There are several ways in which a skimboard can be ridden: either gliding over a layer of water or wet sand towards a wave, or riding in shallow water away from the ocean (known as flatland or inland skimming. Most flatland skimboarding takes place at rivers).

Wave riding is considered more advanced than flatland skimboarding, though flatland skimboarding has become more and more popular and taxingly difficult over the years as more advanced rails, ramps and technical tricks have become the norm. All skimboarders start by learning how to throw the board and run onto it while it is gliding across a thin layer of water. After beginners have mastered the basic techniques properly they can move to more complicated tricks, or riding waves, grinding rails, or other skateboarding maneuvers. Sand skimboarding is considered to be a beginner’s sport due to the relative lack of difficulty when compared to skimming on waves in hotspots such as Aliso Beach. Nevertheless, some flatland skimmers are able to perform tricks of great technical skill, many adapted from skateboarding, such as grinding rails.

Advanced skimboarders are able to do much more impressive tricks on their boards. The most common advanced move is called a Wrap. When the skimmer reaches the wave, by shifting his or her weight the skimmer can wrap around it, which also propels him or her back to shore. To take it further, a very advanced move is called the Wrap Barrel. This is when you wrap the wave, but instead of coming directly back to shore, you turn farther and get into the barrel of the wave.

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

There are an unlimited number of tricks that can be performed while skimboarding. Here is the beginning of the skimboarding trick list.

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Skimboarding Trick List

Wrap

A wrap is a when a skimboarder runs, jumps on their board, and then skims towards the water, in one direction out to the wave, then turns off the wave and comes back to shore in the opposite direction so that the skimboarder ends up in approximately the same place.

Flat Spins:

ump on your board and go fast. Then put your back hand in the water and you will start to spin. As you get more comfortable on your board try this without putting your hand down.

The Kick Out:

To lazy to pick up the board and throw it again then this is your trick. Get riding do your trick and just before you lose all speed that your back foot off the board and flick the board forward with your front foot. Then run after and jump on again. You can do this for as long as you can run or until the pool runs out.

Shoot the Duck

Go fast for this one. Ride straight and put your back hand on the board and straighten your back leg out in front of you. You should be balancing on your front foot and your back hand. Once you master this you can do flatspins at the same time but dipping your back heel in the water. Pretty gnarly.

Fire Hydrant

Go fast and straight. Put your front hand on the nose of the board and kick out your front leg behind you. If you are doing it right it should look like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant.

The Sit Down

Go fast and ride straight. Then place your back hand down on the board and slightly kick your back leg out in front of you and sit down. Fan favorites are to do the Buddha (cross legged) and the coffin wear you lay back on the board.

Kneel Down

This one is sort of tricky. Get going straight and medium speed. Then slowly rotate your body so you are facing forward and slowly lower your back knee down to the board. Try not to rush because it is hard to keep your balance as you drop your knee.

Hippy Jump

The rider rides up to an object a few inches off the ground and jumps over it while the board goes under.

One Footers

This can be done with either your front foot or your back foot but basically you ride while balancing on one foot. A good way to build up to this is to try balancing on your front foot first because for most people that is the leg they favour. You can also do a skateboard push by taking of your back foot and pushing forward as you balance on your front foot.

Body Varial

this trick is fairly simple. Get riding straight at a medium speed and when you feel comfortable switch your stance. This can be done frontside or backside.

Sex Change

By combining a Shuv-It and a Body Varial you can perform a Sex Change. You will know you have done this right if you land with your back foot forward and the back of your board facing forward.

Shuv (it)

First, find a pool is that is long and shallow. Then, throw the board, run, jump on and be riding straight. Then put pressure on your back foot while flicking the board backwards. Give your front leg/foot a little flick forward at the same time. Catch the board smoothly with your feet and ride away. Once you got that on lock down, then move on to the Pop Shuv, and three shuv. If you want the board to spin faster then flick your legs harder.

Frontside Shuv

This trick is the same as the shuv, but instead of flicking your back leg backward, you flick it forward. As well you flick your front leg backwards.

Pop Shuv (it)

Find a shallow pool that goes deeper. Then, throw, run, jump and be riding straight. Put more pressure on your back foot then just on a regular shuv, and take pressure off your front foot, flick the board with your rear foot back wards and jump at the same time. Catch the board in the air, level it and ride away. If you want the board to spin faster then flick your back leg harder. The faster you go the more likely the board will pop up for you. You can try doing it frontside as well.

Shuv Indy

The rider does a backside shuv-it so that the board spins 180 degrees under the rider in mid air. The rider then catches the board with an indy grab and places the board back under his feet to prepare for the landing.

Fast plant

Popping the board into your hand(s) then dropping it back down. Multiple variations including adding a hand shuv or acid drop.

Ollie

Find a pool that goes from shallow to deep (at least up to your ankles). Then run really fast and ride straight. Next, bend low and as you come back up take pressure off your front foot and push down on your back foot. Then almost at the same time jump and the board should follow, if it does you have to suck up your knees and get ready to land. This is basically the hardest of all the tricks to learn but once you do it opens up a world of possibilities.

Ollie North

A small variation on the Ollie except that you lift your front foot off the board.

180 ollie

Performing a 180 spin while doing an ollie

Three (sixty) Shuv (it)

This trick is very similar to the shuv. Find a pool that is long and shallow. Put pressure with your back foot on your board and then flick backwards hard. Use your front foot as kind of a guide, also flicking a little with it in a forward motion. Once the board has rotated a full 360 degrees catch it and ride away.

540 Shuv-It

By placing your feet differently and sweeping your feet harder than a 360 shuv it, and jumping higher to get the full 540 degree spin.

Backside Bigspin

A Bigspin is a three shuv with a backside 180 body varial, so learn both of these tricks first. OK, as you are riding along flick your board as if your going to do a three shuv (or a pop three shuv, depending if you want pop or not) and throw in a backside 180 body variel at the same time. Sounds hard but its probably easier then a three Shuv for most.

Frontside Bigspin

A frontside Bigspin is a combination of a frontside body varial 180 and a frontside three shuv. Add the two together and you get this mean trick. This trick is a very smooth feeling trick. Start by rotating your shoulders frontside, then throwing a three shuv as you throw a frontside 180. Bon appetite.

Backside 180

The first thing you probably want to do is learn how to ollie. Once you’ve got that down then the backside 180 won’t be so hard. As your riding along, preparing to backside 180, start turning your body to face the way you just came from. Then start to ollie and use your back foot to control the board. It should result in ollie in which the board and yourself did a 180 degree turn in the air. You will land switch out of this trick. Land that, and you’ll be amazing and people will ask you for lessons.

Frontside 180

There are an unlimited number of tricks that can be performed while skimboarding. Here is the beginning of the skimboarding trick list.

Wrap

A wrap is a when a skimboarder runs, jumps on their board, and then skims towards the water, in one direction out to the wave, then turns off the wave and comes back to shore in the opposite direction so that the skimboarder ends up in approximately the same place.

Flat Spins:

ump on your board and go fast. Then put your back hand in the water and you will start to spin. As you get more comfortable on your board try this without putting your hand down.

The Kick Out:

To lazy to pick up the board and throw it again then this is your trick. Get riding do your trick and just before you lose all speed that your back foot off the board and flick the board forward with your front foot. Then run after and jump on again. You can do this for as long as you can run or until the pool runs out.

Shoot the Duck

Go fast for this one. Ride straight and put your back hand on the board and straighten your back leg out in front of you. You should be balancing on your front foot and your back hand. Once you master this you can do flatspins at the same time but dipping your back heel in the water. Pretty gnarly.

Fire Hydrant

Go fast and straight. Put your front hand on the nose of the board and kick out your front leg behind you. If you are doing it right it should look like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant.

The Sit Down

Go fast and ride straight. Then place your back hand down on the board and slightly kick your back leg out in front of you and sit down. Fan favorites are to do the Buddha (cross legged) and the coffin wear you lay back on the board.

Kneel Down

This one is sort of tricky. Get going straight and medium speed. Then slowly rotate your body so you are facing forward and slowly lower your back knee down to the board. Try not to rush because it is hard to keep your balance as you drop your knee.

Hippy Jump

The rider rides up to an object a few inches off the ground and jumps over it while the board goes under.

One Footers

This can be done with either your front foot or your back foot but basically you ride while balancing on one foot. A good way to build up to this is to try balancing on your front foot first because for most people that is the leg they favour. You can also do a skateboard push by taking of your back foot and pushing forward as you balance on your front foot.

Body Varial

this trick is fairly simple. Get riding straight at a medium speed and when you feel comfortable switch your stance. This can be done frontside or backside.

Sex Change

By combining a Shuv-It and a Body Varial you can perform a Sex Change. You will know you have done this right if you land with your back foot forward and the back of your board facing forward.

Shuv (it)

First, find a pool is that is long and shallow. Then, throw the board, run, jump on and be riding straight. Then put pressure on your back foot while flicking the board backwards. Give your front leg/foot a little flick forward at the same time. Catch the board smoothly with your feet and ride away. Once you got that on lock down, then move on to the Pop Shuv, and three shuv. If you want the board to spin faster then flick your legs harder.

Frontside Shuv

This trick is the same as the shuv, but instead of flicking your back leg backward, you flick it forward. As well you flick your front leg backwards.

Pop Shuv (it)

Find a shallow pool that goes deeper. Then, throw, run, jump and be riding straight. Put more pressure on your back foot then just on a regular shuv, and take pressure off your front foot, flick the board with your rear foot back wards and jump at the same time. Catch the board in the air, level it and ride away. If you want the board to spin faster then flick your back leg harder. The faster you go the more likely the board will pop up for you. You can try doing it frontside as well.

Shuv Indy

The rider does a backside shuv-it so that the board spins 180 degrees under the rider in mid air. The rider then catches the board with an indy grab and places the board back under his feet to prepare for the landing.

Fast plant

Popping the board into your hand(s) then dropping it back down. Multiple variations including adding a hand shuv or acid drop.

Ollie

Find a pool that goes from shallow to deep (at least up to your ankles). Then run really fast and ride straight. Next, bend low and as you come back up take pressure off your front foot and push down on your back foot. Then almost at the same time jump and the board should follow, if it does you have to suck up your knees and get ready to land. This is basically the hardest of all the tricks to learn but once you do it opens up a world of possibilities.

Ollie North

A small variation on the Ollie except that you lift your front foot off the board.

180 ollie

Performing a 180 spin while doing an ollie

Three (sixty) Shuv (it)

This trick is very similar to the shuv. Find a pool that is long and shallow. Put pressure with your back foot on your board and then flick backwards hard. Use your front foot as kind of a guide, also flicking a little with it in a forward motion. Once the board has rotated a full 360 degrees catch it and ride away.

540 Shuv-It

By placing your feet differently and sweeping your feet harder than a 360 shuv it, and jumping higher to get the full 540 degree spin.

Backside Bigspin

A Bigspin is a three shuv with a backside 180 body varial, so learn both of these tricks first. OK, as you are riding along flick your board as if your going to do a three shuv (or a pop three shuv, depending if you want pop or not) and throw in a backside 180 body variel at the same time. Sounds hard but its probably easier then a three Shuv for most.

Frontside Bigspin

A frontside Bigspin is a combination of a frontside body varial 180 and a frontside three shuv. Add the two together and you get this mean trick. This trick is a very smooth feeling trick. Start by rotating your shoulders frontside, then throwing a three shuv as you throw a frontside 180. Bon appetite.

Backside 180

The first thing you probably want to do is learn how to ollie. Once you’ve got that down then the backside 180 won’t be so hard. As your riding along, preparing to backside 180, start turning your body to face the way you just came from. Then start to ollie and use your back foot to control the board. It should result in ollie in which the board and yourself did a 180 degree turn in the air. You will land switch out of this trick. Land that, and you’ll be amazing and people will ask you for lessons.

Frontside 180

This trick involves an ollie, so learn that first. Ollie and rotate your shoulders in a frontside 180 motion. Suck up the board by lifting your knees and continue your spin. While landing absorb the impact with your knees and keeping going straight you will ride out switch. After learning this trick be stoked, or stop skimboarding.

Fronside Three (sixty) Shuv (it)

This trick is a frontside shuv but with more pressure, just like the three shuv. Very difficult.

Varial Flip

Consists of doing an ollie and then flicking then leading foot in the front right of the board which if done right will generate a flipping and spinning motion that will spin the board in a 180 or 360 depending on how much power was generated from the foot and transferred from the foot and will flip the board also in a side motion that will eventually make and end product of a varial flip.

Kickflip

A kickflip is when the rider after airborne from an ollie then proceeds to use the outer sole of his/her leading foot and also applied with a fast forward motion of the leading foot which should be simoultaniously timed with the side flicking motion with the leading foot, the board will flip in a sideways motion thus the rider will stop this motion and stomp the trick. This is arguably one of the hardest tricks in skimboarding.

Pretzels

A rail trick where you go boardslide and then you swivel out to backone out/bigspin or the oppiste where you go frontboard and the you swivel to frontone out.

Hurricanes

Hurricane can be done frontside or backside, but it is basically hitting a rail and over cranking a boardslide or fronboard all the way to fakie and then bringing it back to regular.

Butters

Butters are when you basically do any kind of swivel on a rail, but usually saved for when you do it clean over the entire rail. Also, you can call a landing where the guy corrects the board instantly a buttered landing which is not as good as doing it perfectly.

Back threes

Back threes are just 360 backside ollies. so like a backone but way harder extra 180.

Front ones

Front ones are just ollies where you and the board do a frontside 180. Fairly standard except hard to pop.

Shiftys

Shiftys are basically an ollie that you either tweek backside or frontside in mid air then bring it back to straight.

Reverts

Reverts are when you do a trick like a shuv but before you land you bring the reverse the rotation with your feet. So for example if you do a backside pop shuv, you revert it frontside in mid air so you ride the landing out switch.

Tricks without description yet…

Frontside wrap barrel
In-and-out barrels
Super man re-entries
This trick involves an ollie, so learn that first. Ollie and rotate your shoulders in a frontside 180 motion. Suck up the board by lifting your knees and continue your spin. While landing absorb the impact with your knees and keeping going straight you will ride out switch. After learning this trick be stoked, or stop skimboarding.

Fronside Three (sixty) Shuv (it)

This trick is a frontside shuv but with more pressure, just like the three shuv. Very difficult.

Varial Flip

Consists of doing an ollie and then flicking then leading foot in the front right of the board which if done right will generate a flipping and spinning motion that will spin the board in a 180 or 360 depending on how much power was generated from the foot and transferred from the foot and will flip the board also in a side motion that will eventually make and end product of a varial flip.

Kickflip

A kickflip is when the rider after airborne from an ollie then proceeds to use the outer sole of his/her leading foot and also applied with a fast forward motion of the leading foot which should be simoultaniously timed with the side flicking motion with the leading foot, the board will flip in a sideways motion thus the rider will stop this motion and stomp the trick. This is arguably one of the hardest tricks in skimboarding.

Pretzels

A rail trick where you go boardslide and then you swivel out to backone out/bigspin or the oppiste where you go frontboard and the you swivel to frontone out.

Hurricanes

Hurricane can be done frontside or backside, but it is basically hitting a rail and over cranking a boardslide or fronboard all the way to fakie and then bringing it back to regular.

Butters

Butters are when you basically do any kind of swivel on a rail, but usually saved for when you do it clean over the entire rail. Also, you can call a landing where the guy corrects the board instantly a buttered landing which is not as good as doing it perfectly.

Back threes

Back threes are just 360 backside ollies. so like a backone but way harder extra 180.

Front ones

Front ones are just ollies where you and the board do a frontside 180. Fairly standard except hard to pop.

Shiftys

Shiftys are basically an ollie that you either tweek backside or frontside in mid air then bring it back to straight.

Reverts

Reverts are when you do a trick like a shuv but before you land you bring the reverse the rotation with your feet. So for example if you do a backside pop shuv, you revert it frontside in mid air so you ride the landing out switch.

Tricks without description yet…

Frontside wrap barrel
In-and-out barrels
Super man re-entries

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You’ve seen those guys ripping through the shallow waves and/or hitting rails at the beach, and now you want to be one of them. Skimboarding is on the rise, and with increased popularity comes more brands, more sizes, and more confusion for the buyer. Here, we’ll boil down skimboarding to the basics, so you can find the right board and start riding. [Learn More]
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