6 Best Skimboarding Competitions in the World

What Are the Best Skimboarding Competitions in The World?

In this guide to the biggest and best skimboarding competitions around the world, you will find out exactly where and when these epic events take place. If you are thinking about attending or entering a skimboard competition and aren’t sure where to start then you should keep reading to the end.

All of these skimboarding competitions have amazing atmospheres and often feature music, giveaways, food, and stalls that make them well worth attending. It is a chance to meet your heroes and some of the sports modern pioneers including most of the current skimboarding world champions. The people you meet and the experience itself are enough to wish for the summer to hurry up.

Skimboarding events are happening all around the world and are only growing in popularity partly due to the rise of urban skimboarding and flatland skimboarding. All of the events below are held at beaches however in the coming years I think we can expect some more things to happen away from the beach to feature jumps and rails as permanent fixtures. We may even see the world’s first skimboard park.

6 Best Skimboarding Competitions

Skim USA Tour
Zap Pro-Am World Championships of Skimboarding
Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am (Fl Pro/Am)
The VIC Skimboarding World Championship
Exile Oktoberfest
European Skimboard Cup

Skim USA Tour

LOCATION: Multiple Locations
DATES: Multiple Dates

The Skim USA Tour includes several events across America including the Skim Jam held in North Carolina at Jennette’s Pier, Outer Banks. The tour has been running for over 30 years and is a non-profit youth-focused organization, promoting the sport of skimboarding.

The organization aims to provide a way for youngsters to get involved in skimboarding and develop their skills. However, it is not limited to kids.

The competition field is divided by age group and runs heats which last 8 minutes, and have 4 people per heat. The age classifications range from 8 & under, to professional level, “senior grandmasters” (40-49), and “legends” (50+).

They promote a “chilled” vibe in their contests and judging by their age range classification it can be for fun and serious competitors alike.

America has two central bodies for skimboarding. Skim USA Tour (SUT) & the United Skim Tour (UST). Initially, the UST was directed at professionals and the SUT was directed at kids & amateurs. However, nowadays they both have professional and many amateur divisions, so it is hard to tell the organizations apart.

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Zap Pro-Am World Championships of Skimboarding

LOCATION: Dewey Beach, Delaware, USA
LAST EVENT: 13 – 15 August 2021
NEXT EVENT: 12 – 14 August 2022

The Zap Pro-Am World Championships of Skimboarding is held at Dewey Beach in Delaware USA. This event is put on by Skim USA and thus has the same age categories as previously mentioned.

The event is over 3 days and held at Dewey Beach, a beach popular for its angled waves giving a longer ride with big opportunities for tricks.

All competitors get lunch and a T-shirt. The amateur divisions give medals and prizes to the top 4 competitors.

They promote an international vibe and have DJs and bands, as well as food and stalls.

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Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am (Fl Pro/Am)

LOCATION: Vilano Beach, Florida
LAST EVENT: 20 – 22 August 2021
NEXT EVENT: 19 – 21 August 2022

The Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am (Fl Pro/Am) is held in Florida at Vilano Beach around mid to late August time each year. It is the 3rd longest-running pro/am skimboard tournament in the world.

This event is the only skimboarding contest in the world that allows amateurs two chances to advance before being eliminated. Competitors come from all over the USA to attend, and sometimes the world too.

Founder of Run Drop Skim (RDS) Steve Pullara, started this contest in 1990 as a means of giving something to give back to the skimboarding sport. He promotes the contest as not only competitive but also bringing the community together and creating memories.

The contest has similar age group divisions as the other contests as well as professional level divisions too.

In 2021 the pro women’s event was won by Sophia Nguyen and the men’s by Chester Burnett.

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The VIC Skimboarding World Championship

LOCATION: Laguna Beach, California & Dewey Beach, Delaware
LAST EVENT: 28 – 29 August 2021
NEXT EVENTS: 4 – 5 June 2022 & 27 – 28 August 2022

The VIC Skimboarding World Championship has two events each year known as the VIC East and the VIC West because one happens at Laguna Beach, California, and the other at Dewey Beach, Delaware.

The Laguna Beach contest is said to be the longest-running skimboard championship in the world. Started by Victoria Skimboards themselves, hence the name VIC. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious skimboarding contest.

It is a mix of amateur and pro heats with the same age divisions as the previously mentioned competitions. Previous world champions such as Blair Conklin & Amber Torrealba, as well as viral sensation Austin Keen, regularly compete here.

The grand prize for the pros here is the title of Skimboarding World Champion.

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Exile Oktoberfest

LOCATION: Newport Beach, California
LAST EVENT: 25 – 26 September 2021
NEXT EVENTS: Unknown

The Exile Oktoberfest is held in California at Newport Beach. Just like the real Oktoberfest… it’s held in September! At the time of writing, this contest has been running for 16 years and is a publically open pro-am contest.

Anyone can enter this contest. Amateurs under 8 years old up until pro level. This contest is on the United Skim Tour (UST) so this contest gains UST ranking points. It is common to see the top pros we know from our articles at this contest.

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European Skimboard Cup

LOCATION: Portugal, France, UK, Spain, Poland, Germany & others.
LAST EVENT: Unknown
NEXT EVENTS: Unknown

You may be surprised to know that the world does exist outside the USA. Europe has its own league of skimboarding. Although the European Cup seems to concentrate more on flatland skimboarding.

Created in 2009, the European Cup is held across many countries. The list of which evolves over time, and I think we will see it grow. Particularly due to the rise in popularity of flatland skimboarding.

Adrien Raza continues to dominate this cup and also promotes the growth of European skimboarding.