Skimboarding’s best to be in town

Mike Sciacca

The best skimboard athletes in the world will come to Laguna Beach on

July 22 to showcase their talents and compete at the Animal World

Championships of Skimboarding presented by Little Trees and Victoria

Skimboards.

The three-day event, which concludes July 24, will be held at

Aliso Beach.

This year’s competition, which is in its 29th year, has Animal

Watches as its title sponsor.

“We look to have about 180 to 200 competitors this year,” said

Tyler Palmer, retail specialist for Victoria Skimboards.

The contest is expected to draw between 2,500 and 3,000

spectators.

“World famous shore break, aerial tactics getting bigger and

bigger and more sponsorship involvement should all add up to a great

three days,” said Trigg Garner of marketing and sales for Victoria

Skimboards. “The riding is getting more intense every year and the

gap between riders smaller, it is exciting.”

In addition to and preceding the contest is the Skimboard Rider

Poll Awards presented by Animal.

The first-time event will take place Wednesday at the Laguna Beach

Theater.

Tickets to the show will go on sale at the theater box office the

day of the event.

The awards show was created to acknowledge skimboard riders and

participants and their accomplishments, Garner said.

“It will be an event to honor those that charge every day and push

the sport forward and will follow the format of the major award

shows,” Garner said. “We are proud to be a part of this ground

breaking event.”

Awards will be presented in the following categories: trick of the

year; best photographer; biggest wave ride (on film); best

skimboarder, female; best barrel ride (on film); biggest air (on

film); best new rider; best video; legend; best skimboarder, male;

and breakthrough performance.