The History of Skimboards

Skimboards were first created around 1920 in California when Laguna Beach lifeguards George Griffeth and his friend Jimmy build rounded disks made from two planks of redwood connected by three strips of oak screwed together and used them to slide across the water. These early skimboards were roughly 5 ft. long without any curve and were towed behind a boat, similar to a wakeboard. In the early 1960s, a new design emerged that looked a bit like a smaller, wider version of a surfboard. Laguna Beach locals created oval-shaped skimboards that allowed them to carve off the waves that broke right on shore more effectively. At the time, the sport was called skidboarding, but in 1976, Tex Haines and  Peter Prietto changed the name to skimboard when they started their company, Victoria Skimboards. As the activity became more popular, two versions arose: wave skimboarding and flatland skimboarding. Originally viewed as an alternative activity for days when waves were too flat to surf, in under three decades, skimboarding became a bona fide sport that was popular in many different parts of America as well as in Canada and Europe. In 1980, four years after the first annual World Skimboard Championships were held, Victoria Skimboards introduced the first foam core skimboards covered in fiberglass and resin. For the first time, skimboards were being sold alongside surfboards in high-end surf shops. After a skimboard was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in September 1987, the sport fell out of favor for a few years, but soon made a comeback. Many of today’s skimboards are technologically advanced and combine elements from aerospace engineering with artisanal craftsmanship. Most skimboards today are manufactured by three main companies: Victoria Skimboards, Exile Skimboards, and Zap Skimboards.