Skimboarding is a lot like bull riding

Nearly a month ago, when our friend Jill was visiting from Davis, Rock and I started plotting to build our own skimboards. It started with Jill saying something about skimboarding when we took her to the beach…I had forgotten skimboarding even existed, but instantly saw the skimboarding potential of our beach.

Since then, we have done some research, designed our boards, contracted with Emma – our local carpenter – to cut the boards out of ½ inch plywood, and worked to sand and shape the boards. We tested them at Brenu beach a week ago without varnish – and got banged up but started getting the hang of it. Earlier this week, we went back to Emma’s shop to paint and varnish them. Rock couldn’t wait to get back to the beach with his board.

In the first 15 minutes, we had both taken some hard falls. Rock darn near busted his trailer hitch – in three consecutive falls. A quarter inch of water on wet sand is not soft. He actually got quite good on his homemade board by the time the sun was setting (photos below), but the experience made me realize how skimboarding is like bull riding.

1.  I will always remember hearing a rodeo clown’s comment after a bull rider landed hard on his tailbone: “Whoa folks, that’s gotta hurt. He darn near busted his trailer hitch!” Anything that involves nearly busting your trailer hitch has since reminded me of bull riding. 
2. When you go down on a skimboard, regardless of how bad you’re hurt, you are back on your feet in a snap trying desperately to get a visual on the shaped plywood that is often hurling back to shore somewhere in the next wave looking for an unsuspecting shinbone. Rock looked just like a bull rider: When he couldn’t see where his board was (plywood does not bob to the top of a churning wave), he would turn and scamper frantically up the beach and away from the next big wave. Once I made this connection, I felt much tougher the next time I scampered up the beach to flee my hidden board.  
3. Bull riding is a great spectator sport – just like (our version of) skimboarding at Brenu beach. 
4. I’ve learned that not too many things can make a 10 year old boy sore – possibly only mutton busting and skimboarding. Rock groaned constantly about his trailer hitch as he tried to get comfortable in bed tonight. Since I have him by a few years, I feel great that I’m not more beat up than I am. As I hobble to bed, I feel a real kinship with bull riders, which helps…a lot. 

A few shots from this afternoon at Brenu Beach...you visit, you too will fall in love.