Shore lb. March 12th-13th
Skim Break round 1 2022
Every excellent skim board competition experience comprises of several things. To include, belligerent travel dysfunctions, excellent waves firing off, Friends introducing you to more friends, an exceptionally exciting event! Was up! my name is Miller Edgeworth and I’m new to the Premier skim board league, so this evening I’d love to share with you my exhilarating experience at Vero beach Florida‘s shore LB. competition 2022.
My journey sets off on Thursday, March 10th. I just got off my shift at The Grumpy Wiener. A hotdog cart Business both me and my brother own. Heading out to my grandparents house. Where I would leave my car, enjoy a delicious hibachi meal and set off for The exciting competition ahead.
My initial travel to my first destination was sound and smooth. However, after reaching the airport in Myrtle Beach South Carolina difficulties began. It was just supposed to be another ride in the sky on the spirit airline heading out to Fort Lauderdale, little did I know getting on the plane would be the hardest part. My grandfather drop me off at the airport and after ingeniously forgetting my blue hoodie at the TSA. I sat patiently for my departure. Unfortunately unbeknownst to myself, I was at the literal back of the line on the roster for those who shall depart. Unfortunately, to no fault of my own, the spirit airline sold three too many tickets than that they had to seat on the airline. This resulted in myself along with two other unfortunate individuals to sit at the Front desk of the boarding Lane. Hoping, praying, and even wishing that they were able to make it on the flight that they had purchased. Headed in directions and destinations with reasons that only they could begin to fathom. For me however, I was hoping to make the shore lb. competition. Waiting with anticipation, under bated breath, it was no pleasant situation to be in. My skim board was checked. Was it going to leave without me? Was I gonna have to stay another day in South Carolina? Would I be robbed of a whole 24 hours of practice in preparation for the competition ahead? All these and many more thoughts raced though my head as I was waiting at the Front desk, losing hope that I would be able to fly out tonight. Thankfully, three individuals happen to not make their flight that evening. Whether it be sheer dumb luck or the grace of God himself. Three individuals decided, we’re not able to, or unfortunate enough to not make their flight on the evening of Thursday, February 10, 2022. Which led me and the other three individuals. All just as anxious as myself and hoping that they too would make their flight that they had already paid for. Able to arrive at their destination in a timely manner.
Unfortunately, that’s just the thing the belligerent struggle of traveling did not in there. While I did manage to make my flight, I wasn’t able to attend my bus fare to West Palm city beach from Fort Lauderdale where my plane was set to land. Due to the naturally occurring delayed response of transportation. I was not able to catch my bus fare on the Greyhound bus line. Thankfully I am easily adaptable to my situations. I overcome adversity. I sit patient when it’s necessary, or utilize my critical thinking when the odds are stacked against me. This time through reasonable deduction I concluded the logical solution to the situation was to “send it” and grab an Uber that would then take me directly to my destination. “Send it” i would soon learn, would become a theme of this weekends “Skim Break!”
Thankfully, after shelling out a little more money than anticipated and a little extra stress on my shoulders, that was soon relieved as I made my way to the door steps of my buddy Reese’s house. Whom i had met at my first competition, in Dewey Beach Delaware, where they hold the zaps world championships. “Skim Break” was officially on! Reese and myself shared pleasant exchanges, greetings, a solid dap and A quick catch-up. Followed by a slumber I was exhilarated to wake up from.
Waking up in Jupiter Florida with a friend I had only met one other time. For most people would seem like a daunting, bizarre, and even uncomfortable experience. For me however, I felt excepted. I felt at home. I felt like I was in an environment just as excited as I was to have me there. Reese’s hospitality, of course, was a major factor in this. We started off my first day in Florida, March 11th, with a bike ride. Reese invited me too his childhood. Taking me through the roads and trails that he grew up on. It was exciting to see the life of a friend sprung about right before my very eyes. He showed me the skate park, The pools, the local hangouts, everything you need to know about Jupiter and the little neighborhood Reese grew up in. Shortly after, it was time to shred it! preceded by a solid fruits and vegetable breakfast we made our way to my buddy Reese‘s favorite skim spot. Nothing! Nothing, beats a local‘s point of view when it comes to wear the liners are firing off! I’m from South Carolina. Where I come from I might as well be skim boarding on a slip and slide. Waves… In your wildest dreams. Shorebreak… Well you must’ve met a genie. Because Myrtle Beach has none of that. Jupiter! Jupiter… has plenty to work with. I look out on the water, I feel the sunshiny sky with little to no clouds beaming on my shoulders, and I know, this place is an excellent start to my “Skim Break!”
We drive right into it! Nothing holding us back. It’s time to rip it! That’s what we’re here for right? Let’s get stoked. The competition is tomorrow and we need to be at peak performance. I’m having a great time. I haven’t seen anything like this since I was in Dewey Beach last year. These waves! These waves are something you can actually ride. I'm exhilarated. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to have fun. It’s a beautiful moment when practicing is so fun you feel grateful about it! Here I am in Jupiter, with a buddy I hardly know, having the time of my life.
It doesn’t take much for me to turn around. I’m excited to live on the bright side of life. I embrace every opportunity to live positively! My previous travel struggles were nothing more than A sand dune standing in the way. No different than me perfecting my trey-shove, just the same as me perfecting my front side rap. Just another hurdle to prove that you are in fact worthy of where you’re headed. so, being out on the beach was… simply exactly what I came here for. No need for excessive adventures. No need for unbelievable conditions. I’m here and it’s leaps and bounds ahead of what I experience back home. So, I’m through the roof.
Fortunately, for myself, Reese was excited to show me what it really means to be a Jupiter local. He took me out to the mangroves. A term I’ve never heard before, but thoroughly enjoyed when I finally lived it! This wild conglomerate of weaving tree limbs along the East Coast shore, created a monkey man’s Wonderland! Propped up on top of one of the highest tree wedges, was a lawn chair. Just a simple lawn chair wedged up in between the branches to create the perfect Ariel lounge. For those with a daring heart and a thrill to seek Adrenaline, would be eager to get their hands and asses on an opportunity to take a seat amongst the peaks of the mangroves.
lunchtime led to the end of May tour of Jupiter. Reese and myself made our way back to his house to load up his car and head out for Vero where the competition would be held the next day. Solid 70 minutes later, I meant Jonny. A long time friend and roommate of Reese's. I also met Jonny‘s brother, who lived an easy five minutes from the competition location. Thanks to his generosity we had the perfect location to get into the heart of Skim Break!
We kept the evening casual, knowing tomorrow morning we will be getting up and shredding till sundown! We headed out to walking tree brewery. A local brewery that contributes a sponsorship of the Shore Lb. competition and host the competitions after party.
I woke up the next morning filled with excitement. This will be my third competition. I’ll get to see familiar faces and be back on the water. I’ve heard good things about the Shorebreak in Vero, great things in fact. Every time I have my board in my hands and sand between my toes I feel a surge of excitement running through my body. Truth be told I’m not an excellent skimmer. I’ve really only been riding for a year and some change. I’d mention South Carolina doesn’t have any short break and my tech could use a lot of work. These truths regardless have never stopped me from having fun. I’ve always maintained a mentality of writing to be better. And starting from the bottom it feels nice to monitor my progress. There’s a sense of pride knowing that this new skill that brings me so much joy, I have continued my determination in my fight towards excellence. On that same note A community of skim boarders, local, different state, or even different country all coming together on the same sunny sky with a willingness to help one another. A smile and encouragement! Some board smacking when you finally make that stride, that trick, your first full wrap. Brings together a delightful sense of home.
Nearly 5 hours of nonstop skimming interrupted only by The opening remarks, catching up with old friends, stretch breaks, and of course watching the pros go ahead to head! Lead to an evening thunderstorm. thankfully, with little to no lightning, very short rain time, and a new line of waves that were just firing off! This of course made for a great lunch break, which me and my buddies took shelter underneath a restaurant held up by the same wooden posts of a boardwalk or a dock. Creating an excellent scenic view for a ham and cheese sandwich before taking off again.
After A small handful of heat during witch I took the time to get another stretch session in while watching the pros and grabbing my topper because the storm brought icy winds with it. This however, was no deterrent to my adrenaline and excitement for my heat a head. So when we were finally on deck I was hyped up and ready to shred!
On top of my black wetsuit shirt was a white Shore Lb water shirt. This indicated to the judges how to keep track of scoring for each individual competitor. funny enough I was competing against my friend Reese. He was sporting blue and undoubtably just as excited as I was! At the sound of the commentators third chime we were off. Unfortunately A very quickly found myself in my own head about the competition. My first ride wasn’t anything spectacular. My second ride was a bit controversial. There is a priority clause in skimboarding competitions. This official rule is created with the intention of maintaining even number of waves amongst the competitors. The priority is indicated by a set of colored paddles corresponding with the colored jerseys each competitor wears. The raised panel indicates who has priority and therefore is entitled to the next wave. On my second ride I was running towards the same wave that the competitor who actually had priority was running for. This is considered a foul. Though it wasn’t intentional I did interfere with his ride. It wasn’t clear from where I said how much I interrupted his ride. Given the body language I think he was sorely disappointed. And so was I. I wasn’t very pleased with myself so for the remainder of the heat I was in my head. Attempting to calm myself down, but never quite catching a ride to be proud of I had a hard time recuperating. As it goes though, when I began to catch my breath I was given a little payback. I had priority and was interfere just the same by the same fella. A little back-and-forth. Speaking of fourth… The four-man hit that is where I placed. This came of no surprise to myself. Not only because of how I performed, but also how little experience I am. I wasn’t expecting to take the gold this time.
my uncle was in the crown supporting me. He gave me words of advice and encouragement took my competitive heat as a learning experience and moved on with the competition. It was an excellent evening. We discussed our scores and best rides. I didn’t have much to talk about, but I was given plenty of encouragement. Which is just part of the beauty that comes with these skim boarding competitions. It comes with the people that are out here. Everybody’s willing to share some love everybody wants each of us to have our best rides. Reese also didn’t manage to make it past the first heat. we set off for Mulligan‘s, another top sponsor for Shore Lb. in fact the competition was held right in front of the patio. My uncle got us a couple of beers. Then we headed off to get our after party on!
By the time we were back at our beach house it became very clear to me that I was extremely sunburned! Thankfully, there was actually a large bushel of aloe plants right in the front yard. Our house graciously invited myself to as many leaves as I needed. Gratefully excepting I found much release. I’ve never used fresh aloe plant before on a sunburn. Definitely a night and day healing experience. Extremely powerful plant! this however did not change the color of my skin. We made our way to the kilted mermaid. A local pub with an excellent dining experience and atmosphere unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I felt like stepping inside of a gypsy mermaids underwater Cove. Terrifically unique experience. I didn’t take long for the server to comment on my lobster light complexion. And an even shorter time for us to spot a Scottish male in a kilt!
Finally, we were on our way to the official after party at walking tree brewery. We spent a short period of time here the night before with a small crown. this evening was much different. A whole warehouse filled with skim borders. A section of tables were autographs and merchandise were being sold. Several booths filled to, well beyond capacity with the pros. A few bar games where a few children were innocently having just as much fun as the adult partakers. And a reggae band just getting settled on stage ready to start the show! they were obviously nearly as many casual diners as there were celebrating skimmers. And they two were quickly excited by the energy brought about from the scam USA community!
The evening was electric. Conversations with people I’ve been excited to see since I left my last competition, Pros and always have exciting stories to share, and plenty of curious outsiders eager to hear every detail about the competition! As the night rolls on fairly early skim borders began heading back to their respective beach houses catching an early slant to repair for the finals of the competition the following day. My party of Reese and Jonny all of whom are not be competing tomorrow. Have the liberty of continuing to enjoy the evening, for us I had only just begun! As the conversations died down and those two converse with lesson we made our way to the reggae band “Vibe Farm” Who were an excellent conglomerate of musicians. I never took ballet, but not much will prevent me from dancing! And these fellas were excellently laying down the vibe. I felt compelled to move! and Reese was feeling it to! So we rocked out hard. Song after song after song. Loving the music and dancing the night away. Jonny had invited a beautiful lady friend over. They were standing back a little bit, but I didn’t take long before the power of the music and the mojo of our moves compelled them to join the dance party! And soon enough several others at the bar felt gravitated to do the same. I know that Reese was thinking the same thing. It’s all good to be dancing, it felt great to get others out on the floor to do the same, but it made me happy and showing Vibe Farm just with a Music can do to people!
The van was closing up for the night. I don’t know if I just lost track of time or if dancing help me in such a trance, because before I knew it it was time to get out of there. But like I said and I was just beginning and while we were on the back half there were still plenty of fun to be had.
We found ourselves at another bar, the cove. A nice little hole in the wall. It wasn’t late but not many people were out. It was a Saturday and considerably spring break, yet they’re still was a lack of people. This was no setback for the fellas on skim break! we made our way to the back of the bar dropped a few quarters in the jukebox and we were back at it. Dancing again at a new place. It was very obvious that this was bizarre to everyone inside of the bar. Vibe Farm clearly had us all riding on the same plane because this truth just seem to fuel our fire! Unfortunately, the unwelcome became a little too palpable. So we made our way back outside across the street to an awesome oak tree. Where we were climbing around, joking around, and ever having an acorn fight. It doesn’t take much to have an excellent time with friends. And it’s really easy to find friends amongst the skim boarding community. Everybody loves to have fun, skim boarders embody fun, on and off the beach it’s always good times!
While most of our night was dancing it was the little moments in between, during, and even on the ride home, that made the night so rememberable. With our site set I'm
sleeping in going to bed so late and not having to compete tomorrow didn’t seem so daunting. waking up not realizing we lost an hour of sleep, we get to it. Another day of Shore Lb. competition! The storm it only made the next day even more chilly. A good day to be a spectator. With all the pro heats it was an incredible last day of the competition. Despite the weather the energy was high. Everyone was hyped up. Everybody anticipating the final scores. It was fantastic. Shore Lb was a success. Skim Break was wild. It was fun. Single friends, meeting new ones, going on adventures, discovering new places, doing better than you did last time, learning something new, getting inspired by other success, that’s what skim break is all about for me. I never feel like I’m wasting my time. It’s a vacation, that’s why I call it skim break, but I I always feel accomplished. At the end of the skim break I always feel a sense of rejuvenated motivation.
Keep Skimming!