Skimboard Camps are very popular in the Delaware Beaches. Some of the professional riders and a few surf shops run skim camps regularly through out the summer, teaching themselves and hiring up coming pros as the counselors. I stopped by Dewey Beach Surf and Sport to get an inside scoop of who they are.
How long have you guys been skimboaridng?
Dan McDonald- I've been aggressively skimboarding for seven years of my life.
Skylar Wilson- Aggressively 3 years
Dan O'Connor- 6 or 7 years
What are your goals with skimboaridng?
Dan McDonald- Fun first, and if anybody wants to pay me, I'm excited but for now just fun and travel.
Skylar- Its my favorite thing to do, I would like to take it to the next level, I think anybody would.
Dan O'Connor-- People say X-Games, I don't see how, no way, not yet, needs more years, see what happens.
Skylar, is it harder to get involved in skimming if you are a girl, are the guys accepting?
Yeah the guys are accepting, Dan McDonald has taught me most of what I know, he has definitely helped me out, now my friend and I run a weekly free clinic only for girls. We are trying to progress woman skimboarding, we do them at Doughville beach, on the way to Gordons Pond.
When do you guys do the skim caps camps for DBSS (Dewey Beach Surf and Sport?
Blair- We are running them for 5 weeks this years, we have done 8 weeks before, we have done half camps, day camps we have done them all, for the most part it's Mon-Thursday, 9-3pm and on Friday 9-12pm, the kids get fed everyday,they get structure everyday,a lot of skim time, and play/social time. A lot of good stuff goes on.
Would you say the skim camp counselors could be the next pro skimmers? Blair- Oh yeah, no doubt about it, I believe, they put the time and effort so they can be the best at anything. We got some great counselors and all of them at one point in time will see the professional level if that's what they chose to do.
Is it hard to teach kids?
Dan McDonald- I think so, its challenging, older ones are willing to listen to what you have to say, but they are quick to want to have fun, nobody just wants to sit there on the beach, even if we are just talking it is not unacceptable to take off for a wave, you can't get mad at them, you just move on. And it is the same with the little kids except that they are moving 100 miles a minute.
So it is a big responsibility to be in charge of them and have to teach them ?
Dan McD- Yeah, takes patience to single out what you need to tell a kid, watch him go, wait for eye contact, then tell them.
Dan O'Connor- it's almost so natural to us that we have to sometimes take steps back and think of what we are doing.
Skylar- and dissect what you have to do.
Favorite Skimmers?
Dan McD: Sickest skimmer in the world, is Just Martel, he skims phenomenally regular and switch, and Brad Domke
Skyler: Grady Archbold, all time favorite and Brad Domke is close second
Dan O'Conner: Bill Bryan is the guy that came out to camp last year he is a really nice guy,switch and technical wise he is really up there.
Dan McDonald: I love Bill Bryan-
Dan O'Connor: Brandon Roth has some of the tech-est Flow
What is some of the advice you would give new comers and the girls interested?
Skyler- woman get discouraged very easily, and you have to just push them, no one is good when they start, I know, non of us were. I would tell a beginner that they will get there, it just takes time. We had to put our time in to get where we are.
Dan O'Connor- Its amazing how after one week some of these kids just kill it by the end of the camp, one week after I started skimming, I was as bad as these kids after an hour, it's crazy how progressive it is in the camps.
it is better to have a teacher than try to learn by yourself?
yes!! definitely!!
Your best tricks ?
Dan McD: Riding the waves, is my favorite but competitions have forced us to be more technical, and I can do some stuff so my best trick is a 540º bigger spin.
Blair: Its funny 'cause, what Dan is getting at,is that at contests guys will try to huck these big things (tricks) and it really is just hucking it....they miss the whole aspect of riding a wave, which is what surfing or skimboarding is all about, they will get a higher score point for doing something like that in the flat water or out the back and not even landing it. There will be a guy that catches a liner down the beach and only gets a score of five but the guy that does a bigger spin out the back will get a 7 or 8, depending on the judge.
Skylar: favorite, front side liner, technical, switch front side big spin.
Dan O'Connor: Riding waves!!! Anybody that knows me, or skims with me, knows front side 360º shuvit.
Blair: no body does fs 360º shuvits, it's against the grain, that's why it's so funky.
Dan O'Connor: select few people can do them, its just one of those things that you try to progress it and see how far it will take you.
Thanks Blair and the counselors at DBSS Skim Camps for the interview. For more info about the skim camps call (302) 227-8288 or stop by the Dewey Beach Surf Shop. Visit Skylar Wilsons Facebook page "Sea Legs Skim Girls" for more info on her free clinics.
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