New skimboarder looking for help

[Bangert]

Well I've been skimboarding for about 2 weeks and i need help. I'm definitely doing something wrong with my run drop slide. When I'm not being really bad (like in the video with all the falls) i can skim to the wave, but as soon as i get near it i just sink. I've tried running faster than what you see in the video and i had no success. I was also wondering if it was even possible to skim those waves. The way the water washed up on the shore was weird because it didnt go down the shore it just stopped close to where the waves break creating knee deep water to drop the board into.

I have a large Victoria Foamie and i weigh about 145.

http://youtu.be/Fwx2QVLmiOA

[tmac]

bravo for making the video, helps a lot.
Before thinking about reaching the wave, which is definitely skimmable, take it slow and work on your technique.
Your drop needs a lot of work. For instance, take longer strides and drop the board when your RIGHT foot hits the ground. (From the vid I see that you ride goofy footed, i.e. left at the back.) Also try not to bend over as you drop the board, this just knocks you off balance. Resist the urge to trow the board, but you need to hold the board a little further out ahead of your body than you do now - extending your arms out a bit before you drop the board will do the trick - then drop it as your right foot hits the ground, your next step with your left will be on the board. Open your left foot as you step onto the board (DO NOT JUMP - just continue your running stride and your left leg will be on the board) and make sure that you're not leaning back as you get on the board. (Watch vids of Morgan Just or Paulo Prietto's drops and look at position of their head as they get on the board - it's over the centre of the board).
But, work on all of this at a slower pace, you need to get used to getting on the board with much more balance than you currently have. Bend at the knees as you get onto the board and keep your weight centred between toe and heel. If you want to get an idea of centering your weight do this: on dry sand, bend your knees and rock back and forth from toe to heel until you get the feeling that your wieght is directly over the arch of your foot. Once you've got this down, try to replicate the feeling when you're on the board (without using the rocking of course!).
If you widen your stance a little you'll find that you have much more balance - try move your left foot back to the tail of the board after you've successfully gotten on the board.
For a guy skimming for just 2 weeks, you're doing great. Just keep at it!! Once your drop improves and you can do it at almost full sprint, you'll have no trouble reaching the wave. Just make sure you learn how to turn the board first eh? ;)

[Bangert]

wow thanks for all the help! exactly what i wanted ! im about to go to the beach right now so ill try everything you said! it all makes sense so hopefully i can apply it. thanks a bunch!

[Jim Gordon]

Those waves don't look like good waves to learn on, they are too far out for someone new and don't have a good shape. Also try to get on before the white water where the water is not so deep. You need to learn to sand ride first and then learn to wave ride.

[TheNorthCoaster]

Practice Practice Practice

[tmac]

Those waves don't look like good waves to learn on, they are too far out for someone new and don't have a good shape. Also try to get on before the white water where the water is not so deep. You need to learn to sand ride first and then learn to wave ride.

Jim's right - I live near a beach with similar conditions and it takes a lot of practice to be able to drop effectively in water above ankle depth. My advice is don't wait for days when there are big waves predicted in order to practice, often beaches like that are better when the sea is a little bit calmer. Since there is very little slope on that beach, heavier conditions just turn the waves into whitewash. Check your beach regularly to see what conditions are like based on what the tide table indicates. Check it during the hours around high and low tide also - don't always go at the same time of day!
Concentrate on improving your drop on flat, very shallow water first and go parallel to the shore. Set yourself goals this year - get your drop down first, then learn to turn backside, then frontside on flat water (that whitewater in the vid is perfect for learning to turn) parallel to the shore. Only when you have this down should you start attacking the wave. Getting nailed every time you hit the wave may discourage you if you haven't learned to turn properly first.
Post a vid in a month or two to show us your progress (no pressure LOL) :D

[neesay16]

i have the same exact problem.

[neesay16]

wud pumpin help?

[neesay16]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTgc9pytiIU&feature=related look at form at 1:29 - 1:40

[tmac]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTgc9pytiIU&feature=related look at form at 1:29 - 1:40

Didn't see Bill pumping in the vid, but he was sideslipping a lot. Sideslipping would be of no help to the OP however, since it works best on flat dead water, not the choppy kind between the waves in the OP's vid.
Let's try keep the more complicated techniques til much later - the OP would be much better served getting his drop and weight distribution down well. You'd be surprised how much carry you can get without sideslipping / pumping if you have an outstanding drop.

[Bangert]

When should you pump?

[tmac]

When should you pump?

After you learn the basics :D
It's tricky to use effectively, people who say it's easy either aren't doing it right or are shit hot skimmers.
There's so much to learn and commit to muscle memory (i.e. not thinking of 10 things you need to do as you're charging at the water, eventually you'll be doing them by habit) when you're starting off that you'd be better off ignoring any comments about pumping or sideslipping until you've mastered the basics.

[tmac]

@Bangert - how did your last day go? progress and frustrations encountered please :)

[WashingtonRider]

ok so i have been skiming for a couple summers about 9 months under my belt and where i am in washingotn there is no such thing as waves so i stick on the flatland which i love but im working on my drop technique i throw the board in front of me and bend doing looking up i see thats a no no but im also a 6foot 7 giant, need some pointers on my drop tech and cant post yall a vid cause im in India so any help you can give would be awesome

[tmac]

I know absolutely nothing about flatland, the advice given to the OP was for starting off wave riding.
If you're throwing the board out ahead of you, it makes no difference if you bend whilst throwing or do a cartwheel follow-through for that matter. You still gotta chase the board afterwards anyway so you're back running again.
If you have any experience skating, maybe you could try using a bomb drop or something.

[WashingtonRider]

shouldnt the drop tech be the same if your on flatland as when your droping to ride waves or is it suppose to be different? it gets reall old having to run my board down so im trying to get it so im not chasing

[Derek Makekau]

maybe buy a bungee? or try a different beach with a slope and some depth in the water.

[tmac]

shouldnt the drop tech be the same if your on flatland as when your droping to ride waves or is it suppose to be different? it gets reall old having to run my board down so im trying to get it so im not chasing

Jim Gordon makes boards for flatland & waveriding, so perhaps private message him. He always has good advice to give.

[$ilky $kim]

#1 - You will never learn to run, drop, slide until you can trust your drop. Slow down to about 1/2 the speed you are going now and concentrate on doing the things you know you should be doing. Don't bend at the waist when you drop or slow down, keep your speed constant, figure out where your feet need to be and concentrate on getting them in the right places, run onto the board and never jump onto it. Get everything perfect at slow speed where you can lightly jog, drop the board and be able to trust that it is going to end up where you need it, and run onto it without changing your speed seemlessly. Then once you have it down just slowly increase the speed until you can run at full speed, drop the board, and run onto it without jumping or losing any momentum. IMO the hardest part of run, drop, slide is the drop. If you fuck up on the drop the board is going to end up all shitty and any attempt to run onto it will result in eating shit. Just go slow for now and build up to running full speed, in my experience that is the quickest way to correctly learn it. Starting at full speed will just make you learn it wrong most of the time unless you are a natural.

[tmac]

His location is Lake Stevens though, so I'm thinking that getting on the board quickly and having to travel a long distance on completely dead lake water, to get to a rail or box or whatever, would be doomed to failure from the get go. I reckon a bomb drop is the way to go if you're riding on a lake, but I have no experience on the matter, so perhaps Jim can help you.

[WashingtonRider]

well im not riding on the lake i go to a city called everett and ride on the beach in the puget sound so its ocean just no waves

[WashingtonRider]

#1 - You will never learn to run, drop, slide until you can trust your drop. Slow down to about 1/2 the speed you are going now and concentrate on doing the things you know you should be doing. Don't bend at the waist when you drop or slow down, keep your speed constant, figure out where your feet need to be and concentrate on getting them in the right places, run onto the board and never jump onto it. Get everything perfect at slow speed where you can lightly jog, drop the board and be able to trust that it is going to end up where you need it, and run onto it without changing your speed seemlessly. Then once you have it down just slowly increase the speed until you can run at full speed, drop the board, and run onto it without jumping or losing any momentum. IMO the hardest part of run, drop, slide is the drop. If you fuck up on the drop the board is going to end up all shitty and any attempt to run onto it will result in eating shit. Just go slow for now and build up to running full speed, in my experience that is the quickest way to correctly learn it. Starting at full speed will just make you learn it wrong most of the time unless you are a natural.

ok but i guess my problem is how i should start off doping the board so im able to get on it sooner with out trying to catch up to it first i can get on fine but im trying to make it so i can get on sooner and cut out the chasing the board down from my skim sessions

[tmac]

well im not riding on the lake i go to a city called everett and ride on the beach in the puget sound so its ocean just no waves

ah ok, my bad. Well you should follow the advice I left for the OP & what $ilky $kim said.
Just that if you ride regular, drop the board as your left foot is about to hit the ground. Emphasis on DROP, if you even slightly throw the board, you're making it much more difficult to get on cleanly.
Sounds like you need to find a new beach too though. (queue quick gmaps of Everett).
How long would it take to get to Oak Harbour or Port Townsend (if there are beaches there)?
Dude, you're seriously missing out by not looking for a proper beach break.

[floridaskimmer]

try to get on the board quicker. i used to bend over and drop the board which i think shreds speed down so try to force the board on to the ground once your right foot hits the ground because you are goofy footed. next crouch alittle on the board once you are on it weight centered after you get in to the water. on the first run it looked like you didnt lean far back enough to actually get in to the water so the board plowed in to the water causing you to fly off. as for wrapping i would say i dont know much if anything about it but from experience i only can get on a wave when i dont kick to hard with my back foot i just kinda drag it along the wave also once on the wave try leaning forward which will keep the wave behind you. hope this helped. oh also just checked the vid again and run quicker than that and try to drop alittle further in to the water.

[tmac]

try to get on the board quicker. i used to bend over and drop the board which i think shreds speed down so try to force the board on to the ground once your right foot hits the ground because you are goofy footed. next crouch alittle on the board once you are on it weight centered after you get in to the water. on the first run it looked like you didnt lean far back enough to actually get in to the water so the board plowed in to the water causing you to fly off. as for wrapping i would say i dont know much if anything about it but from experience i only can get on a wave when i dont kick to hard with my back foot i just kinda drag it along the wave also once on the wave try leaning forward which will keep the wave behind you. hope this helped. oh also just checked the vid again and run quicker than that and try to drop alittle further in to the water.

NOOOOOOO
do not listen to a word of this complete rubbish, it's poison and it's TOTALLY incorrect.
floridaskimmer obviously cannot skim at all.

edit: @floridaskimmer - just checked the "rank your ability" poll and you've put yourself down as a 3. Judging by your last post, you've been overly generous to yourself by about 2.5. Approaching 1 would be a more accurate assessment, not that there's anything wrong with being a 1, everyone has to start somewhere. Just don't post your "valuable" advice.

[WashingtonRider]

ah ok, my bad. Well you should follow the advice I left for the OP & what $ilky $kim said.
Just that if you ride regular, drop the board as your left foot is about to hit the ground. Emphasis on DROP, if you even slightly throw the board, you're making it much more difficult to get on cleanly.
Sounds like you need to find a new beach too though. (queue quick gmaps of Everett).
How long would it take to get to Oak Harbour or Port Townsend (if there are beaches there)?
Dude, you're seriously missing out by not looking for a proper beach break.

nah man im looking for a proper beach but with a job i cant spend 7 hours to go around the penisula and then out to the coast i skim on the puget sound and it has good flat land lines so when my left foot is about to go down drop the board so my next step is my right foot on the back of board since im reg footed??

[WashingtonRider]

i also have looked for new spots but with a job getting time off in summer to head up to say Alki was never the easiest i hope i get a better job when i get home that i can get more time off but here in the sound its all about the tides too to high in your on rocks

[tmac]

that's a pity about the beach dude, but you can still learn how to turn frontside and backside on water a few inches deep so that you'll be ready for the day you hit a beach with waves. Once you can turn properly and you trust yourself, you can turn on any wave using the same technique. Same as snowboarding - nothing is too steep if your technique is right.
On the drop - that's it, exactly as you said. But really listen to $ilky $kim's advice about taking it slow while you're getting started. If you start off trying to do it fast, you'll end up with a stutter step in your drop without you knowing it. It's extremely difficult to get rid of afterwards if you've "learned it" by accident.
Just as your left leg is about to hit the ground, open your hands and drop the board. Just continue your stride with your right foot and it will be on the board.
It takes a long time to get it right, so don't beat yourself up if it's taking you longer than expected. I spent a whole summer getting it right a few years back. It's frustrating, but so worth it. When you have it right, you won't even need to look down at the board to get on after you've dropped it, you'll just instinctively be on the board.
Best of luck!

edit: don't concentrate on getting your right foot fully at the tail of the board as you're getting on, it's actually beneficial if your step lands further up the tail pad initially, then move your (right) foot back to the tail once you're fully on.

[WashingtonRider]

that's a pity about the beach dude, but you can still learn how to turn frontside and backside on water a few inches deep so that you'll be ready for the day you hit a beach with waves. Once you can turn properly and you trust yourself, you can turn on any wave using the same technique. Same as snowboarding - nothing is too steep if your technique is right.
On the drop - that's it, exactly as you said. But really listen to $ilky $kim's advice about taking it slow while you're getting started. If you start off trying to do it fast, you'll end up with a stutter step in your drop without you knowing it. It's extremely difficult to get rid of afterwards if you've "learned it" by accident.
Just as your left leg is about to hit the ground, open your hands and drop the board. Just continue your stride with your right foot and it will be on the board.
It takes a long time to get it right, so don't beat yourself up if it's taking you longer than expected. I spent a whole summer getting it right a few years back. It's frustrating, but so worth it. When you have it right, you won't even need to look down at the board to get on after you've dropped it, you'll just instinctively be on the board.
Best of luck!

edit: don't concentrate on getting your right foot fully at the tail of the board as you're getting on, it's actually beneficial if your step lands further up the tail pad initially, then move your (right) foot back to the tail once you're fully on.

thanks a ton tmac and $illky $kim yalls advice is greatly appreciated

[Bangert]

Been skimming a lot after my first post and i think my drop got a lot better , i was able to ride a few waves too! Going to the beach again tomorrow, so happy the beach is open again after it getting fucked by Irene. Going to try to get my friend to record me to show you guys some progress!

[Jim Gordon]

shouldnt the drop tech be the same if your on flatland as when your droping to ride waves or is it suppose to be different? it gets reall old having to run my board down so im trying to get it so im not chasing

Yeah, it should be the same. You can do the throw & chase on flatland and for waves, but it just a lot easier to do the one step for both. The trouble with the throw & chase is, once you throw the board you can't change your mind about anything, you just have to go where the board goes. And if you have a short runway or it's crowded, the throw & chase = fail.

[Bangert]

very diappointed today, do you do anything different when there is wind? normally the wind doesnt bother me but today for some weird reason it was messing me up. i know people kick sand on the board but do you drop the board lower or just drop normally

[Jim Gordon]

I don't know what other people do, but on windy dayz.....I don't drop the board, I kind of throw the board down.

[tmac]

Kicking sand on the nose of the board works well, but watch out if the wind is onshore and very strong. Since the nose is heavier with the sand on the underneath, it is more prone to being caught by the wind and pushed into the sand while you're running = mild form of impailment (trust me, it's not a nice experience). Grip the board much more tightly than you would normally do.

When there's a strong crosswind, I normally just try to find the angle, whether with the wind or against it, that the board stays most stable when dropped and then run at that angle down the beach. (Find the angle by standing where you would normally drop the board, and drop it with the wind, against the wind etc 'til you find the angle that it's most stable)

Not gonna have the best day's skim ever, but it at least avoids eating shit repeatedly when trying to get your front foot on and the board is no longer where it should be.

[caliskimmer]

I don't know what other people do, but on windy dayz.....I don't drop the board, I kind of throw the board down.

+1 This works really well for me. Even yesterday when I was experimenting with how far to drop the board in front of me and the wind was blowing pretty hard, I didn't have too many problems with the board. Don't throw the board in front of you, but kinda drop it hard or as Jim Gordon put it, throw the board down.

[Bangert]

thanks for the tips! ill try to find the angle and throwing it down next time. the damn board flipped over mid air when i dropped twice -_-

[caliskimmer]

thanks for the tips! ill try to find the angle and throwing it down next time. the damn board flipped over mid air when i dropped twice -_-

It sucks, especially when you are running really fast and have to long jump over the board since it landed wrong.

[Jim Gordon]

+1 This works really well for me. Even yesterday when I was experimenting with how far to drop the board in front of me and the wind was blowing pretty hard, I didn't have too many problems with the board. Don't throw the board in front of you, but kinda drop it hard or as Jim Gordon put it, throw the board down.
Glad it worked for you, Yeah I found out the hard way, don't drop your board in the wind.....throw it down! Also a little sand wouldn't hurt either.;)