 degrees. Stay over the board Make sure to stay over the top of the board. You need to keep your center of gravity right over the top of the board. Don’t shove the board out from under you, just spin it.

Foot Placement
Put your back foot as far back on the board as you can. This will make it easier to spin the board. Your back foot will be doing all the work.

Bend your knees
Bending your knees will help you keep your center of gravity lower and make it easier to keep your balance. It will also make for better smoother landings.

Getting Pop
Once you get the shuvit down, you can start to pop it. You should probably have your ollies down, however, popping a shuvit seems to be a bit easier than a straight ollie. You can also pop a shuvit in much shallower water than you can do a straight ollie in. To get more pop, make sure that you really bend your knees and also jump. To get some pop in your 360 shuvit, you are going to need to push down on the back of the board while simultaneously "shuving" it. Here is the deal though, while learning to get some pop, don't focus much on "popping" the board. Focus on bending your knees and then exploding into the air. What you will find is the board will naturally follow you into the air. As you get a feel for this, you can then begin to focus on getting more pop by "popping" that back foot harder. (See the ollie tutorial for more discussion on "popping" the board.)

Skimboarding Tricks: Frontside (FS) Shuvit

How To Do A Frontside Shuvit Trick Tips

A Shuvit is where you jump into the air without spinning, and the skimboard rotates 180 degrees underneath you. Frontside in this case means that the front of the board is going to rotate towards your back.

To do a frontside shuvit, bend your knees slightly and then jump into the air. As you jump, start to rotate the board in a frontside rotation by pushing your back foot toward the toe side of your board. Keep an eye on the board while it spins around, and you are in the air. When you see that it has completed 180 degrees, catch it with your feet. This means put your feet down on the board, with your front foot near the middle of the board, and your back foot near the tail. Bend your knees when you land to absorb the shock. Keep your balance and ride away.

Tips 

Frontside 
This frontside motion seems to be a little less natural for most skimmers than the backside motion. At first you may feel like you have to push a little harder to get the board to spin 180 in the frontside direction.

Stay over the board
Make sure to stay over the top of the board. You need to keep your center of gravity right over the top of the board. Don’t shove the board out from under you, just spin it.

Foot Placement
Put your back foot as far back on the board as you can. This will make it easier to spin the board. Your back foot will be doing all the work.

Bend your knees
Bending your knees will help you keep your center of gravity lower and make it easier to keep your balance. It will also make for better smoother landings.

Getting Pop
Once you get the shuvit down, you can start to pop it. You should probably have your ollies down, however, popping a shuvit seems to be a bit easier than a straight ollie. You can also pop a shuvit in much shallower water than you can do a straight ollie in. To get more pop, make sure that you really bend your knees and also jump. To get some pop in your 360 shuvit, you are going to need to push down on the back of the board while simultaneously "shuving" it. Here is the deal though, while learning to get some pop, don't focus much on "popping" the board. Focus on bending your knees and then exploding into the air. What you will find is the board will naturally follow you into the air. As you get a feel for this, you can then begin to focus on getting more pop by "popping" that back foot harder. (See the ollie tutorial for more discussion on "popping" the board.)

Skimboarding Tricks: Small Spin

How To Do A Small Spin Trick Tips

A small spin is a backside 180 shuvit with a frontside 180 body varial. The board spins the opposite way your body does.

To do a small spin, do a backside shuvit and at the same time do a frontside 180 degree turn in the air with your body. Remember that your body is spinning opposite the way the board is spinning. Suck you knees up slightly to avoid your feet from stopping the rotation of the shuvit. Make sure to stay above the board while spinning your body. Keep an eye on the board while it spins around, and you are in the air. When your feet and the board line up again, catch the board with your feet. This means put your feet down on the board, with your front foot near the middle of the board, and your back foot near the tail. You will now be riding switch. Bend your knees when you land, to absorb the shock, keep your balance, and ride away.

Tips 

Practice Your Body Varials 
If you’re having trouble spinning your body, first just practice some body varials. Once you have these down, this should be a pretty easy trick to master.

Frontside or Backside
You can also do this with a frontside shuvit and backside body varial.

Physics is on your side
In this particular trick, physics is on your side. Due to conservation of angular momentum, the board naturally wants to spin in the opposite direction of your body rotation. So unlike a normal body varial where you try to use your upper body rather than your feet and take off to create your body rotation; use your feet and take-off to create your body rotation, it will just help push the board around.

Skimboarding Tricks: Frontside (FS) 360 shuvit

How To Do A Frontside 360 Shuvit Trick Tips

Frontside 360 Shuvit is similar to a frontside shuvit, but this time you’re going to be sending the board in a 360 degrees spin rather than a 180. A 360 shuvit is performed by "shuving" the board around 360 degrees while you are in the air. Frontside in this case means that the front of the board is going to rotate towards your back.

To do a frontside 360 shuvit, as you jump into the air, push your back foot out in front of you to get the board rotating. Getting the board around 360 degrees is a bit tricky, but we’ll address that later. Watch the board as it completes it’s 360 degree rotation. Once the board has completed it’s rotation, catch it with your feet and land it. Absorb the landing by bending your knees and ride it out.

Tips

Get your 180 shuvits down
You definitely want to practice a regular 180 shuvit and get it down.

Frontside leg strength
Most people find the motion of kicking your foot behind you for a backside shuvit much easy than pushing your back foot out in front of you. At first, it is usually quite difficult to get enough spin on the board to make it the full 360. Lots of practice is most likely going to be required to build up strength in the leg for that particular motion. To help with this you can practice over and over again on carpet. That way you can practice the frontside spinning motion over and over again, without wearing out from all the running you would normally be doing if you were actually skimming.

Jump higher
Jumping higher will give more time for the board to rotate the full 360 degrees.

Complete the rotation
After you jump in the air, rotate your hips a bit so you can catch the board a little early, maybe around the 270 degree mark and then finish the rotation on the water.

Get your knees up
 The higher you lift your knees towards your chest, the longer the board will have to spin underneath you. You will not have to try to spin the board so fast if the board has more time to spin underneath you. This will allow you to put less effort into the spin and it will become a more relaxed fluid motion rather than a quick jerky motion that can throw off your balance and make it difficult to complete the trick.

Be confident
You need to commit fully to the trick. Get your feet off the board and get your knees up. Watch the board spin around underneath you, catch it with your feet, and stick it.

 Stay over the top of the board
This is key in most tricks. Lots of times as people begin to try the 360 shuvit they end up "shuving" the board right out from underneath them. This usually happens for a couple of reasons. One, the skimboarder has leaned back too far. Often, particularly when trying to get some "pop", there is a tendency to lean back. This puts your center of gravity too far back. You want to keep your center of gravity between your legs. For more discussion on this see the ollie tutorial. When leaning back, most of the time the board will shoot out from underneath the skimboarder, but even if the skimboarder manages to keep the board in close vicinity, they will find it near impossible to land the trick. The second reason the board ends up flying away from the rider is that they have tried to “shuv” the board too hard with a quick jerky motion as opposed to a more smooth relaxed fluid motion. By gaining leg strength and getting your knees up, you will be able to make the shuving motion much more fluid. Again, it is important to keep the board underneath you.

Try to land "softly" on the board
Don’t land straight legged. Make sure that your knees are bent when you land. This will do two things. One, it will keep your center of gravity lower which will make it easier for you to stay in control. Second, by landing with your knees bent, you can absorb the impact of the landing and make it much more smooth.

Practice in shallow water
When trying to get down the 360 shuvit, practice in very shallow water; as shallow as you can get it. 360 shuvits are easier in more shallow water. Don’t worry about pop at first. Just get use to getting the board around and landing them every time. Once you get them down, then you can start working on getting some pop.

Getting Pop 
To get some pop in your 360 shuvit, you are going to need to push down on the back of the board while simultaneously "shuving" it. Here is the deal though, while learning to get some pop, don't focus much on "popping" the board. Focus on bending your knees and then exploding into the air. What you will find is the board will naturally follow you into the air. As you get a feel for this, you can then begin to focus on getting more pop by "popping" that back foot harder. (See the ollie tutorial for more discussion on "popping" the board.)

 Forget everything you have just read
All the things that you have read are good tips but sometimes you can over think things. Now I don’t want you to literally go and forget everything, but my point is, make sure you RELAX. Be smooth. Don't over think it.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Skimboarding Tricks: No compleezy

How To Do A No Compleezy Trick Tip 

A no compleezy is a back foot no comply. Basically you pop the board in the air while simultaneously planting the back foot momentarily on the ground. There are a lot of variations of the no compleezy, but this trick tutorial will be for a backside shuvit no compleezy. It is a combination of a backside shuvit and a no compleezy.

To do a backside shuvit no compleezy, set up with your front foot in the center of the board and your back foot on the very back of the board. Bend your knees and then begin your backside shuvit. As the board is spinning, stomp your back foot down onto the ground. Get your back foot off the ground as fast as you can. When the board has completed it’s rotation, catch it with your front foot, drag your back foot onto the board and ride away.

Tips 

Don’t jump too high
Don’t jump too high, especially when you’re first learning the trick. Keep your back foot close to the ground. Also I just don’t think this trick looks as good when you jump high. Rather, try to just compress your front leg.

 Be careful
Be careful not to smash your front foot or ankle with the board. If you put it down before the board has completed it’s rotation it will smash into your foot. Also watch out for your back foot. Make sure it is far enough behind the board not to get smacked either.

Practice on carpet 
This is a great trick to practice on carpet with shoes on. You can get the timing down and not worry about injuring your feet.

Skimboarding Tricks: Backside (BS) bigspin

How To Do A Backside Bigspin Trick Tips 

Backside bigspin trick is the act of doing a 360 backside shove it, and a 180 backside body varial. You and your board spin in the same direction.

To do a backside bigspin, bend your knees and pop the board as you push your back foot behind you to get the board spinning. As you’re spinning the board, do a backside 180 body varial. If done right, you’ll spin in the same direction as your board. Watch the board under you and time your landing. Ideally, you want finish up your 180 degree body rotation at the same time your board finishes up its 360 degree spin, but don’t stress it too hard if it’s not timed perfectly. You can catch the board with your feet a little bit early before the rotation is complete and finish it on the water. Land with your knees bent to help absorb the impact. You’re going to be in switch now, so make sure you put a little bit more effort in staying balanced.

Tips 

Practice backside 180s
You’ll want to have your backside 180s down.

 Practice backside body varials
You want to be totally comfortable with these. They do take some getting used to...much more so it seems than frontside body varials. For this trick you need to make sure that you use your upper body to create the body rotation. If you try to use your feet and your take-off, it will push the board in the opposite direction.

Rotation
If you’re having trouble, try starting the rotation on the water, and then pop the board, jump in the air, and start the body rotation after you’ve gone between 60-90 degrees.

Jump higher
I have just found that the body rotation is easier if I jump higher.

Wind up 
Wind up before you start the trick by rotating your shoulders in the opposite direction of your spin.

Skimboarding Tricks: Frontside (FS) bigspin

How To Do A Frontside Bigspin Trick Tips

A frontside bigspin is the act of doing a 360 frontside shove it, and a 180 frontside body varial. You and your board spin in the same direction.

To do a Frontside Bigspin, bend your knees and pop the board as you push your back foot out in front of you to get the board spinning. As you’re spinning the board, do a frontside 180 body varial. If done right, you’ll spin in the same direction as your board. Watch the board under you and time your landing. Ideally, you want finish up your 180 degree body rotation at the same time your board finishes up its 360 degree spin, but don’t stress it too hard if it’s not timed perfectly. You can catch the board with your feet a little bit early before the rotation is complete and finish it on the water. Land with your knees bent to help absorb the impact. You’re going to be in switch now, so make sure you put a little bit more effort in staying balanced.

Tips 

Practice frontside 180s
You’ll want to have your frontside 180s down.

Practice frontside body varials
You want to be totally comfortable with these. For this trick you need to make sure that you use your upper body to create the body rotation. If you try to use your feet and your take-off, it will push the board in the opposite direction.

Rotation 
If you’re having trouble, try starting the rotation on the water, and then pop the board, jump in the air, and start the body rotation after you’ve gone between 60-90 degrees.

 Jump higher
 I have just found that the body rotation is easier if I jump higher.

Wind up
Wind up before you start the trick by rotating your shoulders in the opposite direction of your spin.

Skimboarding Tricks: Biospin

How To Do A Biospin Trick Tips 

A Biospin is a 360 backside shuvit with a frontside 180 body varial. It is similar to a small spin, however a small spin contains just a 180 shuvit.

To do a biospin, do a backside 360 shuvit and at the same time do a frontside 180 degree turn in the air with your body. Remember that your body is spinning opposite the way the board is spinning. Suck you knees up to avoid your feet from stopping the rotation of the shuvit. Make sure to stay above the board while spinning your body. Keep an eye on the board while it spins around, and you are in the air. After the board has spun 360 degrees and your feet line up again, catch the board with your feet. This means put your feet down on the board, with your front foot near the middle of the board, and your back foot near the tail. You will now be riding switch. Bend your knees when you land, to absorb the shock, keep your balance, and ride away.

Tips

Practice your 360 shuvits 
You are going to need to have your 360 shuvits down.

Practice Your Body Varials 
If you’re having trouble spinning your body, first just practice some body varials. Once you have these down, this should be a pretty easy trick to master.

Frontside or Backside 
You can also do this with a frontside shuvit and backside body varial.

Physics is on your side
In this particular trick, physics is on your side. Due to conservation of angular momentum, the board naturally wants to spin in the opposite direction of your body rotation. So unlike a normal body varial where you try to use your upper body rather than your feet and take off to create your body rotation; use your feet and take-off to create your body rotation, it will just help push the board around.

Skimboarding Tricks: Backside (BS) 540 shuvit

How To Do A Backside 540 Shuvit trick tips

If you’re trying to learn this trick, I’m assuming you have your backside 360 shuvits down, so you pretty much know what’s going on here. For the Backside 540 shuvit, you’re going to be rotating the board 540 degrees instead of 360 or 180. Backside in this case means that the back of the board is going to rotate towards your back.

 To do a backside 540 shuvit, bend your knees slightly and then jump into the air. As you jump, start to rotate the board in a backside rotation with your back foot. Keep an eye on the board while it spins around, and you are in the air. When you see that it has completed 540 degrees, catch it with your feet. Bend your knees when you land to absorb the shock Keep your balance and ride away.

Tips

Get your 360 shuvits down
Study all the tips for a backside 360 shuvit. They all apply here too. Make sure you have these down.

Increase leg strength
Obviously this trick is hard because of how much the board needs to rotate. Continue to practice to help build up the strength in the specific muscle movements that you use to rotate the board. You can save time, energy, be more efficient and save your feet and ankles if you practice on carpet.

 Be smooth
 Don’t shove the board out from under you, just spin it. This is hard sometimes when you are first learning the trick because you are trying to spin the board so hard that you often lose control of it.

 Jump higher
You need to give the board more time to make it’s 540 degree rotation. If you need to, rotate your hips a bit and catch the board early and finish the rotation on the water.

Skimboarding Tricks: Frontside (FS) 540 Shuvit

How To Do A Frontside 540 Shuvit 

 If you’re trying to learn this trick, I’m assuming you have your frontside 360 shuvits down, so you pretty much know what’s going on here. For the Frontside 540 shuvit, you’re going to be rotating the board 540 degrees instead of 360 or 180. Frontside in this case means that the front of the board is going to rotate towards your back.

To do a frontside 540 shuvit, bend your knees slightly and then jump into the air. As you jump, start to rotate the board in a frontside rotation by pushing your back foot out in front of you. Keep an eye on the board while it spins around, and you are in the air. When you see that it has completed 540 degrees, catch it with your feet. Bend your knees when you land to absorb the shock. Keep your balance and ride away.

Tips

Get your 360 shuvits down
Study all the tips for a Frontside 360 shuvit. They all apply here too. Make sure you have these down.

Increase leg strength
Obviously this trick is hard because of how much the board needs to rotate. Continue to practice to help build up the strength in the specific muscle movements that you use to rotate the board. You can save time, energy, be more efficient and save your feet and ankles if you practice on carpet.

Be smooth
Don’t shove the board out from under you, just spin it. This is hard sometimes when you are first learning the trick because you are trying to spin the board so hard that you often lose control of it.

Jump higher
You need to give the board more time to make it’s 540 degree rotation. If you need to, rotate your hips a bit and catch the board early and finish the rotation on the water.

Friday, October 5, 2012

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