Skimboarding or skimming is a sport growing in popularity nowadays in the Philippines and in the city of Iloilo. But not everybody is familiar with this sport yet. To be honest, I did not know anything about it up until I saw the players on their boards and pulling off some awesome stunts along Villa beach.
So what is skimboarding?
It is a board sport where one uses a skimboard, a mini version of a surfboard minus the fins, to glide across the water’s surface to meet an incoming or breaking wave and ride it back to the shore. Since Iloilo does not offer perfect venues with waves to surf or skim, creative and determined fanatics have devised competitions where in players can show off tricks using their skim boards and ramps. This type of skim boarding is also known as flatland skimboarding.
Skimboarding in Iloilo
I was lucky enough to see in person a skimboarding competition that was participated by locals and guests hailing from other parts of the country. I had a chat with one of the organizers, Mr. Kelbin Mark David, and he told me how skimboarding was born in Iloilo.
Kelbin and his fellow skimboarders have been organizing small events since 2010 and the first ever National Flatland Skimboarding Competition was held in Iloilo. They are being supported by various skimboard companies such as Skimbowl, Kyda and DB Skimboards to keep this boardsport up the scene and inspire others, and encourage others to make this sport the next big thing.
What’s good about skimboarding?
When I asked around why they got hooked in skimboarding, I got different responses but all of them are filled with enthusiasm and positivity. Some love the thrill of executing challenging and jaw dropping tricks, while some are driven by the new ideas they come up every time they ride their boards, and most would agree that this is a sport that will surely make one physically and mentally fit. On top of these, you get to meet new friends.
Upcoming Skimboarding Events
Kelbin and his fellow skimboarding enthusiasts are planning to have another competition this October and more to come next year during the Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival in February and an event called the Next POP II in April where international skimboarders will be invited.
Interested? Do you want to be a skimboarder?
Here in Iloilo, there is a group which will welcome with open arms anyone who is willing to learn the sport. The group is called the Flatsand Iloilo Skimboarders. They have a national organization named Pilipinas Flatland Skimboarders. If you are in Iloilo and interested to learn and be art of the group, you can contact Kelbin (very cool and approachable guy) at 09351182820.
You can also check out their facebook page and get to know the group better through https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flatsand-Iloilo-Skimboarders. And if you want to take a peek of what this sport is all about, here is the link to Kelbin’s most memorable and first win in the Skimboarding competition held in Cavite: http://vimeo.com/40802536.
If you are looking for something new, interesting and a sport in progress, challenge yourself and join the gang and before you know it, you are already skimming like a pro.