Pools open up wave riding to a variety of craft, including skimboards…

Skimboarding in wave pools ljooks damn fun. But there’s something horrible about skimboarding. In our collective digital conscious we only see epic fail clips where the board sticks and the rider faceplants into a variety of sand: soft, wet, packed like clay – it doesn’t matter. Skimboarding to non-skimboarders equals pain and public humiliation.

But, with the current algae bloom of waves on offer from upcoming pools (and the elimination of sand) skimboarding doesn’t seem so, uh, dangerous to the non-user.

Two of the world’s best lid skidders are Austin Keen and Blair Conklin. They are prime examples of what is possible skimboarding in a wave pool. They’ve taken a sport favored by clumsy vacationers and made it really cool.

Skimboarding is pretty accessible too. The sport that started in the 1920s in Southern California on free, salvaged plywood and today has expanded across the globe. Entry price points for equipment is easlily half that of surf gear.

As playgrounds collide, there’s bound to be a hybrid sport of skimming wave pools. We edited two magnificent rides that prove nothing is skimpossible. (sorry, couldn’t resist.) For Austin’s full edit check here.