Virgin River Skimboards - New Designs

Virgin River Board Co. sent over some pics of some of their new skimboard designs. Enjoy!!!

Skimboard Dimensions

I get asked all the time by people making their own board, “What dimensions should I use?” This is kind of a hard question to answer because there is a lot of personal preference involved. I usually give them a ball park figure and let them experiment a bit for themselves.

Here is the deal. A bigger board will be heavier and more stable. A smaller board is usually lighter and more responsive. So are there any advantages to heavier? The answer is yes. A heavier board will go farther and faster. You should consider how you like to get on the board. Some people like to throw the board out ahead of them a bit and really get some speed before they get on the board. Some like to throw the board down and get on within a step or two. If you are the kind that likes to throw the board out ahead of you a bit the a heavier board may be nice because it will keep up it’s speed and you won’t run past it. Also once you get on the board, a heavier one will travel farther. So what are the disadvantages of a heavier board? The main one is that it is harder to get out of the water when you ollie, after all, it is heavier.

Another advantage of a larger board is that it is more stable, so it is easier to land tricks on. The problem here is that even though it’s easier to land a trick on a large board, if the trick involves getting the board out of the water it might be more difficult to do that because the larger board is heavier.

Your level of experience may also be a consideration. If you are a beginner then you may want a more stable (larger) board to get started with. You also need to consider who you are making the board for. If you are making it for you 10 year old daughter, a larger board may be difficult for her to hold, throw, etc. The thickness of a board will also come into play as a thicker board will be heavier than a thinner board. Usually the standard thickness is between 3/8” and 1/2”.

Most board manufactures have different sizes and recommended weights associated with their boards. Remember, in the end, it’s a personal preference, depending on what kind of rider you are, what kind of riding you’ll be doing, and how you want the board to feel under your feet. That being said, I’ve done some research (so that you don’t have to) and listed some popular board manufactures with sizes of inland skimboards and suggested weights so that you can get at least a ballpark estimate.

Victoria Matrix












Small 41” x 17.6” 50 – 100 lbs
Medium 44” x 18.7” 90 – 160 lbs
Large 47” x 20.4” 140 – 210 lbs

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Victoria Grinder












Medium 44” x 20” 90 – 160 lbs
Large 47” x 21.4” 140 – 210 lbs

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DB Proto












Flex Small 39.6” x 18.75” under 120 lbs
Flex Medium 41.6” x 19.5” 100 lbs – 150 lbs
Standard Medium 41.5” x 19.5” 125-170 lbs
Standard Large 43.5” x 20.5” 160 lbs +

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DB Streamline












Flex Small 37.75” x 17.5” under 120 lbs
Flex Medium 40.5” x 18.5” 100 lbs – 150 lbs
Standard Medium 41” x 19.5” 125-170 lbs
Standard Large 43.5” x 20.5” 160 lbs

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DB Standard Sandblaster












Small 42.75” x 18” under 120 lbs
Medium 44” x 19” 110-160 lbs
Large 45.5” x 19.5” 150 lbs +

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Kayotics Cali












Small 40.5" x 19" under 140 lbs.
Large 41.5" x 22" over 140 lbs

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Kayotics OG












Small 40.5" x 19" under 140 lbs
Large 41.5" x 22" over 140 lbs

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Interview – Virgin River Board Co.

Virgin River Board Co. is a new inland skimboard manufacturer out of St. George Utah. In an interview with Inland Skimboarding, Virgin River Board Co.’s Chan Nay gave us loads of great info. about the company. Check it out, your sure to be impressed!

Inland Skimboarding: Tell us a little bit about Virgin River skimboards.
Virgin River Board Co.: First off we have really come up with a great board that we have put a lot of time and development into. We build boards that are 3/8"to 1/2" thick depending on what the rider likes. Our weights range from just over 6 lbs to almost 8lbs. We have a board that is perfect for every rider not like most companies who want the rider to fit their board, we build a board to fit the rider! We have a huge selection of graphics that range from the old school woody look to our vinyl decals, to our latest model of the rubber top with our logo painted on it. We use the highest quality of material to insure our product is second to none! I have had each of our boards in the back of my truck for almost 4 weeks now, through the heat, rain, and all other extremes just to see what the board would do. To this day I still ride all of them and they all have the same rocker they started with.

Inland Skimboarding: How did the name of your company originate?
Virgin River Board Co.: When we were trying to think of our name we were trying to think of something that everyone in the skimboarding community would recognize and also hit home on the local scene as well. That was when it hit us that Virgin River Board Co. was the one.

Inland Skimboarding: Where is Virgin River Skimboards located?
Virgin River Board Co.: We are located here in St. George, Utah. All of our boards are made here locally in our shop and are available in our store at 968 E. St. George Blvd, or on our website at www.vrskimz.com.

Inland Skimboarding: How long have you been making skimboards?
Virgin River Board Co.: We have been doing research and development on the boards for a little over a year now. We have really hit the scene hard this year and plan to make it bigger from here on out!

Inland Skimboarding: A lot of inland skimboarders start off on boards that they have made themselves. What are the advantages of moving to a professionally manufactured board?
Virgin River Board Co.: There are a couple of great advantages to have a professional board. I have used home made boards, as I am sure everyone else has too, but the biggest advantage I have found is that I can fully enjoy the sport more and have a better experience. Our boards are more than just a professional board they are hand crafted one by one here in St. George to insure the quality and durability of our boards. We like to think that it is more of a hand crafted board than a mass produced board. We pride ourselves on paying attention to the details so the rider doesn't have to. Less time on the river bank fixing or worrying and more time riding!

Inland Skimboarding: What makes a good inland skimboard?
Virgin River Board Co.: We feel that a solid board with perfect rocker, and a company that stands behind their product. I see a lot of these "one time use boards", that you can buy for $30 or $40, but I have noticed that kids never seem to enjoy their time skimmming. That’s why we have made it one of our goals and focuses to build a great beginner/intermediate board for not much more than how much you will spend on replacing a couple of “one time use” boards in a year. We feel it will also help keep the kids’ interest in skimboarding and help draw more people to the skimboarding community.

Inland Skimboarding: Tell us about your inland skimboards.
Virgin River Board Co.: All of our boards have end to end rocker with an hpl bottom. We have just released our new line with the rubber tops. They have proven to do well for us. We can do any color that the customer wants and/or they can paint on it themselves! I think that is really cool, as it offers the customer to have a one of a kind board, and keep the individualality that people like. We offer S/M and M/L in all of our lines. Like I mentioned before we use only the best materials to insure our boards are made to last and handle the abuse of the sport, and in St. George, the heat!

Inland Skimboarding: Why should I buy a Virgin River skimboard?
Virgin River Board Co.: We offer the best built board out there! Out of the boards I ride everyday I use and abuse them hard. I let anyone and everyone ride them. When most people test ride them, the first thing I hear is "I will take it easy so I don't break it" I always reply "if you can break it I will give you one"!!! Who else would tell you that?! I have not had one of our new boards break or warp! I think it’s in the adhesive we use, and the way we laminate them. The only way to find out our boards are the best is to ride one. I am more than happy to let new comers ride them and see for themselves that our boards are the best, and they need one!

Inland Skimboarding: What makes your inland skimboards unique?
Virgin River Board Co.: I would say it has to be the fact that this is all we do. Our whole focus and goal is to offer the best inland skimboards. Our board shape is awesome and has perfect rocker and weight that every rider is looking for. We build the board around the rider not the rider around the board!

Inland Skimboarding: What kind of testing/quality control do your boards go through?
Virgin River Board Co.: We do hours and hours of research before we even decide to try a new product. Once we decide we want to try it, we go through about 4 different processes of how it could be done. In doing this we find the best way to utilize the product and get the most out of it. I personally inspect every board, as I make them all by myself. If I have any doubt or concerns I either fix it if it can be, or analyze it to see what went wrong. We take every board and have our sponsored riders use them, and get their feed back and then put them through all extremes. We test the cold, the heat, and direct sunlight for weeks on end. Before I launch a new board I think it’s safe to say if we are going to have any problems with it I will know about it and have it corrected before we start to produce. Granted there are those that you don't find until later, but that’s the nature of things.

Inland Skimboarding: Rails have become an integral part of inland skimboarding. Boards take quite a bit of abuse as a result. Talk a little bit about the challenge that presents when designing and building inland skimboards.
Virgin River Board Co.: Whoever figures this one out first will be a millionaire! It seems like the two biggest problems are the edges of your board getting dinged and causing water damage, and the bottoms wearing out. We feel we have found a great solution to the edge problem as our rubber coating is completely wrapped around the edge of the board. It will still chip off on a big enough hit but your have to hit it really hard. The bottoms is still up in the air. We have some great ideas we are researching and developing now and are hoping to have a couple of answers in the near future. So keep your eyes open as we try to crack this nut!

Inland Skimboarding: When you get feedback from inland riders, what positive things do you hear most often?
Virgin River Board Co.: We hear a lot of positive feedback on a couple of things. First is the rocker and size. The second is the weight. One person’s ideal weight related to another’s could be pounds different. Well we covered that! We have the same size board in two different weights. Our heaviest board in a M/L with our rubber top is just under 8 lbs. Our lightest board in the same size and finish is just over 6 1/2 lbs. So as you can see we have really put a lot of time and effort into catering to the riders and their comfort and liking.

Inland Skimboarding: Where do you see the sport of inland skimboarding 10 years from now?
Virgin River Board Co.: I honestly see it in the X-Games with hundreds of thousands of viewers! That is one of our goals, to do everything we can to help the skimboarding community grow and make the skimming scene bigger. We need to get it in front of everybody, and that’s what Virgin River Board Co. intends on doing.

Inland Skimboarding: Do you see anything new on the horizon technology wise that will improve the next generation of inland skimboarding?
Virgin River Board Co.: I can see bigger and better ramps and rails. What we have now is a huge step from where skimboarding originated in the 70's. I don't want to give it away, but I will say this, don't miss next years Virgin River Classic. This next year’s event will be above and beyond what anyone in this community has seen!

Inland Skimboarding: As a board manufacturer, is there anything you can do, or are doing, to increase the respect for inland skimboarding?
Virgin River Board Co.: We have been working with Mike Gardner, who has been in the St. George skimboarding scene for the past 20 years, with the scout troops on what it takes to build a board and teaching them how, and about skimboarding in hopes that it will spark interest in skimboarding and help grow the skimboarding community and scene locally.

Inland Skimboarding: What inland skimboarding events have you been involved with? Tell us about your experiences at those events.
Virgin River Board Co.: We have worked with the city on the Virgin River Classic this past year. I also was in charge of the skimboard making class that the city of St. George offers each summer for the kids. They were both great experiences, and it gave us great ideas and goals for next year. It was a great learning year on how we can be a bigger help next year to really make a difference in the Virgin River Classic, and the skimboard making class.

Inland Skimboarding: Do you have any sponsored inland skimboarders? What does it take for an inland skimboarder to get sponsored by Virgin River Skimboards?
Virgin River Board Co.: We do have a good team we have put together. Our riders have been great to work with. They are great to help us reach our goals, and our projects with the scouts, camps, and so forth. As far as getting sponsored by us, obviously we look for talented riders, but also we look for someone who is a team player and is willing work with the local kids on teaching them about skimboarding by giving them pointers, and helping us with camps that we plan on holding.

Inland Skimboarding: Any last comments?
Virgin River Board Co.: Over all I would like to give a special thanks to Mike Gardner, at DMG films, as he has been a huge part of keeping the skimboarding scene alive here in St. George, and all of our riders and the locals for helping us create a great board! We plan on helping take inland skimboarding to the next level. As we make plans, one of our goals is to see the Virgin River Classic be THE spot every year. We are working on taking all the right steps towards that and hope to have an even better turn out next year, We are also working on having a few of the issues resolved, as there is a little stigma we are trying to help St. George over come. We have such confidence in our boards that we are doing a promo offer, much like the government’s cash for clunkers. We are doing our own "Cash for skimunkers". You can bring in your board, whether it is store bought or home made, and we will give you up to $50 off on a new Virgin River Board Co. skimboard. This offer runs from August 1, 2009 to September 26, 2009! You can email chan@vrskimz.com or call 702-672-7157 for details.

You can check out the Virgin River Board Co. on the web at www.vrskimz.com.

Interview - Kayotics Skimboards

Kayotics is a flatland skimboard manufacturer based out of Vancouver, Canada. Kayotics has been very instrumental in progressing the flatland skim movement. Company founder John Minns tells us more in Inland Skimboarding’s interview with him.
Inland Skimboarding: Tell us a little about your company.
Kayotics Skimboards: Kayotics skimboards is my child. It was started in 2001 and has grown up to destroy the beaches all over North America. I began making skimboards as a side venture when i noticed the lack of good boards and also industry. Since then, everyone and their dog has been attempting to jump into the skimboard scene.
Inland Skimboarding: How did the name of your company originate? Is there any interesting story behind the name?
Kayotics Skimboards: I used to write Kayotics across desks in classes in high school .. I guess you could say it was a tag or graffiti and then i was trying to think of a name for my boards and I thought that it was perfect.
Inland Skimboarding: Where is Kayotics Skimboards located?
Kayotics Skimboards: Kayotics is home grown on the beaches of Boundary Bay in Vancouver Canada. I do Manufacturing out of Richmond/Vancouver but the address hasn't changed. Mail the same number same hood its all good.
Inland Skimboarding: How have you seen the skimboard market change over the years you have been in business?
Kayotics Skimboards: I think raising the bar for skimboarding is what has created the growth. People didn't think you could do anything on a skimboard before we started making power moves to show the world what is possible. We in Vancouver and the brothers in Sac have definitely started to turn heads. The only way you can make people pumped on your sport is when you can shock them with tricks or obstacles to really show them how far they can take it. If skimboarding only had 2 tricks to learn, people would treat it like skip rope or something lame that can't expand very far. I think it's really important for kids to see the potential because ultimately they are the ones trying to follow suit.
Inland Skimboarding: How long have you been making skimboards?
Kayotics Skimboards: I've been building for I guess, 7 or 8 years.
Inland Skimboarding: What is the difference between skimboards used for wave riding and skimboards for inland use?
Kayotics Skimboards: For the longest time it was just a difference between foam core and wood. Flatland skimming is still predominantly wood core, however some brands are starting to dabble with foam core boards. A foam/wave board is generally thicker and longer and is basically the look of a mini surf board. A more buoyant board is needed in order to get over the deeper water and make it out to the waves. A wood board needs more weight to it. Often times flatland riders throw their boards and chase it to get on, therefore it is imperative to have a board that carries well. I also believe that flatland skimboarding should resemble skateboarding more than surfing. In turn, I believe that the pricing should also mimic that market.
Inland Skimboarding: A lot of inland skimboarders start off on boards that they have made themselves. What are the advantages of moving to a professionally manufactured board?
Kayotics Skimboards: I highly encourage people to build there own weekend warrior boards. It gets people into the sport that may not ever get the addictive feeling of skimboarding because they don't want to spend 150-200 bucks on a pro board.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes a good inland skimboard?
Kayotics Skimboards: I personally look for and cater my boards to key in on the Rocker, shape, perfect amount of flex and slick bases for riding rails. Also weight is a big factor. Many people think that lighter is better and therefore foam is the answer. I disagree with that and feel that making a board that carries further with more weight to it is preferable.
Inland Skimboarding: Tell us about your inland skimboards.
Kayotics Skimboards: First off, inland skimboarding is the same as flatland. In my opinion flatland skimboarding covers all flatland riding, where as inland only defines the actual inland skim scenes. Therefore, to answer your question, we make flatland skimboards that taylor to all the needs of every scene; weather you're riding, inland or on the coast.
Kayotics skimboards manufactures high performance skimboards for the flatland/inland world. We make 4 shapes that take care of all weights and rider sizes.
Inland Skimboarding: Why should I buy a Kayotics skimboard?
Kayotics Skimboards: We are the most legit and core flatland brand in the game son..haha. We have been down since day one. Some companies run both wave and flatland boards, we only do flatland. This is what we know best and focus on. If you want to put the money in the hands of the creators and innovators, go with us. We also run with our slogan "skimboards and lifestyles" which started off meaning that we offered "skimboards and apparel" but it has grown way past that. It is now recognized that there is a lifestyle that goes with our skimboarding for every one of our team riders and our customers to follow. Skimboarding is fun because of all the trips, parties, girls, jokes, and all round adventure behind the whole sport. What Kayotics is basically saying is, while we can kill it on our boards, we also have attitude and style to go with it. Therefore, to answer your question, you're not buying into a lame brand, you're buying the best boards and the culture that Kayotics knows best. Spend a week with us up north and it will change your life, on and off the beach.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes your inland skimboards unique?
Kayotics Skimboards: Our boards are handcrafted by Canadian skimboarders. Our lemon shape is definitely a signature for us as having a distinct nose and tail makes for level popping but also for directional throwing.
Inland Skimboarding: What kind of testing/quality control do your boards go through?
Kayotics Skimboards: I have tested all my boards since day one and they are also passed around through the hands of most of our riders. Different bases and slicknesses can make a difference. On the actual production side, I'm usually there or have my guys inspect every board during the finishing part of our process, making sure there is no warping or blemishes.
Inland Skimboarding: Rails have become an integral part of inland skimboarding. As a result, boards take a fair amount of abuse. Talk a little bit about the challenge that presents when designing and building inland skimboards.
Kayotics Skimboards: I think that depending on your set up you shouldn't have too many problems with durability on rails. Boards get more warn down on the biggest piece of sand paper in the world... the beach. If you're building your rails right and mounting the board properly, you shouldn't be gauging the front of your board. Gauges do happen, but i feel like the longjevity of a skimboard should be equivalent to that of skateboards. Advanced skateboarders will go through dozens of skateboards where as, a beginner may only need one for 2 years. Skimboarding should follow suit with that, as the price ranges follow as well.
Inland Skimboarding: When you get feedback from inland riders, what positive things do you hear most often?
Kayotics Skimboards: How sick our boards are or how they can order one.
Inland Skimboarding: Where do you see the sport of skimboarding 10 years from now?
Kayotics Skimboards: I would like to be traveling to a lot more locations internationally. I think as we build and forefront the industry it's important to look at all the scenes developing globally so we don't cut ourselves short on the locations we travel to. I get a bit tired of the same spots so the things that really stoke me are new locations with new scenery to shoot photos and video at. Indoor parks are also something I would like to get happening as I've been dreaming of this since I was a kid. However this will require some major investors and at this time I really don't think anyone in the skimboarding industry has the bank roll to make something like that happen, not to the extent of what I'm looking to do anyways.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you see anything new on the horizon technology wise that will improve the next generation of inland skimboards?
Kayotics Skimboards: Again following a similar business model to skateboarding, I feel that keeping boards simple and cheap is a better alternative to putting more and more money into them. Plus, selling boards for over $300 starts to really narrow down your market. The reality is that even if you build a higher priced board, we will still be able to do the same tricks on a cheaper board. For a company to come along and drop a board like this, they would have to draw customers in by demonstrating never- before- seen tricks with their riders, thus proving the worth of the new technology.
Currently, I think the ultimate goal is implementing minor adjustments to the boards, without drastically changing the wholesale price.
Inland Skimboarding: Inland skimboarders often get called names, talked down to, and shown little respect from some wave skimboarders. Inland skimboarders are often told what they are doing is not “real” skimboarding. What is your view of the inland skimboarding scene?
Kayotics Skimboards: As far as I'm concerned Flatland skimboarding is its own industry. I could personally care less about how the wave riders feel about flatland but I also think that people are always going to hate different industries. We are starting to see a few more cross over riders these days which is starting to bridge the gap a bit more. I just think flatland as a whole is trailing behind because we really didn't get started til much after the wave industry.
Inland Skimboarding: As a board manufacturer, is there anything you can do, or are doing, to increase the respect for inland skimboarding?
Kayotics Skimboards: I ride for my own company and represent flatland skimboarding to the fullest. To keep the industry wheels in motion I'm always coming up with new tricks, obstacles and new events creating the spectacle that skimboarding needs.
Inland Skimboarding: What inland skimboarding events have you been involved with? Tell us about your experiences at those events.
Kayotics Skimboards: I've competed in every major event in north America and have placed 1st in all the biggest ones. In all honestly, that was a major goal of mine when I was younger, but now the bigger contests don't hold as much importance as they once did. I still enjoy hooking up with the road brothers that I've made over the years, but I am much more stoked on the more mellow scenes. I went to Louisiana to visit Sam Collette and skimmed in Mississippi with a start up scene. It is becoming more and more enjoyable to witness the progression of the scenes from the ground up.
I personally have been putting on Jamfests since 2001 and its the longest running flatland even in Canada. We missed jamfest 7 this year because of some permit issues, but we are definitely going to make it happen next year. Bank Statements was another huge achievement for me to show the public what was possible on a skimboard and what they can expect for the future.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you have any sponsored inland skimboarders? What does it take for an inland skimboarder to get sponsored by Kayotics?
Kayotics Skimboards: Yes we have lots of riders. Some are considered team riders and some are considered flow riders. Team riders travel a bit more and compete in contests etc. Flow riders are often times younger and i just make sure they have a board under their feet. In order to get sponsored, you obviously have to be able to shred incredibly well. We also love some attitude and style. If you can show that you can be pushing the Kayotics "skimboards and lifestyles" we're probably going to like you.

Thanks John, for a great interview. Find out more about Kayotics Skimboards by visiting their website at http://www.kayotics.com/

Interview - J-Gordon Skimboards

J-Gordon Skimboards have been making high performance ocean and inland wood skimboards since 1980. Find out a more about J-Gordon Skimboards in Inland Skimboarding’s interview with company founder Jim Gordon.

Inland Skimboarding: How did the name of your company originate? Is there any interesting story behind the name?
J-Gordon Skimboards: When I first made surfboards in the 60's, I didn't want to call my product Gordon surfboards because there was already Gordon & Smith surfboards. I knew that Gordon's first name on G&S was Larry, so I decided to use my initial J of my first name, Jim, along with my last name, Gordon. This is how I named my company.
I also manufactured skateboards back in the 70's, and under the J-Gordon label. Back then, I was the only
J-Gordon. In the 80's, the name expanded to include my wife, Janet, and our sons James and Jared.
Inland Skimboarding: Where is J-Gordon Skimboards located?
J-Gordon Skimboards: I was located in Santa Cruz, California but move up to Coos Bay, Oregon, 12 years ago. It's not as crowed here and the cost of living is much less than California. You can also find us at http://www.jgordonskimboards.com/.
Inland Skimboarding: How have you seen the skimboard market change over the years you have been in business?
J-Gordon Skimboards: More people knowing what skimboards are. There are many more manufacturers, especially from overseas. You now can buy skimboards at K-Mart ,Wal-Mart and Big-5 sport shops, which are mostly manufactured in China. Skimboarding has also changed with the usage of skimboards. The application just isn't for wave riders. Now skimmers are riding rails, kite riding and bunngie skimming.
Inland Skimboarding: How long have you been making skimboards?
J-Gordon Skimboards: I started manufacturing skimboards around 1980, but made them for myself years before that. I've been in the skimboard business for over 28 years.
Inland Skimboarding: What is the difference between skimboards used for wave riding and skimboards for inland use?
J-Gordon Skimboards: Skimboards for rails are usually twin tip (skateboard shape) and wave boards are more pointy (surfboard shape). Wave boards are larger than rail boards too.
Inland Skimboarding: What are the advantages of moving to a professionally manufactured board?
J-Gordon Skimboards: A professionally manufactured board should be from a company with years of experience. Experience in the industry, along with years of test riding, made with the best materials and utilization of skimboard designs and shapes makes for maximum performance.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes a good inland skimboard?
J-Gordon Skimboards: A board that is fast on the water, fast on rails with good flex and pop. Also, a board that's not too heavy, yet strong enough as not to snap on rails.
Inland Skimboarding: Tell us about your inland skimboards.
J-Gordon Skimboards: As far as I know, I have been making inland boards longer than anyone and was the first manufacturer to make a board with flex and pop. It seems everyone has tried to copy our boards but has failed. I guess this is because they lack experience. Like I said, I've been perfecting my boards for years, before most of you were born!
Inland Skimboarding: Why should I buy a J-Gordon Skimboard?
J-Gordon Skimboards: If you want a durable wood skimboard, you should consider buying a J-Gordon. Quality is number one with us. We don't mass produce our boards while other companies outsource their manufacturing overseas in order to make as much money as possible. All our boards are made by me and my two sons. We don't not use cheap, inferior materials in order to make a higher profit. We are happy making less boards so we can give you a board that we would want to own. Another reason to buy a J-Gordon is that people all the time tell us our boards are the best board they have ever ridden. Being in business for over 28 years, we must be doing something right.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes your inland skimboards unique?
J-Gordon Skimboards: Great flex and a lot of pop. (Much like a compound bow, it loads up and then the energy is released.)
Inland Skimboarding: What kind of testing/quality control do your boards go through?
J-Gordon Skimboards: We have a skim pit with rails to test new designs and shapes for better performance.We also test our boards at the beach. Input from team riders on new designs and materials is critical in testing our skimboards. As for quality control, we are a small family company. Each board is handmade buy a J-Gordon. As I said before, our name is on the line, and we stand behind our product. We don't stockpile our boards because when we come up with a new design, we manufacture it to the public right away. The board that you get is the same as our team riders use.
Inland Skimboarding: Talk a little bit about the challenge that presents when designing and building inland skimboards.
J-Gordon Skimboards: The challenges presented in making an inland skimboard is to withstand the abuse in riding rails. Rail skimmers are very hard on boards, this presents new challenges in design and construction. We do extensive test riding so we can anticipate what needs to be addressed.
Inland Skimboarding: When you get feedback from inland riders, what positive things do you hear most often?
J-Gordon Skimboards: People all the time tell us they like the flex, and durability of the board and how fast it is on rails or just flatland riding. Also, the high quality and workmanship of the boards.
Inland Skimboarding: Where do you see the sport of skimboarding 10 years from now?J-Gordon Skimboards: Growing bigger, and expanding, mainly in the middle states. More people making skim pits in their back yards.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you see anything new on the horizon technology wise that will improve the next generation of inland skimboards?
J-Gordon Skimboards: Not in basic construction of wood boards. Other companies have tried to make foam skims for rails, but they just don't work as good and just don't hold up. I think wood boards will stay around for a long time just like wood skateboards.
Inland Skimboarding: Inland skimboarders often get called names, talked down to, and shown little respect from some wave skimboarders. Inland skimboarders are often told what they are doing is not “real” skimboarding. What is your view of the inland skimboarding scene?
J-Gordon Skimboards: I think inland skimboarding is cool. I'm a wave rider myself, but my son likes rails. He is the test rider for rails, and I'm the test rider for waves. And yes, you can ride waves with a wood skim! At least our boards you can.
Inland Skimboarding: As a board manufacturer, is there anything you can do, or are doing, to increase the respect for inland skimboarding?
J-Gordon Skimboards: Show respect and just have fun skimming. Remember, you once were a beginner too. Also, I'm always on skimonline, a forum mainly for wave skimmers. They listen to me because I can talk waves or rails. I think they respect my opinion.
Inland Skimboarding: What inland skimboarding events have you been involved with? Tell us about your experiences at those events.
J-Gordon Skimboards: Throughout the years I have donated prizes (skimboards, T-shirts, hats, stickers and wax) for various skim contest. This year alone, J-Gordon has been a sponsored for over 6 contest.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you have any sponsored inland skimboarders? What does it take for an inland skimboarder to get sponsored by J-Gordon?
J-Gordon Skimboards: Yes, I have 2 in California, 1 in Canada, 2 in Michigan and 1 in Louisiana.
First, someone has to leave to make room for a new person to be sponsored. Unlike other companies, you don't need to win contests to be a team/test rider, just be good enough to give me feedback on new designs, your opinion on shapes, etc. Importantly, I don't like conceited jerks, and I must like you as a person.

Inland Skimboarding would like to thank J-Gordon Skimboards for taking the time to let us find out a little bit more about their company. Check them out at http://www.jgordonskimboards.com/

Interview - DB Skimboards

DB Skimboards is an up and coming company out of Washington State putting out some sweet boards. Find out a little bit more about them, their boards, and everything they’re doing for the sport in Inland Skimboarding’s latest interview.

Inland Skimboarding: Tell us a little bit about DB Skimboards.
DB Skimboards: The company originated in 2003 when a group of friends decided to start making skimboards for themselves. The first boards were made in our basement. They were all hand painted and skimmed pretty well. We now have a manufacturing center where we make our boards. During this time we also started making some videos. Our first video "Low Tide" was made over the summer of 2004. Since then we have made 3 other video's that have been put out on DVD. Our newest video, "For the Moment", was our most ambitious project and turned our really well. It is definitely one of the best flatland skimboarding video's out there and by far has the best cinematography and is well edited. Check out the teaser for this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltIpwqrVwFY.

Inland Skimboarding: How did the name of your company originate? Is there any interesting story behind the name?
DB Skimboards: The name Dashboards Skimboards came from Dash Point which is the local skimboarding beach. DB is an abbreviation for Dashboards. We go by both Dashboards Skimboards as well as DB Skimboards.
Inland Skimboarding: Where is DB Skimboards located?
DB Skimboards: DB Skimboards is located in Tacoma Washington.
Inland Skimboarding: How have you seen the skimboard market change over the years you have been in business?
DB Skimboards: The flatland skimboard market is growing rapidly. Companies are taking it more seriously and better flatland specific boards are being produced. Flatland skimboarding has been progressing rapidly over the last couple of years. Some of the tricks that people are doing now a days are pretty amazing. Also, the build features (rails, boxes, etc) are getting larger and more gnarly.
Inland Skimboarding: How long have you been making skimboards?
DB Skimboards: DB Skimboards has been producing skimboards for 5 years now (quality since 2003).
Inland Skimboarding: What is the difference between skimboards used for wave riding and skimboards for inland use?
DB Skimboards: Inland (flatland) skimboards generally have a different shape and less rocker than wave boards. Also, flatland skimboards are generally bi-directional, meaning they are made to be ridden in either direction. Flatland skimboards are usually made of wood while wave skimboards are usually made with a composite structure. Wave boards are generally larger in size than flatland boards.
Inland Skimboarding: A lot of inland skimboarders start off on boards that they have made themselves. What are the advantages of moving to a professionally manufactured board?
DB Skimboarding: It is true that it is pretty easy to make a beginner inland skimboard yourself. Some of the advantages of buying a manufactured board is that they will ride better and go further than a homemade board. You can do much more advanced tricks on a manufactured board. DB Skimboards has gone through much testing to make the boards that we do today. They have the perfect rocker as well as some other features hard to achieve by making a board yourself. All our boards have a wear resistant base which will last longer and slide better than a wooden base with lacquer. Also, all DB Skimboards come with a full EVA traction foam top. DB Skimboards is constantly testing new ideas.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes a good inland skimboard?
DB Skimboarding: A good inland skimboard will have good pop, skim far, and have the perfect amount of flex.
Inland Skimboarding: Why should I buy a DB skimboard? (This is your chance to brag a bit)
DB Skimboarding: DB Skimboards are the best boards on the market. From our wear resistant base to our foam traction top we use the best quality materials to ensure the best quality board. Check out our videos and you'll see what's possible on these boards.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes your inland skimboards unique?
DB Skimboards: Our boards are unique in that we are one of the few flatland specific companies. They have been tested by our team of rider who help us ensure we are making the best boards. Also, we were the first company to have a traction foam top. The traction foam top gives you a nice cooshy ride with superior traction to wax. Also, you do not need to deal with the mess of wax.
Inland Skimboarding: What kind of testing/quality control do your boards go through?
DB Skimboarding: Our engineers and riders work together to test and make new boards. We are constantly testing new idea's. All our boards are quality tested before being shipped out.
Inland Skimboarding: Rails have become an integral part of inland skimboarding. Boards take quite a bit of abuse as a result. Talk a little bit about the challenge that presents when designing and building inland skimboards.
DB Skimboarding: Making a board that is durable to withstand the abuse of rails is difficult. Both the HPL and plastic base materials we use are tough to withstand use on rails. Both materials slide well on pvc. Our boards are made with hardwoods to help with ding resistance. No board is going to be completely bomb proof but we are working on some that are close. We had the balsa boards that came out in limited production this year. These boards featured a plastic sidewall to help with side impact dings. It also had a balsa wood core to reduce weight. Look out for a similar boards in 2009.
Inland Skimboarding: When you get feedback from inland riders, what positive things do you hear most often?
DB Skimboards: Everyone loves the foam top. It provides superior traction and a little coosh for your feet. Riders also like the rocker pattern of our boards. It helps them to pop high and travel far.
Inland Skimboarding: Where do you see the sport of skimboarding 10 years from now?
DB Skimboards: I see many more people getting into it. I don't think it's ever going to be huge but it will definitely grow.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you see anything new on the horizon technology wise that will improve the next generation of inland skimboards?
DB Skimboards: Check out our Balsa board from this year and similar boards in the future.
Inland Skimboarding: Inland skimboarders often get called names, talked down to, and shown little respect from some wave skimboarders. Inland skimboarders are often told what they are doing is not “real” skimboarding. What is your view of the inland skimboarding scene?
DB Skimboards: Everyone on the DB team as well as everyone working for the company is passionate about inland skimboarding. We all have fun with it and don't really care what the wave riders think.
Inland Skimboarding: As a board manufacturer, is there anything you can do, or are doing, to increase the respect for inland skimboarding?
DB Skimboards: We are making legit video's that showcase the talent of flatland skimboard riders. Check out the teaser for our last video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltIpwqrVwFY. I think that is the best think we are doing to get the sport more recognized. Also, we show respect for wave skimboards and others at the beach.
Inland Skimboardings: What inland skimboarding events have you been involved with? Tell us about your experiences at those events.
DB Skimboards: We have put on a contest at Dash Point State Park for 5 years now. Every year it gets bigger and better. This year we had about 60 competitors and hundreds of spectators. People came from all over the west coast. This is one of the biggest and best flatland contests of the year.
We also put on the Chambers Creek Throwdown. This year was our second year putting on that event. This event is smaller and showcases more local riders. We hope for it to grow bigger in the coming years. Chambers Creek definitely has a different scene than Dash Point so it is cool to put on two different events with different conditions.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you have any sponsored inland skimboarders? What does it take for an inland skimboarder to get sponsored by DB?
DB Skimboards: We do have a skimboard team. We currently have 7 sponsored riders. To get sponsored by us you need to be a dedicated rider who has talent. We like to see some good contest results as well as some video of the rider. Feel free to email us with your sponsorship videos.

Thanks DB for a great interview. Check out their website at http://www.dbskimboards.com/

Interview - Victoria Skimboards

Victoria Skimboards is one of the world’s premier skimboard companies. Inland skimboarding wanted to do an interview and find out a little more about the company and what is available to inland skimboarders. Trigg Garner, General Manager of Victoria Skimboards, was generous enough to help us out.

Inland Skimboarding: How did the name of the company originate?
Victoria Skimboards: Tex Haines’ family would vacation at a house on Victoria Beach which is where he began his skimboarding career. Through the years he went on to do many different things and eventually made it back to Laguna Beach and made skimboards for all of his friends. After a while, he and Peter Prietto started Victoria Skimboards in 1976 but the company got its name from the beach Tex basically grew up on.
Inland Skimboarding: Where is Victoria Skimboards located?

Victoria Skimboards: Victoria Skimboards has its offices/repair facility/retail outlet in Laguna Beach, California.
Inland Skimboarding: How have you seen the skimboard market change over the years you have been in business?
Victoria Skimboards: The board market has gone through many different changes over the years. A first there were wood core boards used for riding the shoreline and then as riders got more daring and moved into the water, the technology began to change. Wood core lead the way to foam core and vacuum bag technology which allowed people to get out farther in the water and do more technical maneuvers. The next advancement was the introduction of Carbon Fiberglass. Now boards were stiffer and lighter than ever. From there we have seen changes in resins, shape, foam, etc. all leading to the technical, highly advanced boards we have today.
Inland Skimboarding: How long have you been making skimboards?
Victoria Skimboards: Since before 1976
Inland Skimboarding: What is the difference between skimboards used for wave riding and skimboards for inland use?
Victoria Skimboards: It can be anything from the shape, to the core, to the materials, to all of the above. It depends on a rider and what they desire ultimately but as a standard, there is a certain “wave riding” shape/rocker that has proved itself over the years that is different from the shape/rocker used on inland boards.
Inland Skimboarding: A lot of inland skimboarders start off on boards that they have made themselves. What are the advantages of moving to a professionally manufactured board?
Victoria Skimboards: When you get a professionally manufactured board you are getting a board that has been through the R&D, made the mistakes that a “garage” shaper will make and fixed them, and refined the end result to be a better performing board all around. Of course there are exceptions but this tends to be the norm.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes a good inland skimboard?
Victoria Skimboards: It is a combination of board and rider. Then it really comes down to personal preference. Some people prefer light weight, others prefer a board that is heavier. Some like flex to their board, others like a stiff board. Either way, there really is no right or wrong, just what works best for the individual. But again, it is a combination of rider/board.
Inland Skimboarding: Tell us about your inland skimboards.

Victoria Skimboards: At this time we have two models; Grinder and Matrix. The Grinder is more of an entry level Flatland board. The wood core makes the board durable and the three stage rocker makes it perfect for the rails. The Matrix is a more advanced Flatland board geared for tricks.
Inland Skimboarding: Why should I buy a Victoria skimboard?
Victoria Skimboards: It boils down to experience and the work we put into our product. We have been building boards of all kinds for over 30 years. We have made the advances and the mistakes and learned from it all. We have experience built into each board. We also pride ourselves on the quality of our product and its ability to hold up over time. Tested by our team riders and under constant R&D, we work to make the boards the best performing boards around. From our product to our people we love skimboarding and it shows in our work.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes your inland skimboards unique?
Victoria Skimboards: There is so much cross over between manufactures product that it is sometimes hard to distinguish between boards unless you get down to price. With our boards, we take time to work on the rocker of the board more than other manufactures and I feel that this will help set our boards apart.
Inland Skimboarding: What kind of testing/quality control do your boards go through?
Victoria Skimboards: We have a few things that we do to test our boards. Anywhere from the R&D room to the outdoors, the boards are worked over again and again before hitting the market.
Inland Skimboarding: Rails have become an integral part of inland skimboarding. Boards take quite a bit of abuse as a result. Talk a little bit about the challenge that presents when designing and building inland skimboards.
Victoria Skimboards: Rails have created a whole new animal in this discipline of skimboarding. When someone buys a skateboard, they are not as concerned with hitting the rails and scratching their board and ultimately breaking their board because the deck only cost $30 - $40. With a skimboard, the materials and process to make that board able to handle the water, the rails, and time are much greater and more costly. So the questions for us then become; how do we make a board that can handle riding the rail, hitting the rail, grinding the rail, running over gravel like sand, cruising over rocks, etc.? If I told you the answers that would be giving away all of my secrets.
Inland Skimboarding: When you get feedback from inland riders, what positive things do you hear most often?
Victoria Skimboards: They are the coolest things ever! Here are some of the quotes we have had:
“ Hands down, the Matrix is the most advance, progression pushing board on the market. “
“The rocker of your boards is perfect and holds its shape over time whereas other manufactures rocker will change.”
“ The boards are wicked fast.”
“ The boards slide the rails for you.”
Inland Skimboarding: Where do you see the sport of skimboarding 10 years from now?
Victoria Skimboards: That is a really tough question to answer because after 30+ years in the business, Skimboarding is still not as big as skateboarding or surfing. Yes, Flatland has more potential for growth due to its accessibility but we must make sure to not limit ourselves. Take for instance, the Grinch or the Bungee systems. Many Flatland “purists” seem to downplay the part that this could play in the forward movement of the sport but look at Wakeskating and its development. I am not saying this “will be the future” but it will be part of the future and we all need to keep our minds open to angles that could help the sport grow and not stifle that growth.I would like to say X-Games, a professional global tour, big money and sponsors, and all of us “living la vida loca” but all of that will take a community coordinated effort. I just want us all to build the discipline and make sure that it is not an overnight fad. It will take work and Victoria Skimboards is ready to put in the effort to help move it forward.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you see anything new on the horizon technology wise that will improve the next generation of inland skimboards?
Victoria Skimboards: It seems that people are taking a heavy look at snowboard technology and plastics which could make some changes. There are things that we are working on but again, it cannot be shared at this time.
Inland Skimboarding: Inland skimboarders often get called names, talked down to, and shown little respect from some wave skimboarders. Inland skimboarders are often told what they are doing is not “real” skimboarding. What is your view of the inland skimboarding scene?
Victoria Skimboards: For me personally, I break Skimboarding the sport into three disciplines all with equal importance; Ocean, Flatland, and Wake. An Ocean rider has certain skills that make him/her good at what he/she does and the same stands for a Flatland rider. Flatland has really only recently made a strong push to be in the limelight and I have heard people say that “Flatland is not real.” My question to them is why do you say that? What are your reasons? Normally I do not get an answer so I must speculate that they are saying this because to them the discipline is “new” (actually not new) and they do not understand it. They do not understand the lifestyle, the skill, the dedication, etc. that goes into it. People are so brainwashed into a certain discipline that they are not willing to open themselves to the other disciplines; ignorance in full effect.
Inland Skimboarding: As a board manufacturer, is there anything you can do, or are doing, to increase the respect for inland skimboarding?

Victoria Skimboards: It really is not about us and what we can do as we are doing a part (advertising, building boards, sponsoring riders, pushing the knowledge base) but it is about getting the industry collectively together and working toward a common goal. It may sound “cheesy” but it is the truth. Without “unity” we will only take small steps forward instead of larger leaps.
Inland Skimboarding: What inland skimboarding events have you been involved with? Tell us about your experiences at those events.
Victoria Skimboards: Since beginning in the 1990’s we have been involved in the Sacramento contest. During that time we have seen quite a bit of change in the riding styles and the “playground” that has been the stage for the event. The rails have gotten more impressive and to be honest, the level of courage to ride some of the rails is what is most astounding. Amazing is a word that sums it up nicely.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you have any sponsored inland skimboarders? What does it take for an inland skimboarder to get sponsored by Victoria?
Victoria Skimboards: we have four sponsored riders at this time but are always keeping our eyes and ears open. Without having an established contest circuit with recorded results to build a resume, the best thing to do is to send us a “Sponsor Me” packet. In that packet would be (but not limited to):
1) All contact information so we can reach you
2) A professional presentation
a. If you can present yourself well that is a start
3) Information on your local spots and where you ride the most
4) Contest results (if you have them)
5) The number of years you have been riding and why you are interested in the sport
6) Video, video, video footage
a. The footage needs to not all be from one day and one session – spread the wealth
b. Progression
The idea to the above is – what sets you apart from the other riders? This should be told on paper, in photo, and in video.

Inland skimboarding would like to thank Victoria Skimboards for an awesome interview. To find out more about Victoria Skimboards, visit their website at http://www.victoriaskimboards.com/

How to make a Skimboard

How to make a skimboard 101: A beginners guide

Here you'll find all the instructions and tips to help you make your very own skimboard. These are kind of "down and dirty" instructions that will help you build a board quickly and with materials that will be easily available at stores like Walmart or Home Depot. If you've been making skimboards for a while or you want to use professional grade materials, then there probably isn't much information here that you don't already know. You'll want to check out the advanced How to Build a Skimboard Video.  But if you are making your first board and want to use materials that you'll be able to pick up at your local stores so you can just get out there and get skimming, then read on. I have pictures to help you as you go. I would suggest that you read through all the instructions first before you get started. 

Wood First you need to find a piece of wood. I would suggest half inch plywood. Half inch works well, with or without fiberglass. I've used three-eighths, but if I don't use fiberglass on it, it seems to crack after a while if I ollie a lot and hit rails. Anything bigger than half inch starts to get real heavy real fast, but will probably still work.
A half inch 4x8 foot sheet of plywood can be purchased for around $20. You only need a fourth of this (2x4 foot) so if you have a few friends, go in together on one. If it's just you, and you don't want to make 4 boards, most lumber yards will cut and sell you what you need. If you go to Lowes or Home Depot, they have 2x4 foot pieces already cut.

PatternOnce you've got your wood, place your pattern down and trace around it onto the wood. As far as a pattern goes, this is kind of a personal thing. First I would vist some of the different skimboarding manufacturer sites and get some Ideas about skimboard shapes. To make a pattern, you need a large piece of paper. If you don't have a piece of paper large enough, tape a few newspapers together. To ensure symmetry in your board, fold the paper in half, then draw half the pattern on the paper. Cut it out and unfold it so that you have a complete skimboard pattern. Now your ready to trace it on the wood. When you trace your pattern out, you want to make sure that the grain in the wood is going the long way on your board. If when you buy your wood, you buy just enough for one board and the lumber place cuts it, make sure it is cut so that the piece you get has the grains going the long way. If you are making a board(s) out of one large piece of wood, still make sure the grains are going long-ways.

Cutting out your skimboard
To cut out your skimboard you will need an electric jig saw. If you don't have one ask around the neighborhood. They are fairly common. f you still can't find one, you might consider investing in one, they are not too expensive and come in handy for all sorts of things. I've seen them at Walmart for as low as $15.00 (on sale).

Once you have your saw, cut out your board following the outline that you traced on the piece of wood.

Top, Rocker and SandingOnce you get your board cut out you'll need to decide which side should be the top. The board will naturally curve a bit in one direction. Lay you board on something flat. Try both sides to see which way the board curves. You want the nose to curve up. If it curves down then it will dive into the water. This curve is called rocker and you also need to decide how much rocker you want. I personally don't like a lot of rocker because I mostly skim flatland and it tends to slow the board down some, so I rarely try to put more rocker in my boards. I just go with the little bit of natural bend in the board. But it's a personal thing and if you want more rocker, you can soak the board in water, then put a board or something under the nose and weights on the top to bend the nose up. You'll probably need to leave it like this for a few days to a week.
Now that you've decided which side is the top you'll want to sand your board. You'll have to sand more or less depending on what grade of plywood you purchased, and how smooth you want your board.

Painting
Your board should now be ready to paint. There are two main kinds of paint, oil base paint and water base (latex) paint. If you’re not going to fiberglass your board you want to use a polyurathane enamel. It will make your board smooth and fast and give it a good waterproof coat. You can usually pick up a 32 oz can for between $6-$8 and it should be enough to do a few boards. Put on 3 or 4 coats. Once you have your board covered with the polyurathane paint you can now put any design you want on it. If you’re going to fiberglass your board, then you can use latex paint if you want. The advantage of latex paint is that it is much easier to clean up. You can just use water. With the oil base enamel you have to use paint thinner or solvent to clean up. The disadvantage of latex paint is that it won’t wear as well on your skimboard. That is why if you’re not going to fiberglass, you definitely want to go with the oil because it will wear much better. If you going to fiberglass, it doesn’t matter, because the paint will be under the resin.

To Fiberglass or not to fiberglass, that is the questionNow you need to decide whether to fiberglass your board or not. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of fiberglass as compared with other options.
Waterproofing your board is an important consideration. Keeping water out of your board is one of the biggest factors in how long your board will last. Fiberglass is waterproof so anywhere you put this on your board it will keep the water out. Another option is a good polyurathane paint. But paint will wear off much quicker.
Fiberglass will help strengthen your board. I ride pretty aggressively and have cracked a few boards without fiberglass. Mostly because of ollieing and riding rails. I've never cracked one with fiberglass. On the other hand, if this is your first board and you haven't skimmed much a board without fiberglass would be just fine.
Another thing that fiberglass helps with is dings and scratches. Remember that you’re riding on sand, which is just like sanding the bottom of your board with sandpaper. But fiberglass is much tougher than paint. With just the paint, the wood is exposed if it gets scratched, and this leads to water getting into your board.
Your option without fiberglass is to just pay attention to your board. If you see a scratch or paint is coming off, paint over it so that water doesn't get in the wood. After each time you skim, look over your board and see if there is any place water could get in and then paint over it for the next time. I've had plenty of boards without fiberglass last quite a while by doing just that.
One of the disadvantages of fiberglass is that it can be really hard to work with. Mixing the resin just right can be kind of tricky. Then you only have a limited amount of time to work with it.
Another problem is that most of the resins that you get at your local stores are not finishing resins so they remain tacky after they harden which makes them a real pain to try to sand.
If you have not used fiberglass and resins before, I would suggest you first make a board without the fiberglass so you can get out there skimming, then try your hand at a fiberglass board later. If you are going to fiberglass your board here's what you'll need.

· Fiberglass cloth. I've been able to get 2x4 foot pieces at Walmart for about $5.
· Fiberglass resin. A 32 oz. can is about $10.00 at Walmart, about the same at Home Depot.

· Something disposable to mix the resin in. · Something disposable to mix the resin with.

· A spreader or disposable brush.

· Razor blade, knife or scissors.

I usually only put fiberglass cloth on the bottom of my boards as that is the side that takes the most abuse. Lay the fiberglass cloth over the board so that it completely covers it. You can trim it up a bit now with scissors if you want or you can wait until later, it doesn't matter. Get your spreader or brush ready, because remember you will only have a limited amount of time to work with the resin. Read the instruction on the resin can carefully and completely. Also read the warnings and safety precautions. I would suggest the use of at least safety glasses and maybe some sort of disposable gloves. The catalyst is usually the most dangerous and you don't want to get any squirted in your eye. Measure out the amount of resin you want. Usually to saturate the cloth completely on the first coat I use between 8 to 10 oz. To measure out my resin I find a disposable container/cup and fill it with 10 oz of water. Then I make a mark at the water level. Then empty it and dry it out. Now I have a mark so I can measure out exactly the right amount of resin. Get a stick or something to mix the resin with, then add the catalyst. Follow the instruction on the resin can as to how much catalyst to add. (Many times it will tell you so many drops per oz.) Then mix. It is important to make sure the catalyst and resin is mixed well. I stir for at least a minute, maybe more. Once you're through mixing, pour it all out over the board. You don't want to keep the resin in the container because it will harden up quicker. The more you spread it out, the longer you'll have to work with it. Start spreading it all over the board making sure the cloth is saturated with resin everywhere. Try to work fast because once it starts to harden there is no more working with it. I've ended up with big clumps of resin on my boards that has set up before I had time to get it all spread out and there's nothing you can do but sand, cut and chip it off and start over. Hopefully, once you get your first coat on, you will no longer be able to feel the texture of the cloth and you have a smooth surface. If not, you can add additional coats of resin. It seems that the thicker (4 oz and up as opposed to thin 1 or 2 oz coats) you put on the additional coats, the smoother it is and the easier it is to sand if needed. The thin coats seem to be more tacky. Sanding is not easy, because the fiberglass gums up the sandpaper. Use a razor blade or knife to cut the excess cloth around the edges of your board and then sand this smooth. Now you can put a coat of resin on the top. You’ll need a bit less resin for the top because you are not having to saturate the cloth. Probably around 6 oz would do. Make sure that you get the rails (sides) of the board.

Skim
Once the resin has hardened , get a little surf wax to put on the top and skim, skim, skim.

What is a Skimboard?

A skimboard is similar to a surfboard but is shorter, thinner, and slightly wider. Skimboards also do not have fins on the bottom like surfboards do. Skimboards come in different sizes. Most skimboard manufacturers give weight recommendations for the different sizes of their boards. But generally speaking, boards are usually about mid-chest height. Most skimboards have some curve in them. This is called rocker. It is important so that the nose of the board doesn’t end up under the water.

There are two main types of skimboards, foam boards and wood boards. Foam boards are better for skimboarding out into the water and riding the wave back in. They usually have a high density foam core with several layers of fiberglass covering it. Foam boards are usually between 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch thick. Foam boards usually have a bit more rocker than wood boards, usually somewhere between 2 to 3 inches. This aids in the transition from the film of water on the sand to the deeper water needed to cover to get to the waves. Because of their foam core, they are quite a bit lighter and more buoyant than wood boards. They are also usually more expensive than wood boards.

Wood board are rarely used for wave skimboarding because of their weight. They are used almost exclusively for flatland skimboarding. Wood skimboards are usually made from 3/8 or 1/2 inch plywood. Many wood boards are reinforced with a layer of fiberglass. There are several variations in shape when it comes to wood boards. Generally, the wider the board, the farther it will carry on the water. Narrower boards don’t carry as well, but are usually faster in the water. Weight is also a consideration when it comes to wood boards. Heavier boards tend to be faster and carry farther in the water. One disadvantage of a heavier board is ollieing. Ollieing is when you jump into the air with the board. Often flatland skimboarders will ollie over obstacle or onto rails. A heavier board is often harder to get out of the water. Wood boards generally have less rocker than foam boards. That is because very little rocker is needed for flatland riding. The more rocker a board has, the slower it will be in the water.
If you are interested in making a skimboard, check out the how to make a skimboard beginner's guide or the advanced how to make a skimboard video.