New T-Shirts & Sweatshirts available now!

Victoria is happy to announce that the new t-shirts and sweatshirts have arrived.  With artwork by professional team rider Brandon Rothe they are sure to be a hit.  Check them out below or come by the shop and see for yourself.

 "Splat" design

Color: Black or Gray

  "Splat" design

Color: Gray, Blue, Green

 "Sun" design

Color: Gray, Blue, Green

Bill Bryan video

The new Bill Bryan mini video is here. Part of an ongoing series of rider videos and interviews, Bill Bryan takes to the surf in Mexico. Enjoy the skim!

Brandon Rothe 2011

You all know how good Brandon Rothe is on the water, but did you also know how good he is with pencil and paper?  We are stoked to have Brandon's art on our t-shirts, sweats,  and on boards for 2011.  He was Missing In Action last year during part of the contest season, partly due to injuries, but also because he went to help his sister in Hawaii, who welcomed a new baby .  But he is still here and still ripping and still filling notebooks and napkins with great designs. 

Another Year

Another year has passed for our man in charge of Domestic Sales, Nick Aleandro. Thirty sneaks up on you fast so the crew at Victoria thought a few gifts for the birthday boy would be in order.

Try not to use it all at once Nick and congratulations on the B I G 30!

Holiday Shipping with Vic

Victoria Skimboards uses UPS for all of our domestic shipping needs. If you have any questions about Holiday Shipping please feel free to give us a call and we will walk you through it.

Otherwise, please note the following:
Ground Shipments - must be ready to ship before Friday, December 17, 2010
3-Day Shipments - must be ready before Monday, December 20, 2010
Overnight Shipments - must be ready before Wednesday, December 22, 2010

If you would like to see the literature from UPS themselves, please Click Here

Have a happy holiday season.

Random Analog series addition - Melaque, Mexico

The Victoria Skimboards distributor in Mexico, X3M, put together a video about our team's trip to Melaque Mexico earlier this year.  Here it is for your enjoyment.

You can also go directly to the Victoria Skimboards YouTube website to watch it by clicking on the link below:

Victoria Skimboards YouTube

Victoria Online Store Cyber Monday Sale - November 29, 2010

The Victoria Skimboards Online Store is having its annual CYBER MONDAY sale on November 29, 2010.  Come and get the best deals on skimboards and skimboard accessories from Victoria Skimboards.  Enjoy!

http://victoriaskimboards.com/informative/retail/Cyber_Monday_2010.html

Matthieu Thibaud Interview #2

We dropped the first on you so why not also enjoy the second. Matthieu Thibaud will be presenting his first ever Pro Model in 2011 - WOW!!!!!! Hear what he has to say about music and life in general.

Matthieu Thibaud Interview #1

Get to know professional Vic rider Matthieu Thibaud through a series of candid video interviews.  Here is installment number one.  Enjoy!

Thanks to Skim1

The crew from Skim1 (Victoria distributor in Japan) made a trip to the states last month for some good weather and wave riding.  The weather did not cooperate completely but the waves did.  Thanks to Takatoshi and the crew for dropping by.  Hopefully we will see you soon.

Trigg and Takatoshi in the warehouse

Thurston PTA Sports Swap

Victoria Skimboards donated boards to support the local school system. Check it out tomorrow. Click on the picture to see details on the event.
More info here

Matthieu Thibaud - SHACKED

Yesterday was a fun day at the beach.  Good weather and good waves, what more could you ask for?  As we learn our 7D more and more I am sure the pictures and video will get better but for now, enjoy our first little go around.  Go Muchu!

Miles Grobman skim session in Barcelona, Spain

While Miles was in Spain this last summer he stopped by our friends at Gorgonitas in Barcelona and caught some skim.  Check out the fun footage when you get a chance.  Espana, que bien!

Miles Grobman en 'Gorgoland' 2010 from Shein on Vimeo.

Bill Bryan shaping his 2011 Pro Model

Who says the Pros don't get their hands dirty?  Yesterday we found Bill Bryan back in our shaping room putting some extra love into the shape of his 2011 Pro Model.  Our riders know what they like and we do our best to bring it to you.  Enjoy!

Victoria WCS 2010 & Mostic

Victoria Skimboards was proud to have Mostic Inc. as one of the sponsors of the WCS 2010. This last Sunday (October 17, 2010), Mostic premiered their video of the WCS at the White House in Laguna Beach to packed crowds. Take a look and enjoy!




Going Against The Grain from Representing A Vision on Vimeo.

Wake Skimboarding - bigger than we know

Victoria is well known for its Skimboards and Skimboards have long been associated with the Ocean.  Well, a Skimboard can be used in a variety of places and one of them is behind a boat.  In a recent article by Sawyer Davis, a couple of different styles of Wake Surf or Wake Skim boards are "broken down" for the reader.  Check out the article by clicking the link below.

Breaking Down the Boards

Enjoy!

Bill Bryan - UST Champion 2010

The final stop of the UST was last weekend (October 2nd & 3rd) at Balboa Pier in Newport Beach and with it was to come the crowing of a new UST Champion.  Can you guess who?  Yes, Bill Bryan took home another UST Championship and actually did it before the Oktoberfest even started.

Bill Bryan did what he does best - WIN.  With his contest win in Santa Cruz it locked up the UST title for him (third year in a row) but that did not stop Beaker in his quest to outshine everyone.  Even with the “odd” weekend weather the waves held up and Beaker took first place in this year’s Oktoberfest putting a stamp on the Championship.  Laker three peat, Beaker three peat; what can you say other than that Beaker is quite possibly the best skimboarder that there has been and might ever be?  Congratulations Bill!

Top six results of the Oktoberfest were:

1)      Bill Bryan

2)      Brandon Sears

3)      Sam Stinnett

4)      Teddy Vlasis

5)      Paulo Preitto

6)      Omar Meddeb

Special congratulations to Mr. Teddy Vlasis as he has brought his level of riding up a notch ending the season on a few high placing finishes.  Look for good things from Teddy to come.

For pictures and an additional write up of the event, please check out SkimOnline at either of the links below:

Day One

http://skimonline.com/2010/10/lightning-strikes-at-oktoberfest-day-one/

Day Two

http://skimonline.com/2010/10/bill-bryan-wraps-up-a-dominant-season-winning-oktoberfest/

Victoria Skimboards part of the Red Bull Skim Tour 2010 - Malaysia

Victoria was proud to be a part of the Red Bull Skim Tour 2010, Malaysia's first skimboarding circuit this September 2010.  Jet (the glue behind the tour) worked tirelessly and we want to extend our thanks to him for putting on such a great event.  Jet was able to get the support of the government as the event was organized by Penang Skimboarding Association (PSA)/ Persatuan Skimboarding Pulau Pinang (PSPP).  Collaborating with the Penang State Government and Penang Sports Council will only help build the future of the sport.

There are five legs to the tour which started in Malacca (June), Penang (Sept), Sabah (Oct), Pahang (Nov) and ends in December in Johor (Dec).  It is so exciting to see the sport grow and Victoria is behind it 100%.  Congratulations to all participants in the event and we wish you all the best on the remainder of the tour.  

Below is a write up on the event in the Penang news.  Enjoy!

Another good day

We have had our share of cloudy morning this summer but finally we are getting our reward.  Fun little swell, sheet glass, no on else on the beach, sounds like a perfect time to go to work.  Fortunately for us skimming is work and we headed to Thalia for some fun.



Trigg cracking one open.























Muchu ducking in.




















Kyle back from his surf trip.



Muchu on the Woody.

You can still get covered up on Wood boards.

And you can still air drop on wood boards.



Muchu showing proper wave positioning.



Muchu backside swirl.

Blog 9-22-10 Beaker takes Santa Cruz!

Bill Bryan is our Kelly Slater.  And Kelly is currently being called the best athlete on the planet.  Go Bill!    Major congrats to Bill “The Beaker” Bryan, he has unbelievable stamina, wave knowledge, and competition savvy.  We have had a long and productive relationship with Mr. Bryan and we wish him many years of success in the future.  

And, another team Vic rider, Teddy Vlasis, pulled into second place in the pros. That is a huge move up in the standings for Teddy.  He has been steadily improving this last couple of years and that bodes well for his future. It does take time for talent to be recognized.  Competition is becoming significantly more gnarly.  It takes so much more than just wave riding skill,  it takes a lot of intelligence, and heart,  and coolness under fire.

It begs the question, why would you ride anything else? 

Santa Cruz Skimbash 2010

The weekend of September 18th - 19th brought waves to the southland and to Santa Cruz.  It was a good thing as the Santa Cruz Skimbash was held at 26th Street in Santa Cruz on those days and the waves "were a pumping."

After a grueling weekend of riding from all parties, the final results from the professionals were:

1) Bill Bryan
2) Teddy Vlasis
3) Tim Fulton
4) Sammy Stinnett
5) Jaime Lovett
6) Jake Stinnett

Congratulations to Vic team riders for a successful event on the Professional and Amateur side.

Bill Bryan doing what he does best - win!

Teddy Vlasis driving down the line.

Trevor Stanaland floating for the homies.

Derek Marolf relaxing and taking in the sights.

Patent Koty spray!

Spotlight on Antonio Martin

Spotlight on Antonio Martin on the right.   He does all the jobs,  and manages all the guys doing all the jobs.  He can run a computer cutting machine,  and shape,  vacuum bag,  glass Woody’s, mix any kind of resins,  run a press, and lay a new patio for you or build a wall.  And you can add to that another 99 specialty jobs he as mastered.  He is the manager for our plant in San Clemente and without him we would all be working elsewhere.   He has given one digit of his left index finger,  for the company,  because of a nasty skill saw accident.  Not to mention the ulcers he has suffered from being the center of employee disputes over the years.  “Hard working” barely describes this guy.  He will bear hug a drum of resin at 500 lbs and move it around the floor like a dancer.   He is constantly guilty of trying to too much at once,  leading by example,  constantly showing the others how to get it done by not wasting any time.  Longevity is one key to Victoria Skimboards’ success and our relationship with Antonio is one of the many benefits that our customers probably don’t appreciate.  Your valuable dollars are not wasted on a Vic skimboard when you have someone like Antonio working for you.  Thank you Antonio, from all of us.  

Tex 

Spotlight on Rodolfo Lagunas.   This is the man. These are the hands. 

Rodolfo is our chief glasser at Victoria and has been so for 14 years straight.   He can feel the resin content of a board in his hands and pull exactly the right amount out to make the strongest possible board, with the minimum amount of resin.  The perfect blend of strength and weight.   This is the artists touch, literally.  If this was Japan,  he would be a national treasure,  sponsored and supported by the nation,  and highly valued by his customers.  He is one big reason Victoria has maintained it’s reputation as the maker of the best boards on the planet.  Like the finest of culinary chefs,  he can handle multiple different resin systems,  a dozen different pigment effects,  and balance these against 20 degree fluxuations in temperature that can drastically effect the curing rates.  We here at Victoria salute you Rodolfo.  Thank you so much for all the pleasure you have brought all our customers all these long years. Tex and the Vic Crew

Happy days in Laguna Beach

Vic employees Justin and Kyle take a moment off to eat and relax after a busy week of Shipping.  I hope you enjoyed that company sponsored meal gentlemen, now get back to work!

Rippers starting early

Check out this little rocker in his Victoria t-shirt blasting the drums.  It is so good to see this type of enjoyment at an early age.  Go on little man!

Skim Your Library?

Vic team rider Scooter Hayes loves to have fun and apparently so does his local library. The New Hanover County Public Library served as the grounds for Scooter and his friend Tyler Simmons to "skim" the literature, videos, and information in search of what they desired most - knowledge and fun. Check out the video by clicking here.

Show me the money.

8-18-10

Today I attended a Surf Industry Manufacturers Association  symposium on the subject of managing team riders.  Apparently the world of surf team management is changing very rapidly due to the explosive growth of sports agents who represent athletes in negotiations with their sponsors.  Contracts, clauses, questionable products like alcohol and tobacco, personal behavior restrictions, age minimums for contacted riders,  endemic (surf industry)vs. non endemic sponsors  (like Redbull and Target) and are they good for the industry were just a few of the many subjects tackled this morning.  

Bottom lines:  A sports agent will help you. (See Jerry Mcquire movie again)  Money isn’t everything, some sponsors like alcohol and tobacco companies, will not be good for your future.  Energy drink sponsors are questionable.  Sponsored riders should really like their sponsors products or it won’t work out over time.  You should like and pre-approve of their advertisements that feature you. In the case of Bob Bernquist, getting on the cover of High Times was not good for his contract with Verizon.  

In short, we have a long, long way to go.  Even the industry of surfing is still way, way behind the likes of motocross,  or skateboarding, or snowboarding.  Again, money isn’t everything, but is certainly is driving a lot of the decisions in sports these days.  

20 billion dollar companies are now competing with the 20 million dollar core surf industry companies.    It’s a whole new world. 

Tex 

Victoria Skimboards WCS 2011

The dates for the Victoria Skimboards World Championship of Skimboarding 2011 have been set.  Mark your calendar, get your flight, and practice as next year will be here before you know it.

Victoria Skimboards WCS 2011
July 16 - 17, 2011

We will see you there!

Who in the world?

Any idea who this strapping young lad is?

Be prepared, always carry a sand wedge.

Today’s lesson is all about club selection.  First question is where are you going to play?   Makenna Beach, Maui, Hawaii, or Aliso Beach with a trough and small waves, or maybe you are hitting the pier at Virginia Beach and the waves are just big enough to carry you?

Different places require different boards,  or if you play golf, different clubs.   

Case #1  Makena, Maui is characterized by a 24” tall, vertical wall, as the wave always hits a trough and creates a horrendous transition from sand to water.  Adaptive evolution is at work here,  the locally made Maui Skimmers are perfect for this wave.  They have huge rocker and pointy noses for minimal drag going over the big curb at Big Beach. 

Case #2  You are engaged in mortal combat at Aliso,  money is at stake, the waves are small, the transitions are brutally short and you are prepared because you brought your sand wedge.  What you have is an Ivan Ashauer special,  something two sizes smaller than you normally ride. The judges will love you, albeit with some understanding of your wisdom,  as you rip, tear and lacerate the little buggers with total abandon.   Good club choice,  perfect distance, your caddy reminds you, as you mount the victory stand.  

Case #3  The Virginia Beach Pier is your venue today,  great running skills are a must,  deep water takeoffs required, super smooth transitions onto the board,  and off the wave are critical.  Here’s where you pull out the Big Bertha, Bubble Burner, Al Haig Warhead for some serious plane time.  Extra low loft, that means rocker, is a must for distance driving,  along with having an oversized board.  This would also apply to an older skimmer going at it anywhere, or a session at 10th St. with it’s dicey sidewash that is barely big enough to support Rob Machado, let alone a 200 lb. wannabe wedge rider.  Wider tails are great for this, whatever shape you choose.

Moral of the story: Fit your stick to the situation.  If you can afford more than one club,  back up your game with a small wave basher,  or a distance driving big board.  Pro rider tip: Ride your big board as practice for a contest,  then switch to the regular size board for your heat.  You will turn effortlessly.  Learned that from Kai Bond, former pro longboarder.    Tex

Don't cheat, move your feet.

Tex at the plane research facilities, 1964.

"Weather" tis "write" to ride big and flat or small and chippy, that is the question.  If you are from around here, the weather has been terrible for quite a spell.  It’s easy to say how great a board turns with tail rocker.  But does this board plane far,  AND turn.   For those of us that only ride one board,  the answer is going to be a happy medium.  My medium said I was going to be happy,  and I am.  A board that has tail rocker,  is going to be easier to turn.  The price is a noticeable loss in speed.  Sure you can turn the board sideways to make up for the tail rocker,  but a lot of your riding is with the nose forward, not sideways.   My theory is to maximize the potential of the board by making the tail flat,  and training the rider to move his foot further back to control the board in turns.  Likewise, a small board turns on a dime,  but it won't carry you far.  The bigger a board you can handle, the more waves you are going to get.  To cheat is to retreat.  Back in the day when we were  intensely focused on rocker,  a board with as little as 1/16th inch tail rocker felt like it was pulling a trailer compared to a completely flat tail.  Your boards rocker should be committed to a written record somewhere and you should recheck your rocker twice a year, and record the changes.  Rocker is the key to happiness young grasshopper.  Next we will explore ze connections between golf and skimming.   Stay tuned.  Tex

First foam skimboards shaped here.

8-12-2010  

1981  The little red shed on the left was the Vic shaping room, and push lawn mower storage bay.  This house was Lynn’s and my first house together next door to Victoria’s first official shop at 2535 Laguna Cyn. Road.  It was part of the Timothy Leery property, who was Mr. LSD in the 60's.    A pigsty, drug den, 8’ tall ivy sproutting out of the roof shingles, parrot guano 6” high in the living room front window, syringes here and there, broken glass, shattered toilet, etc.  We persuaded the owner to let us manage three other units and got cheap rent in exchange for our efforts to clean it up.  Learned a ton about property management in the process.  The previous tenant (speed freak) had a run in with me one day at the shop,  which led to a skuffle, and later that day my first date with Lynn.  Bingo!  My adrenalin was gone and I was abnormally relaxed for once, and had a great evening together.  Later he got evicted and we moved in.  Strange how fate works.  

This is our American Gothic photo after the transformation.  Got married while living there.  Good times.

Victoria Skimboards Retail Wall - Acapulco Mexico

Victoria Skimboards is pleased to have taken part in designing the wall for a new shop opened by our Mexican Distributor X3M in Acapulco, Mexico.  This 15' x 10' wall showcases all of the disciplines that Victoria Skimboards covers (Flatland, Ocean, Wake) and pays special homage to some of the local Victoria Skimboards riders (Chopa, Tule, and Tripas).  Of course it would not be complete without the likes of Bill Bryan, Matthieu Thibaud, Morgan Just, and Brandon Rothe.

If you are in Acapulco, drop into the Break Point Skimshop and have a look.  Thanks X3M for doing such a great job!

If you would like to see the wall design in smaller format, Click Here

Morgan Just, Down But Not Out

Team rider Morgan Just enjoys riding the "Bruticus Maximus" at the Wave House in San Diego.  He rides it so much in fact that he gets asked to demos and compete in contests.  A few days ago while practicing some of his freshest new moves (we are not going to spoil their release by mentioning them here) Morgan landed awkwardly on his feet and sprained an ankle.  The injury was thought to be a break but after a visit to the doctor Morgan is in the clear with a really bad sprain.

Everyone at Victoria Skimboards wishes Morgan a quick recovery and we hope to see you in the water soon.

Koty Lopez gets a new banana

Team rider Koty Lopez cruised into the offices today to pick up his new skimboard.  A look of pure joy lit up the room, can you tell?

Off the lip at Aliso.

Photo: Matthieu Thibaud, by Jason Gould

8-10-10   Nice weekend finally!  Anybody notice the zone at Aliso is steadily shrinking?   Now, it extends from the end of the parking lot to the rocks at the South end.   Everybody has probably noticed that the skimmers are chased out of the swimming zone,  a whole lot faster than the reverse situation.   Point being?  Eternal vigilance is the price for preserving our skim areas.  Increasing population growth, meaning more and more bathers will only make the situation worse for the most exposed to lawsuits,  namely the lifeguard service,  the city, or the county,  or whoever holds jurisdiction over the beach.   To get a zone expanded,  in Laguna Beach (not the county beaches) you must petition the Dept. of Recreation for a hearing on the matter.  

Protect your rights.  Let’s start with our own city, and petition for more skim areas,  and more understanding from the guards.

By understanding,  I mean that the City Lifeguards will not allow any,  and I mean any,  judgement calls on the part of the lifeguard at the beach.  In other words,  the beach could be empty of all swimmers,  and the lifeguard could chase you off just because he has been given strict instructions,  on penalty of being fired,  if he allows any violation of the lifeguard blackball rules.   That isn’t right.  

The same year we won approval for a skim zone at Crescent,  they took it away at Victoria Beach.  Forget having your grom skim where you can keep an eye on him unless you go clear down to Two Rocks in the middle of the cove.  These rules run from the time the guard gets to the beach until he leaves.  Never mind the actual number of people in the water.  Too strict enforcement is too much fear and not enough fun.    Let the zones fluxuate in size with the actual crowds.  Or better yet, as Shakespear wrote, ‘First we kill all the lawyers.’  It's a comedy!

Tex

Zero Trash at Vic this Saturday 10 - 12

Zero Trash is a grassroots, Laguna born, group that picks up trash on their adopted streets and beach on the first Saturday of each month.  It is a kick.  By adopting a whole street you get to regularly meet the neighbors on your street, and the beach below it,  that care enough to help keep it clean.  Victoria has adopted Laguna Canyon Road,  cleaning up about a tenth of a mile in either direction.   If you are interested in a little trash picking,  join us at Vic, or any of the other stations in town, or adopt your own street.  zerotrashlaguna.org  is the web site.   We have some trash picker tools to loan out,  and we will supply the bags. We will have a table out front of Vic between  10 am and noon.   It is the best program I have ever run across because it has a regular, repeating date and it encompasses a whole street thereby bringing together like minded neighbors and creating a self sustaining, regular program.
Tex

2 Beef Tacos please.

8-5-10  Regular as can be,  10am rolls around, a klaxon horn blows, and we know Albertos Catering truck is still running.  Hat’s off to the mechanics who keep it going,  we would probably starve,  or at least lose 10 lbs,  if it ever stopped coming.  Here’s a “salud” to Perla the cook and Rubin the driver/boss, they make some very savory tacos, burritos, and plate lunch meals. Thanks for all the grub, over the last 20 years.  The previous driver, Felix is now semi retired due to health reasons,  and we hope he is doing well.  Ola Felix!  

Gotta go, truck just pulled in,

Tex  

My Old Man's a Garbage Man

My Old Man is a Garbage Man.  My dad and his doctor buddy would sing this with mocking enthusiasm,  shamelessly embarassing us kids a bit,  as they went about picking up trash at San Onofre as part of our day at the beach.   Needless to say,  I have also inherited that gene.   I actually like picking up trash,  as long as I have my trusty Can Grabber from  www.pikespeakii.com.   About $20,  it has a metal foot that just doesn't wear out like the suction cup pinchers.   I have finally learned to store the Can Grabber next to the leashes and bags so that when I walk the dogs,  I have a bag or two for trash,  and a couple for the dogs of course,  and the picker makes it so easy to grab the soggy papers and cups that litter my favorite surf lookouts.   Get one,  store it where you will use it,  like in your car,  and you will be amazed at the good karma you feel when you tidy up some small corner of the world.   Actually he was a general surgeon, family doctor not a garbage man,  but somehow it made him feel better about his own carbon footprint.  Works for me, Dad.
Tex

Coffin Bags for $35.00

Get your Victoria Skimboards Coffin Bag while supplies last. With the new price of $35.00 these bags will not last long. Call the Retail Store (949) 494-0059 or go to the Online Store to get yours today.

Also check out the three Coffin Bag advertisements:
Coffin Bag Matthieu
Coffin Bag Street
Coffin Bag Product

Morgan Just Pro Model 2011

Morgan Just dropped by the canyon offices yesterday to talk about his 2011 pro model skimboard and discuss some art options.  Of course we are not going to spoil any of his secrets before they are put into production but trust us, you will like what you see!

Evolution is daily.

8-3-10  Summer has finally arrived here in California.  At last we are getting some clear skies in the mornings.  It has been a particularly hard year for our business beyond whatever trama has come from the economic depression.  The East Coast was snowed in,  literally, for a large part of the early season out there.   The West Coast hasn’t seen a summer with this little real sunshine since Lynn Haines’s recollection of a summer back in her youth that had only two weeks of heat  in the last part of August.  And BP has caused the largest environmental disaster ever for the United States,  and shut down the entire Gulf Coast to tourism.  We are waiting for a plague or the big earthquake here in California as the next hurdle. Yes, I am knocking on wood as I type.   Difficult times calls for lots of change.  An aquaintance once referred to his difficult divorce as too much evolution at once.  “Humans,” he said “can only handle so much evolution at a time.”  Amen brother.  

Tex

Roots, Victoria Cove

Here's a note from an old friend who grew up with us in the sands of Victoria Cove.  Our shack, a shared rental, is at the 2 o'clock position,  dark wood shingles with white trim under the big tree,  half way up the stairs at the N. end of the beach.  The Prietto house is at the bottom of the ramp, next to the lifeguard tower.

Our time there as kids was the mid 60's.   The Victoria Tribe is still going strong,  and V-ball is the glue that holds them together.   Tex

Peter Haines going aaaaahhheeee! circa 1978

Launching.  Why not?  What’s wrong with today’s young skimmer’s?  Don’t they read the ancient texts?  Getting air!  That’s it!  And if you got too high, or the water was too shallow,  or you over-rotated you were toast, taco’d, bent, numb, twisted, torqued, out, crying, slapped silly, stinging back blackouts, yes you were hurt.

So,  why isn’t this typically youthful exhuberance practiced any longer, except by old farts like me, desparate to win a heat?  IT’S STILL FUN,  for crying out loud!  Are today’s youth are too inhibited by what their peers think,  to indulge themselves in one of the truely great feelings in skimming?  Is this possible?  Launching!  Jay Williams could do triples back in my days at Vic.  Dave Crowley took it to insane risk levels in the East Coast Championships, doing triples into a foot of continental shelf.  Conley Ware is my favorite of all time.  A trained (how do you teach psycho big balls?) diver with the Laguna High School swim team,  he could mix up variations of tight tucks and twists into perfect jackknife entries.  On a diving board he carried the team to win meets.  On a skimboard it was just plain awesome.  He could also do handstands on the rail of the Aliso Pier  about 50’ up, and do an invert, double back flip into the ocean, at night!  So,  no big deal,  bring a little wildness back into the sport.

2010 World Wakesurfing Championships

The 2010 World Wakesurfing Championships took place last week/weekend (July 22 - 25, 2010) in Minneapolis, MN.  Victoria Skimboards team rider, Bri Chmel took home top honors in the Women's Skim category and was the overall Women's Champion.

Congratulations Bri on a fantastic performance!

The more things change.

One of our most ancient brochures circa 1979.    Ever try cranking a turn with an 11 lb. board?  It required a full arm plant to bring it around.  That’s me in the top photo,  Peter Prietto,  aka “La Habs”, with the line up at Old Ladies Cove at Vic, and either Dirk Pratley, or Kurt Westgaard in the big spray.  Dirk fled the Orange County development tragedy for the Colorado River river guide life about this time and has never needed to come back.  Kurt is still skimming, last seen at the Vic this year in the Legends/Stiff Old Farts Division.  The prices are amazing.  $5.00 for a deposit,  but only if you were a mail order.  Design!   Tex

Art is fun

Circa:  1990    Dave Leight, Garth Wyckoff, Amber Cottle, and Rick Jurado.   Rick was in yesterday with his son Jake and wife Lisa.  They are opening up their KupKakeKitchen.com next week.  Jake picked up his new board.  Amber was in town recently to  announce for the Innagural Women’ Pro event at the Vic.  She was inspirational to say the least,  and the gals were stoked to be competing for some serious money.  Amber could drive into barrels 20 years ago,  and she is truely the first lady of skimming.   Garth,  still going strong, Wyckoff is still working for COX, doing sports announcing.  His title is the “Voice of Skimboarding” at the Vic each year,  and he is still schralping the faces of waves.  Dave was our resident airbrusher way back then,  and an avid fisherman.  His parents own a rock and crystal shop in town.  Looks like he is creating a custom sign for the contest that year.   Roots!  Vic!  Signing off .....Tex

Pros organize!

Congratulations to  the First Women' Pro event participants at the Vic.  The gals have organized,  acquired an agent, are pursuing TV deals,  and generally going into hyperdrive as far as getting sponsors and raising prize money for future events.   The women inspired the men to do the same,  meeting in the sand for one hour at Aliso, before the Vic weekend,  they blazed thru the process of choosing a name, electing officers, choosing the meeting dates,  discussing membership dues,  defining professional contest behavior,  and generally getting the ball rolling.   (Sponsors are not very interested in supporting contests where the contestants are free to act out in public and potentially create bad publicity for the sponsor.)

Paulo Prietto is president,  Steve Taylor is V.P. and Patrick Mack is the secretary.   In a short time, as other contest organizers come on board,  membership in the pro association will be mandatory for participation in the contests.  Dues will be collected and funneled toward hiring someone to  help the association bring in more revenue.    The door is opening into a whole new era for the sport.  I urge all the pros to join and to volunteer to help out.  Remember the little Red Hen fable.  If you don't help in the gathering, grinding and baking,  you are not entitled to eat the bread.
Tex

Domburg Skimboard Championships - Netherlands

Through our distributor in the Netherlands (Fox Sports), Victoria Skimboards was proud to be part of the Domburg Skimboard Championships this year.

Victory!

For more pictures check out the Facebook link:
Domburg Skimboard Championship Facebook image gallery

The Daily Blog. 1 down 249 to go!

A photo is a time capsule. The first official Victoria shop about 1980, the year we began making our first foam core boards. None are visible in this photo, so it is probably pre 1980. Rent is extremely expensive in Laguna, so the shop is a study in maximizing space. The Tour: (clockwise from 9 pm.) Sliding door to shaping room with brooms etc. Middle slot with brushes on wall is the resin storage bay. Furthest back is sliding door to the office/showroom, a spacious 8' x 9' space. Main room, old Rainmaker skimboard on back wall, glassed while at Lewis and Clark College in Portland Oregon in 1971. Finished boards storage all around wall on hanging racks, ventilation ducting (a huge expense for us), back wall a mysto wood warper, at the time our best invention. Outboard motor hanging from ceiling by ladder for voyages in the Makana, "The Gift", my grandfathers 14' outboard motorboat circa 1950, modified by David Kahanamoku and myself to have a cabin, and reinforced deck and stringers, for wild forays to the Hollister Ranch for surfing nirvana. Oh! the stories I could tell. Overhead surfboard storage racks, David Kahanamoku shaped yellow surfboard in final glassing stages is below. Resin/tarpaper covered floor, usually the racks to the right, on sawhorses were pulled into the room for glassing 20 skimboards at a time, Note the milk cartons for mixing resins. We still recycle everything we can at Vic and many of the wood structures in the shop are still in use today, though they are incorporated into completely different forms. I gave up that ladder only this year when we sold our house, as it was more useful to the new owner, than to me. Co-founder, Peter Prietto was probably still my business partner. The back door out of the office gave us great fresh air. In 1982, when our landlord, George Burkhardt built a new complex just around the bend, we moved there and expanded into two units.  Now we are up to 5 units here and a separate glassing facility down in San Clemente.  Click on picture to make it larger.  Tex Haines

Helping Promote the New Hanover County Public Library

Never let it be said that Victoria Skimboards team riders do not support a good cause.  Over this last weekend, Bill Bryan and Morgan Just joined forces with amateur team rider Scooter Hayes to give a shout out to the New Hanover County Public Library.  With books, DVDs, magazines, etc. you can find what you want at the local library but first you must have a library card.  Go get yours today and open up some new worlds.

Bill Bryan showing the library love

Morgan Just eats, sleeps, and breathes reading - the library can help

Skim City Greg supporting the library