Skimboarding

Skimboarding, also known as skimming, is a boardsport in which a skimboard (much like a surfboard but smaller and without fins) is used to glide across wet sand and the water's surface to meet an incoming breaking wave and ride it back to shore. Unlike surfing, skimboarding begins on the beach by dropping the board onto the thin wash of previous waves. Skimboarders use their momentum to skim out to breaking waves which they then catch and ride back to shore in a manner similar to surfing. Another approach to skimboarding is "flatland", which involves performing tricks derived from skateboarding, such as ollies and shove-its on the wash of waves without focusing on catching and riding waves. A newer style of skimboarding, coined "urban skimboarding", has recently appeared and become popularized by four-time European skimboarding champion Adrien Raza which uses the city instead of the beach to skimboard. Urban skimboarding takes advantage of fountains, canals, water mirrors, and just about anywhere there is a shallow body of water in the city.