Since the initial miracle millenniums ago, many have attempted to recreate Jesus’ phenomenon of walking on water, most to no avail, earning the proclaimed Savior “show-off” status – in some circles.
Arguably, however, lifeguards of Laguna Beach, California may just have “pwned” Christ. Their invention of Skimboarding, wildly popular among beach communities throughout the U.S., deserves a proper introduction to Denver, in order that those with WSW (Water Separation Disorder) may take advantage of our available – yes, we have them — shorelines.
The ideal environment for skimboarding consists of three attributes – shallow water, an audience, and a beach. In Denver, the only place you can consistently find all three remains Confluence Park. After picking up a skimboard, wax, coconut water, a friend, and Croakies, head over to 15th and Little Raven and make a splash. On the Platte, the most commonly seen methods of recreation — tubing, paddle boarding, and kayaking — turn a few heads, but, walking over with a skimboard warrants you to stand out like Clay Aiken at a Republican Party fundraiser.
After waxing your board and surveying the landscape, prepare for takeoff. For those not overly familiar with skimboarding, the idea is to sprint, board in hand, then, when you feel comfortable, slide it in front of you and hop on, powering the forward momentum of the board. My first attempt ended in spectacular fashion as I hit a particularly shallow spot, planked through the air, and flopped onto the shore. Give it a few tries and in no time you will be known as the Kelly Slater of skimboarding, grabbing some deserved love from the nearby crowd of onlookers.
A few more practice runs, and I graduated to high stepping onto the board, gliding across the water, and making turns. Interested in feeling the rush? Grab your skimboard, join us at the 303 Pool and Lake Party Series #1 and catch a ride.
Connor Grant is the outdoor columnist at 303 Magazine. He enjoys Mad Men, polarized Ray Bans, big mountain skiing, a good Old Fashioned, anything outside, and reading. When he isn’t rubber necking gear at REI, you can find him frequenting shows at Red Rocks, uncovering new electronic music, or discovering new tapas bars around town. The journey is the destination. Try and keep up by following him on Twitter.