Adrien Raza is an expert skimboarder and four-time European Champion in the sport. Skimboarding is just like skateboarding. Only individuals glide over water as an alternative of land. Adrien says the tips in skimboarding additionally resemble these of skateboarding.
The skimboard is a skinny wood board that kind of seems to be like a miniature surfboard. As the identify suggests, it skims evenly over the floor of the water as the athlete performs tips.
Adrien says this about the sport:
“It was pretty much love at first sight, so as soon as I stepped on that skimboard for the first time, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to keep practicing this, I wanted to get good at it, and I did.”
Adrien first found the sport by way of his cousin one summer season throughout his youth. Adrien was closely concerned in soccer at his college and spent many hours coaching. However, as soon as his cousin let him check out his skimboard, he quickly discovered a brand new obsession. Adrien felt skimboarding was extra liberating than soccer, so he realized every little thing he might about the sport.
How Adrien Started Skimboarding
He spent hours watching YouTube movies of individuals skimboarding, making an attempt to be taught the fundamentals. Once he’d practiced sufficient, he joined a skimboard group to select up new tips. The relaxation is historical past.
“So, the first time I stepped on a skimboard, I was maybe 12 or 13 years old, and I’m 25 now. So I’ve been doing this for most of my life,” Adrien says. “I think the freedom aspect of skimboarding is the most satisfying for me, and I’m not talking about the deep sense of freedom. It’s more, a skimboard is not very restrictive.”
Adrien skimboards just about wherever, from metropolis streets to yard swimming pools to lovely seashores. He enjoys utilizing his creativity in the sport and all the time retains a watch out for brand spanking new locations to apply.
Adrien takes the world skimboarding scene by storm.
In an interview with Red Bull, Adrien says there are three several types of skimboarding: flatland, wave, and concrete. Flatland skimboarding takes place in shallow water, corresponding to on flat seashores and in rivers. Wave skimboarding, as the identify suggests, resembles browsing because it entails waves. Adrien lives in the Netherlands, so he doesn’t get to apply this manner fairly often. His foremost focus is on city skimboarding since he’s often in huge cities.
He stumbled upon city skimboarding by accident, really. During a go to to Taiwan, he didn’t have a automobile to get to the seaside, so he improvised. He explored the metropolis, in search of rails and ramps to carry out tips. There’s no scarcity of locations to apply in the bustling facilities of Taiwan, as he rapidly came upon. While he does a lot of the similar tips, Adrien enjoys scoping out new locations, because it seems like he’s rediscovering the sport every time.
Since the age of 16, Adrien has competed in small competitions in the Netherlands. He began getting the consideration of individuals round the world. Eventually, He landed a sponsorship in the U.S. Adrien went there for a much bigger competitors and went on European excursions every summer season. Now, he’s a four-time European champion in skimboarding, one thing he’s very pleased with.
He even bought requested to carry out tips at a neighborhood skatepark in the Netherlands! You in all probability wouldn’t consider skimboarding at a spot like that, however in Adrien’s thoughts, there aren’t any limits. Of course, he’d by no means tried it earlier than and didn’t know if it will work. He didn’t wish to destroy the skatepark with the board, so he determined to do just a few apply runs first.
Initially, it appeared tough to skimboard at the location, however Adrien improvised and got here up with just a few concepts. Everything turned out nicely, in accordance with his Instagram put up. Here’s what he needed to say about the expertise:
“Huge shoutouts to @waalhalla for intentionally flooding their park. Absolute legends! We managed to clear out the flood and are already plotting for an improved way of doing it! Full video dropping soon!”
If a spot has water, it seems to be like Adrien’s recreation for skimboarding it.
The fascinating historical past of skimboarding
Where did the thought of skimming the floor of the water on a wood board come from, anyway? According to Surfer Today, it originated in Laguna Beach, California, round 1920. Lifeguards wished to surf the shore breaks, however the water was too shallow for his or her surfboards.
So, they ended up constructing a small, spherical board utilizing two planks of redwood and three strips of oak. The board was held along with machine screws and sq. nuts and was about 5 ft lengthy. Fast ahead just a few a long time and the design morphed right into a a lot smaller, wider formed board. This allowed for browsing waves and catching shore breaks extra simply.
Now, folks worldwide have gotten into the sport, working towards in rivers, lakes, ponds, and large cities. As Adrien defined, the sport has made it into the huge leagues as nicely. In 1976, the first annual World Skimboard Championships have been held at Aliso Beach, California. From that second ahead, it grew to become a revered sport in the water sports activities group.
“Many of you have probably never heard of skimboarding, and that is really what I’m trying to push. I’m trying to bring awareness to skimboarding; I want more people to try it out and more people to feel that feeling I described before,” Adrien says.
Final ideas on the man who continues to make historical past with skimboarding
Skimboarding is very similar to browsing. Only it doesn’t require any explicit wave or wind circumstances. You can do that sport wherever so long as you might have shallow water and a board. That’s what Adrien loves about the sport – it’s versatile, versatile, and the alternatives are limitless. Ultimately, the feeling he will get whereas skimboarding retains him inquisitive about the sport.
What began as a pastime led to a full-blown career, and he’s even gained a number of main competitions in Europe. Adrien’s solely 26, so he’s bought a few years forward to interrupt world information in skimboarding. Who is aware of the place he’ll find yourself subsequent, however we’re excited to maintain following his journey.
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