Words: Jason Wilson // Media: Devin Demenezes
Last weekend Team Zap traveled to the Shore LB Throwdown at Sebastian Inlet, Florida. This competition was the second stop of the 2024 Skim USA tour and brought out top competitors from Florida and all around the East Coast.
The event was blessed with warm weather and solid skim both mornings of the competition! The higher tides served up waist to stomach high peaks giving the professionals options for wraps and the occasional wedging liner. The low tide afternoon conditions turned the competition area into a white water combo battlefield for the amateur and semi pro rounds. The contrast in morning and afternoon conditions made for a wide display of riding from technical varial combos to the occasional barrel.
Our team riders shined and placed in almost every division! For the professionals, Sydney Pizza took another uncontested win while Gerardo Valencia and Dylan Duncan placed 3rd and 4th in Men's Pro. In the amateur division, Graham Shelton picked right up where he left last year with wins in both Mens and Semi-Pro divisions. Right behind him with another big performance was the Mayor of B-Town (Boynton Beach), CJ Lugo, who placed first in Grandmasters and third in Semi-Pro. Alex Farrell picked up a big Sr. Men's win over fellow team rider and contest killer ET Beaugrand who finished right behind Alex in 2nd. Our newest team rider Kate Warrington skimmed with poise taking first in the Women's division. For the groms, our boy Gio Tomasi was a standout, moving up from the Mini to Menehune division, taking the win, and hitting a most impressive 360 shuvit to wrap combo! Honorable mention for another new team rider in the Menehune division, Brody Chandler-Thompson for flying south out of the cold mid-atlantic winter into a 4th place finish behind Gio and a few other little rippers in the Menehunes. Last but surely not the least; big shout out to Tobi Blount and Will Grady for following up Graham with 3rd and 4th place finishes in the highly competitive men's division. What a strong team to keep your eye on this summer!
Thank you to the Shore Lb and Skim USA crew who ran a tight event with live scoring, webcasting, post heat interviews, food, and entertainment all weekend!
There are no days off for Yahir Valencia! But when your home break is always firing, it’s hard to stay away from the waves. Yahir has been crushing it lately and it really shows in this video. Filmed at Playa de Coco in Mexico, the crew enjoyed a day of big waves, no wind and all-around perfect conditions. Check it out now!
Video: Ed Amador
PICK UP YAHIR'S PRO MODEL BOARD -- THE CHANGITO PRO -- HERE!
]]>Team rider Graham Shelton keeping it fun with his latest Youtube video. Graham is a local Venice, FL shredder so he’s no stranger to small, glassy conditions. For this video, he takes us out to the North Jetty for a fun solo sesh. For more, make sure to subscribe to his YouTube page HERE!
]]>Yahir Valencia came out swinging on his Youtube channel with this gem of him riding at one of his local spots of Playa Boca Del Muerto. This is one of his, and his brother Gerardo’s, favorite spots because the waves are always big, clean, and fun! For more skim action, make sure to subscribe to his channel. Also, check out his pro model board - the Changito Pro - on the site now!
]]>UNITED SKIM TOUR
El Rey De Lovers - LOCATION: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico / DATES: April 26-28th / MORE INFO: unitedskimtour.org
TAC Skim Blast - LOCATION: Santa Cruz, CA / DATES: July 20th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: unitedskimtour.org
OBX Skim Jam - LOCATION: Nag's Head, NC / DATES: July 26-28th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: unitedskimtour.orgEl Rey De Lovers - LOCATION: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico / DATES: April 26-28th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: unitedskimtour.org
Zap World Championships of Skimboarding - LOCATION: Dewey Beach, DE / DATES: August 9-11th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: unitedskimtour.org
Mulligan's Skim Jam - LOCATION: Vero Beach, FL / DATES: August 30-31st / REGISTER & MORE INFO: unitedskimtour.org
Exile Oktoberfest - LOCATION: Newport Beach, CA / DATES: TBD / REGISTER & MORE INFO: unitedskimtour.org
SKIM USA
Melaque Magia - LOCATION: Melaque, Mexico / DATES: January 13-14th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: liveheats.com/events/192173
Shore Lb Throwdown - LOCATION: Sebastian Inlet, FL / DATES: March 9-10th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: liveheats.com/events/204516
PCB Spring Skim Jam - LOCATION: Panama City Beach, FL / DATES: April 13-14th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: liveheats.com/events/207651
Zap Spring Fling Pro/Am - LOCATION: North Jetty Beach, FL / DATES: May 18-19th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: liveheats.com/Events/205670
Jackalope Fest - LOCATION: Virginia Beach, VA / DATES: May 31-June 2nd / REGISTER & MORE INFO: jackalope.tribu.co/virginia-beach
OBX Skim Jam - LOCATION: Nag's Head, NC / DATES: July 26-28th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: skim-usa.com
Zap World Championships of Skimboarding - LOCATION: Dewey Beach, DE / DATES: August 9-11th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: skim-usa.com
NJ Skim Bash - LOCATION: TBD / DATES: September 7-8th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: skim-usa.com
PREMIER SKIM
Aliso Pro/Am - LOCATION: Laguna Beach, CA / DATES: May 11th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: premierskim.com/event-details/2024-aliso-pro-am
Santa Cruz Pro/Am - LOCATION: Pleasure Point, CA / DATES: September 7th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: premierskim.com/event-details/2024-santa-cruz-pro-am
Tamarack Pro/Am - LOCATION: Carlsbad, CA / DATES: October 5th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: premierskim.com/event-details/2024-tamarack-pro-am
LOCAL EVENTS
Old Naples Demo Day - LOCATION: Naples, FL / DATES: April 20th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: TBD
June Skim Blast - LOCATION: Monmouth Beach, NJ / DATES: June 29-30th / REGISTER & MORE INFO: TBD
]]>May 17th – FREE Skim Clinic hosted by Zap Skimboards
May 18th – Day 1 of Pro/Am Skim Competition (PRELIMS)
May 19th – Day 2 of Pro/Am Skim Competition (FINALS)
Location: North Jetty Beach, FL
Professional riders Yahir Valencia, Gerardo Valencia, Zack Carter, Sydney Pizza, Casey Kiernan, John Akerman, Dylan Duncan, Naji Taha, and more will also be attending so make sure to come hang out!
Are you ready to compete? REGISTER NOW – LiveHeats.com/Events/205670
Check out the recap from last year’s event below:
ZAP: What are you looking forward to most in the 2024 season?
Gerardo: Traveling and competing honestly. I really want to do better this year in contests!
ZAP: Where’s your favorite place to skim? And why?
Gerardo: My favorite place is Playa del Coco in Costa Rica. I really love that spot because the waves are always good and it’s just such a sick spot!
ZAP: Where is the coolest place skimboarding has taken you?
Gerardo: Muertos Beach in Mexico. It’s a beautiful spot, the people are friendly and of course, the skim is solid.
ZAP: What gets you hyped to go for a session?
Gerardo: It’s probably a little obvious but when the waves are good, that’s what gets me the most hyped! The next thing is when I’m trying a new trick and it finally clicks. There aren’t many better feelings out there for me.
ZAP: How do you train in the offseason?
Gerardo: I just try to skim as much as I can and take care of myself. I go to the gym as often as I can, run, eat right, and try to stay consistent.
ZAP: Do you have any trips planned at the moment?
Gerardo: Not at the moment but I would love to go to Europe as well as Sununga Beach in Brazil.
ZAP: How did the 2023 season treat you? What were some of the highlights?
Gerardo: 2023 was a great year. I got to travel a lot with my brother, Yahir, skim a lot and have a ton of fun. It was a good learning year as well but for 2024, I have more motivation and I can’t wait for the season to really get going.
ZAP: What are some of your hobbies outside of skimboarding?
Gerardo: I like to go to the gym and keep up with my physical fitness.
ZAP: If you could change anything about competitive skimboarding, what would it be?
Gerardo: Honestly, I wouldn’t change much about it. There just needs to be more competitions!
ZAP: Which event in 2024 are you the most hyped for?
Gerardo: I love all of the events but my favorite are definitely Oktoberfest and the World Championships in Dewey Beach.
]]>
The owner Robert Singer (Bob) and his staff are proud to help locals and visitors with all their watersports needs all year round. Be sure to check them out:
104 St. Louis St
Dewey Beach, DE 19971
(302) 227-4703
www.eastofmaui.com
ZAP: Hi Bob, how’s it going? How long has East of Maui been around in Dewey Beach?
Bob: It’s going well! Since 1989 actually. We used to be located in Bethesda, DE a decade earlier but moved to Dewey in ‘89 and have been here ever since.
ZAP: How long has East of Maui been carrying Zap?
Bob: Not quite as long as you’ve been making boards…but over 20 years now!
ZAP: Where did the name “East of Maui” come from?
Bob: When we started the business, we were a “windsurfing” shop around town. Maui was the place, the “mecca” to go windsurfing. The best windsurfers from around the world would go and much of the development of gear happened in Maui. Alfred, my partner, went there many times and came up with the name.
ZAP: You’ve been working with Jason Wilson for a while now, right? Do you have any good stories about him that you can share with us? Only if they’re PG, of course…
Bob: Honestly, keeping it “PG” definitely takes a lot of stories off the table *laughs*, but Jason has always been great to work with and people come back specifically to attend skim camps with him. We’re definitely fortunate to have him here and so is skimboarding!
ZAP: How long have you been in Dewey Beach yourself? And what brought you there originally?
Bob: Since 1977, after graduating college. I came to work at my friend’s sailboat rental place on the bay where the Hyatt now resides. A guy sailed up on a “windsurfer” so I bought one and the rest is history!
ZAP: Were you ever a skimboarder? If so, I hope you were riding a Zap…
Bob: No, unfortunately not. I stuck to windsurfing.
ZAP: We know you’ve done a lot of events and work with Alley Oop Skimboarding. Any good memories from any of those events you’d like to share?
Bob: We have been working with Alley Oop for many years and it has been a great relationship since day one. Alley Oop does a very professional job with the camps and lessons and the kids all have a great time. The events are also very professionally executed. The annual skim championship is a really great event, locals compete, families love it and competitors come from all over the country!
ZAP: What does owning and operating a board shop mean to you?
Bob: The lifestyle has to be the thing. We sell “fun” and people use the gear right here. Also over the years, it has been really great to watch kids that we started selling skimboards and surfboards to when they were really young grow up and stick with the sports. Now they are bringing in their kids and getting them “stoked” on the beach lifestyle. It's also always fun to see the little groms who stuck with it and show some real talent when they are older.
ZAP: Thanks for chatting with us, Bob! Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Bob: Thank you! The Delaware beaches are uniquely great for skin so if you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop by the shop! We’d love to meet you.
Calling all skim girls! This June 12-13th, Alley Oop Skim and team rider Sydney Pizza have teamed up to put on two days of skim clinics from 5-7 pm each day. Clinics will be held on St. Louis St, Dewey Beach DE. So if you’re in the Dewey Beach area and want to attend, make sure to go to AlleyOopSkim.com for more info and to sign up.
]]>All of us skimmers know what it’s like to show up to a spot and go for a session. Pretty simple really. You run, drop, and slide. Well, what if you took the running out of the equation and could just focus on going as fast and as big as possible? That’s exactly what team riders John Akerman, ET Beaugrand, and Zeke Williams had in mind when they brought the winch out to Melbourne Beach, FL. Rolling up to the beach at sunrise, we found it to be all but empty so we scoped out a nice spot to set up everything and got to work. After digging out some anchor spots and getting the winch prepped, John Akerman took the inaugural pulls and started to absolutely send it! With John’s winch, you can control the speed and pull straight from the handle so while John was winching, ET and Zeke took turns running in on waves to get warmed up. After John took a few pulls, he handed off the sticks to ET and after a quick tutorial, he got right to it as well. Starting off with a few hard wraps, ET started boosting as well, throwing airs, back 3’s and more. Next up was Zeke Williams and he didn’t disappoint! His first go, he hit the send button a little too hard and got launched on the first wave he hit. Coming up laughing, he ran back down the beach to get some more. The boys spent the rest of the morning trading off turns and having the best time. Check out the images from the session below now and go give it a try for yourself!
2024 is here and that means skim events are going to start popping off! Melaque Magia is always a super fun event because the location and conditions are always on point and the locals truly embrace the riders and the good vibes. Outside of the event, there was plenty of skimming to be done and with the crew that we had, you know they got some good clips! Join Zap team riders Gerardo Valencia, Yahir Valencia, Dylan Duncan, David “Monster” Armstrong-Morehead, and Chip Sanders as they shred down south in Mexico! Enjoy.
Film & Edit: Dylan Duncan
]]>These are some of our favorite events of the year so we are hyped! Check out the full recap from last year's Zap World Championships of Skimboarding in Dewey Beach, DE below to get a taste of what's to come!
LOCATION: 30 Ocean Ave, Monmouth Beach NJ 077050
DATES: June 29-30, 2024
For more information, don’t hesitate to reach out to info@zapskimboards.com
]]>Reports from our team and others in attendance were an immaculate chill vibe and super fun international event. The local community and youth have embraced the competition and visiting skimboarders the past year making it one of the most fun competitions on the Skim USA tour. Sunny weather with a light breeze and cloud cover throughout the weekend made for enjoyable temperatures. Wave conditions were sloppy small speed run liners in the morning with improving conditions and larger waves during the afternoon for professional heats. The Mexican skimboarders stood out all weekend with Gerardo Valencia and Bryan Lopez scoring the biggest cleanest barrels of the competition.
For the Zap team, it was the Valencia brothers who took top honors with Yahir in first and Gerardo in second. Rookie pro Dylan Duncan killed it all weekend before suffering a minor injury and elimination in round 3 of competition. Veteran Dave "Monster" Armstrong put on a good show with crazy airs and vibes reminiscent of 2005! Chip Sanders, another amateur team rider who recently turned pro, continued to push himself in larger waves and heavier competition, representing the Gulf Coast of Florida to the fullest!
For the pro women, it was mostly chill, friendly, competition, with extremely tight scores that made every heat a great show! Sydney Pizza finished in second place, less than a point behind reigning World Champion Chabe White who won the competition. Syd was also awarded for the best female wave of the competition! Right behind her was team rider Alex Yokley, who is back on tour after a year off, showing poise and confidence as she slid into a 3rd place finish. Her and Sydney are definitely two women to watch this year as they begin their 2024 skim campaign!
For full event results check Live Heats: https://liveheats.com/events/192173
Next competition for team Zap is March 9-10 in Melbourne, FL: https://www.skim-usa.com/schedule/shorelb-throwdown-2drce-brx2w
]]>
Surf Expo went down last week (January 10-12th) in Orlando, FL and just like every year, it was a solid time! We saw plenty of old friends and made a lot of new ones as we showed off what we have in store for 2024. We’ll be unveiling some of the new new for the 2024 season soon but in the meantime, check out some of the photos & videos below from Surf Expo!
Team riders Dylan Duncan, David Armstrong-Morehead (aka Monster), and Trent Moranda found a nice little spot in Florida and spent a full day trading lines and shredding! If you know where this spot is, make sure to keep it on the down low…
For more awesome skimming videos, make sure to subscribe to Dylan’s channel HERE!
]]>Sam McCoy is back with another banger from his YouTube channel! This time, Sam heads to Cape May, New Jersey in search of some solid skim. What he got was one of the longest waves he’s ever ridden! Check it out now. And for more content, make sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel HERE!
]]>ZAP: Hey Sydney, congrats on taking the Pro Women’s title for the Skim USA Tour! How stoked are you?
Sydney: Hey! Thank you so much! I am beyond stoked, honestly over the moon about it! It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to win the SkimUSA Pro Women's Tour title!
ZAP: Which event was your favorite this year and why?
Sydney: Hands down, I would have to say the Zap Pro/Am, at home in Dewey! The waves were stellar, and it's always the best time with the best vibes. The whole week leading up, you can feel the energy changing in town as everyone gets ready and competitors start arriving. We had a fantastic last week of skim camp, with tons of guest pros, and it's a great way to round out the East Coast portion of the skim season!
ZAP: Who do you always look forward to competing against?
Sydney: Oooooh good question. I love competing against everyone, for different reasons, but some of my favorite heats are against Alex Yokley because she's like my older sister, so it's always really fun as we give each other that extra push. I also love competing against Casey Kiernan-McCullough and Chabe because they are such veterans that I have to skim more strategically and pull every last trick out of the bag in those heats and even try stuff that I haven't ever done before!
ZAP: Is there anything about the 2023 season that you would change?
Sydney: Honestly, no. Even though on the UST side of things, it wasn't quite the result that I wanted but I had a lot of personal growth and learned a lot of things about myself and how I compete which I could not be more grateful for. I saw my first couple heat wins as a professional against the best in the world! It's all about the baby steps! In terms of SkimUSA, absolutely not! To see the growth of the female entries and all the little girls entering the sport fills my heart, and the tour title wasn't too shabby either! I also got into a new aspect of skim contests, which is coaching some of my campers through their heats and honestly it can be more stressful than riding my own heats! *laughs*
ZAP: What are you looking forward to most in the 2024 season?
Sydney: I am most looking forward to another great season with the girls! I think everyone is really upping their game and pushing each other to the max, which is progressing the sport in a beautiful way and inspiring the next generation of female shredders! I'm really hungry for that UST Title so I'm excited to put up a good fight for it! Also, seeing what the UST tour stops are for the women, and where across the globe that takes me!
ZAP: Are you working on anything new that we should know about?
Sydney: I am actually! We just announced our 2024 Alley Oop Skim Camp dates and have added a few new things such as a “Girls Only” two-day special, so be sure to sign up before they fill up! I'm also working with Amber Torrealba to keep building our relationship with the SuperGirl Pro crew, to make another skimboarding showcase opportunity happen in 2024! Now, in terms of my skimming, well you guys will just have to stay tuned and see at the first stop on the tour!
ZAP: What are your plans for the offseason?
Sydney: Training, training, and more training! I'll be spending about a month and half down in Melaque, MX studying, and truly learning the wave and improving my big wave riding skills, as well as improving my combos, so stay tuned for tons of content on Instagram! I have also been working a lot on the mental aspects of contests and competing. Plus taking some good time to rest and rehab my body so I'm 110% ready for the first contest!
ZAP: Anything else you’d like to tell us?
Sydney: I'll be graduating from the University of Delaware in May with a bachelor's degree in Business Management! I am beyond stoked for a great upcoming skim season, and a good year full of travel! As always, the biggest of thank you's to Zap for all the love and support! You guys are the best!
]]>
Sam McCoy is back with another heater from his Youtube page. This time, he ditches his skim for a surf board as he searches not only for some good waves but some good chicken wings as well! Because who doesn’t love some good, saucy wings?! So catch up with Sam and the crew as they get some turns in!
For more content, check out Sam’s Youtube page HERE!
]]>ZAP: Where are you right now?
Casey: Just got back home in Florida. Right after my trip to Japan I went to Tennessee for a stand up paddle boarding race- 32 miles!
ZAP: How was Japan? Tell me why you went.
Casey: Japan was so epic! From day one the hospitality and kindness was abundant. Through competing in skim I’ve met several skimboarders that live in Japan, so it was really nice that they reached out to me to make sure I had the best time. From getting transportation, to skimming the popular beaches, to eating the best food, receiving beautiful and thoughtful gifts, and building friendships with love and laughter, it was so memorable! Kaori, another Women’s Pro skimmer who lives in Japan, set up a skim clinic and skim jam on October 14th. She translated for me as I gave lessons to many of Japan’s up-and-coming skimmers, then we got to have a fun little contest. It was cool to see their community, style of skimming, and to be welcomed so openly!
ZAP: Congratulations on winning Oktoberfest! How did that feel?
Casey: Thanks! Winning Oktoberfest is always so rewarding. For the longest time I couldn’t clinch a win there, so to get my third in a row was so cool! Since it’s the last stop of the season, to win that contest is like the icing on the cake, especially since those waves are very different from what I practice on all year.
ZAP: Are you pleased with 2023?
Casey: Absolutely! I did my best at each contest, but most importantly had fun, continued to build friendships in the skim community, met a lot of new skimboarders, launched my 2023 Pro Model, gave skim lessons, hosted my most successful Skim For CF charity skim contest, and learned valuable lessons! Of course I would have liked to claim the UST title for 2023, but it was amazing to watch all the other women work hard and commit to competing and progressing, especially Chabe who totally deserved it for all her dedication!
ZAP: How’s married life?
Casey: Loving it! I’m really lucky that my hubby Chris loves skimming just as much as me, if not more so it’s always a fun time. 10/10 recommend marriage, it’s awesome!
ZAP: Plans or goals for ‘24?
Casey: Currently contemplating! I’m going to do my ultimate best to improve my skills skimboarding and in competition so that I can claim UST title #4 in 2024! I also have made a big jump in my stand up paddleboarding progress so I want to continue training and improving there to podium at ICF World’s end of next year. I'm also paddling in The Crossing For CF for my 4th time, planning for prone paddling again, but might have to switch it back to SUP so I can keep aligned with my main SUP goal at World’s. I also want to start up my monthly skim meets again in Jupiter, FL and host another awesome Skim For CF event in May or June!
ZAP: What’s SUP (tell me about your paddle life right now- happenings- results this year)?
Casey: Haha, I see what you did there! So I just wrapped up my last big event of the year with a 2nd place finish out of 52 women and 13th out of 140 including men and women! That was a beautiful 32 mile race down the Chattanooga River in Tennessee.
My race last month in South Carolina landed me a 3rd place in both distance race and ocean sprints. Before that I had the big goal in June of paddling prone (laying down surf style) all 80 miles from the Bahamas to Florida in The Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis. I made it 68 miles and couldn’t do the whole thing because we were forced to get in our support boat to relocate due to a lightning storm, so maybe try again in 2024!
Paddling is incredible cross training and is so similar to the positive and friendly vibe that we find in the skim community. It’s such a challenge so I'm looking forward to seeing where I take it!
ZAP: How are you training these days?
Casey: It’s actually been such a tough challenge the past few months with all the traveling between skim and SUP events so I really wasn’t able to train at the gym like I planned for strength or running distance for endurance. Even my SUP training was limited so basically I have been just trying to maintain my level of fitness with light exercise, skim, and SUP. Now I'm transitioning into the off-season so I'll be working on lifting heavier for lower body and upper body strength, focus on long runs with nice winter weather, and then having fun skimming and paddling while trying to progress still.
This year I had a very lax diet, so as I'm reprogramming my goals for 2024, i’ll clean up the diet and opt for more plant based, high protein options.
Motivation- definitely a new wave of that as I dial in my goals for next year!
ZAP: What is your view on the current state of skimboarding?
Casey: I feel that skimming is just as popular as ever, if not more thanks especially to social media. The skim contests are seemingly at an all time high for good vibes, fun, and prize incentive and especially for the east coast contests we’ve seen the level of entries soar. As for the skill, that’s at an all time high too. Seeing the young women, the boys, and even the pros, the things they’re doing today in contests is continually jaw dropping! It’s pretty interesting too to see how it’s in a transitional phase with a lot more young pros at the top and the ones who used to compete a lot are more so focused on personal life with marriage and family. It’s cool to see how those skimboarders paved the way for everyone newer to the pro scene. Overall, it’s in a good place with a lot of support from the community and contest organizers.
ZAP: Any new interests?
Casey: I already have too many, so nothing new at the moment lol.
ZAP: Any final thoughts?
Casey: Between my Japan trip, all the friendships I have, and the positive active lifestyle I get to live, I attribute it coming from the opportunities that stemmed from skimboarding, so I'm just always grateful for everyone I've met along the way and I look forward to next year!
OBX Skim Jam: 1st Place
Zap World Championships: 2nd Place
Oktoberfest: 1st Place
]]>
If you live in the Newport Beach, CA area or ever attended Oktoberfest, you’ve probably heard of or ran into Brian Boyle. He and his wife Lori own and operate Main Street Surf Shop near Balboa Pier and have been a staple in the surf/skim community for many years. They have also helped to sponsor the Oktoberfest event for the last 18 years.
Brian unfortunately is in the hospital after a heart attack and could use all the help he could get. If you would like to donate to Brian and his family to help out with medical bills, please do so at the link HERE. We as a community need to band together to help out one of our own! Anything helps!
]]>We were stoked to sponsor and attend the 2023 Old Naples Skim Jam hosted by Old Naples Surf Shop. It was great to have this event back on the schedule after it was cancelled last year from Hurricane Ian. There was an amazing turnout for a local event as there were 60 competitors that traveled from all around Florida to compete in the event. It was not your average Gulf Coast skim contest as Mother Nature actually delivered fun waves for the day which allowed for the competitors to showcase their skills!
ZAP Team Podiums
Minis: 1st - Gio Tomasi
Boys: 2nd - Trent Moranda
Mens: 1st - Graham Shelton
Pro: 2nd - Yahir Valencia, 3rd - Dylan Duncan
Congratulations to all the riders that placed in the event! Thank you to Old Naples Surf Shop for hosting the fun event and donating all the proceeds to the event to the Audubon Western Everglades. Make sure to follow Old Naples Surf Shop on Instagram HERE!
]]>
DATES: Session 1: June 18-20, Session: 2 June 25-27, Session 3: July 9-11, Session 4: July 16-18, Session 5: 23-25, Session 6: August 6-8 (Zap Pro/Am Training)
Instructors: Sydney Pizza, Eoin Lally, Luca Famularo, Sammy DiEmidio, Cooper Forcucci, Rylea Sinex, Nick Petito, Sam McCoy, Lucas McCoy, Alex Yokley, and Jason Wilson
Location: St. Louis Street - Dewey Beach, DE
]]>Skim USA is also taking donations for this contest that will be used to fund the contest fees and Skim USA dues for local Mexican riders that are looking to compete. To donate, follow the link HERE!
Location: San Patricio, Jal., 48980 Mexico
]]>
ZAP: Yo buddy, congrats on a great season and your win at Oktoberfest! How do you feel about the victory?
Yahir: It was a season with a lot of learning and hard work to achieve the goals. I feel great and very happy to take the victory and to share unforgettable moments with all the people who supported me.
ZAP: How do you prepare for big competitions?
Yahir: Training and practice every day. I’m usually riding with Gerardo and he always pushes me to ride my best.
ZAP: What were the conditions like at Balboa Pier?
Yahir: One of the best and most incredible conditions in the entire season, for sure. One of the few places that reminds me of home!
ZAP: Who’s your biggest competition?
Yahir: I am my own biggest competition but besides me, the competitor who pushes me to my maximum level is Lukas Fink.
ZAP: Do you enjoy traveling and competing?
Yahir: It's a great dream to be able to travel and compete against the best in the world in skimboarding. I love to travel and compete, it’s incredible.
ZAP: What was it like having your family at Oktoberfest?
Yahir: Having my family at Oktoberfest was an incredible experience! Both Gerardo and I were so happy that they could be there.
ZAP: When are you going home to Mexico?
Yahir: Very soon! November 10th.
ZAP: Do you have a girlfriend?
Yahir: Nope, not at the moment. I’m still single!
ZAP: How will you prepare for the 2024 season?
Yahir: Intense hard work, more practice, and more knowledge about the competition rules.
ZAP: Anything more you would like to say?
Yahir: I always try to set a good example for the children. I like that this sport continues to grow, but more as a united community where we can all have fun and enjoy ourselves with all the friends we make around this sport and the world. Follow your dreams and never give up...
Contest Results:
Melaque Magia: 3rd Place
Jackalope Fest: 1st Place
Santa Cruz Skim Bash: 2nd Place
OBX Skim Jam: 1st Place
Zap World Championship: 8th Place
The VIC: 3rd Place
Oktoberfest: 1st Place
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When you think of Japan, the skim scene probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But with over 18,000 miles of shoreline throughout the country, there is plenty of opportunity for skimboarding all over Japan. World champion and team rider Casey Kiernan-McCullough recently took a trip where she got to meet some of the local skim community, coach, and even compete. Read below for the full recap of Casey’s trip!
Overall, Japan was probably one of the most incredible and wholesome experiences for a trip to a foreign country. Going there, I knew my husband Chris and I would have to bring along a lot of patience as there is a huge language barrier, transportation could be difficult, and really, just not knowing what to expect while over there. There was nothing that would make me not want to go back, but almost everything does make me want to go back one day.
The part of my trip that had the most meaning to me and felt like the best part was the time that we spent with the skimboarding community. From the day we got in town, a couple of skimboarders picked us up from the airport to take us where we needed to go to spend the night and then the next day, once we got to the skimboarding town, more skimboarders picked us up to take us to the beach. After a fun welcome skim session, they introduced us to conveyor belt sushi, Japanese shopping, and took us to a great dinner. It’s so fun meeting new people, but when you meet new people with a big heart and fun attitude, it’s truly heartwarming. The skim event was on that Saturday which Kaori organized. There I got to spend one on one time instructing skimboarders and teaching them what they wanted to learn to progress to the next level. After that we did a just-for-fun skim jam, and that was so interesting because the way that they organized it was so different from what we do in America and it was so light-hearted and fun without all the competitive pressure. Everyone was simply there to have a good time and support each other so I definitely learned some great life lessons from that. That evening, we all went to an amazing dinner, of which they graciously treated us to, and introduced us to many new foods. Chris and I were honored when they presented us with gifts, and a ceremony to honor our marriage. Everyone was so thoughtful, so caring, and full of such good energy that it made us feel truly welcomed into their culture.
On the next part of the trip, we traveled a bit more to the Mount Fuji area for adventure around one of the lakes by bicycle. There we explored the foods and had fun sightseeing as well as wakesurfing. It was awesome to unexpectedly find a wakesurf company out there to get some time behind the boat with a great view of Mount Fuji. The water wasn’t too cold and the weather was perfect.
That sums up most of our trip to Japan! If you have the chance, definitely go!CHECK OUT CASEY'S PRO MODEL FUSE HERE!
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