OBX Skim Jam
Started the month in the Outer Banks for the OBX Skim Jam. I skimmed well and scored high in round 2 but got put in a stacked heat and ended up 13th for the contest. The field out there is no joke and the beach breaks different than anything we have in Southwest Florida so there's always an adjustment. No complaints on how I rode. Next stop is Dewey Beach for the World Championship of Skimboarding the second weekend of August.
📷 @Devindmedia
X Fest with Zeke Williams
From OBX I went straight to X Fest for the X Games skimboarding activation. Zeke Williams and I ran the booth for 3 days. We were there for 5 total and the X Games crew treated us like royalty the whole time. We stayed at the same hotel as a lot of the X Games and Olympic athletes and ended up becoming friends with a bunch of them, which was a cool thing to have happen.
Zeke and I have been best friends for years. We've been competing against each other pretty much the whole time we've both been riding and now we're both pro. Getting to do something like this together where we're just out there passing the sport on to the next generation was a good feeling. Nothing beats seeing kids and adults get stoked on skimboarding for the first time. That's what it's all about.
Fort Lauderdale Fashion Week
Walked another runway at Fort Lauderdale Fashion Week in my ETskims pro model shorts for Dubs Swim. Think along the lines of Chubbies, shorts you can actually wear anywhere. The collab has been going well and I'm proud of how they came out. You can find them at dubsswim.com.
📷 @visualsbymalone
That Dolphin Jump
We got a great dolphin shot this month. Full launch, completely out of the water. The dolphins have been running with the boat all summer and this one just went for it at the right moment. Lemon Bay has been going off.
Bioluminescence
July has been one of the better months for bioluminescence out here that I can remember. If you haven't seen it, the water glows neon blue at night every time something moves through it. A fish, a paddle, the wake off the back of the boat. It looks fake but it's completely real. It comes from tiny organisms in the water that light up when they're disturbed. Lemon Bay gets it because the water is warm, calm and sits just right. If you've ever wanted to see it, summer nights are the time.
New Yacht Charter: 35' Regal Sport Coupe
We added a 35-foot Regal Sport Coupe to the roster. Up to 6 people, same as the wakesurf boat, but this is a different kind of trip. Think of it like a normal boat cruise but first class. Snacks and drinks are included and if you're 21 or older, alcohol is included too. It's the most relaxed way to be out on the water with us.
Reservations for the yacht charter are by phone only. Call or text at 941-883-1360 and we'll sort it out from there.
Brandon Wave Pool at Hero's Paradise
Got out to Hero's Paradise in Brandon to try the wave pool. Worth going at least once. The wave is consistent so you can work on turns in a way that's hard to do anywhere else. You know exactly when it's coming and can set up the same way every time, which makes it a solid place to drill that.
The big adjustment is your weight. If you put any weight on your front foot you're going straight into the bottom. Everything goes on the back foot, full stop. Once that clicks it starts feeling more normal but it takes a few runs to get there.
Throwing airs is tough. The wave doesn't have the pop for it and there's not a lot of room on the landing side. I wouldn't go there expecting to work on that.
One thing worth knowing: full-size fins are allowed but if you're going to throw big tricks, the fins will dig into the pool floor and you can snap them or blow out your fin boxes. Go smaller if you're planning to go for it. If you're just there to work on turns and get comfortable on a wave you'll have a good time.
If you want to get out on Lemon Bay this summer, you know where to find us.
See you out there. — Captain ET, Saraboca Wave Co.