I recently started riding a Skimboard while kiting and really love it. I love the fast and loose feel of a flat board with no fins and am amazed how well this relatively small board performs and goes upwind and it's a ton of fun riding small waves, working on tacks and transitions, and even doing some strapless jumps into the wind. I really got inspired after watching Dave Scott ride, simply amazing how smooth and skilled he is and can really appreciate it after seeing how difficult it is just to stay on a skimboard.
My question is how does he carve so hard and especially toeside? I feel like I have to edge very lightly toeside otherwise my board just slips out from under me and I fall. Part of the problem is I'm just riding a homemade plywood skimboard 48" x 21" but I do have a custom Slotstik 330 on the way but probably won't get it for another week or so. Is this a function of how sharp the rails are, the rocker in the board, or just rider skill?? I'd like to be able to slash waves really hard and throw huge fans of water. Also, what is the best front foot placement, keep it in the middle all the time, or move it from edge to edge to weight the rail? I live in the midwest so I normally ride lakes but we do get some 3 to 4 foot rollers that are super fun to surf on a skimboard.
Maybe it's just the board I'm using, very excited to get the new Slotsitk. Does board width make a huge difference? Any advice on the mechanics of carving and board characteristics would be greatly appreciated.
https://vimeo.com/33463633