Legends

 Tex Haines

Tex Haines 2013

Tex Haines Spring 2013


 

Hende

Chris Henderson


MARK MILLS

MarkMills

p: Dorian Leigh

Height: 6’0″
Weight: 170 lbs
Date of Birth: 12-17-1968
Home Town: Virginia Beach, VA
Current Residence: Virginia Beach ,VA
Stance: Regular
Board Set Up: Mark II-Large. Polyvac 21.5 x56
Years Riding: 30
Refreshment of Choice: Orange Juice
Favorite Shred Spot: Naval Jetties, Delaware
Favorite TV Show: House
Favorite Sounds: Ocean
Favorite Tricks: Long liners, Frontside Wraps
Favorite Websites: Surfline, Victoria Ocean, CNN
Favorite Food: Mexican
Favorite Season: Summer

The Story of the Mark II

>> Posted on August 23, 2011 by Victoria Skimboards

Victoria Skimboards team rider, Mark Mills took first place in the senior men’s event in Dewey Beach. Mark is down to fighting weight, running into foot deep water for his takeoffs, and riding a specialized full nosed, 1″ thick, flat rocker bomber with extra heavy, titanium reinforced internal flex amplifiers, and a single molecule of Chris Henderson. They didn’t stand a chance!



>> On Sep 1, 2011, at 11:46 AM, Mark Mills wrote:

Tex, I just wanted to show my appreciation on that write up you did on my win at Dewey… Thought that was a pretty cool surprise. ECSC was cancelled due to the hurricane last weekend… happens. Already looking forward to coming out to Laguna next year for some West coast fun. Going to be editing a cool video at “The Point” in Hatteras before too long. We were cruising backside down the liners for a good 80 to a 100 yards… wish you were there… was a lot of fun. Take care friend and we’ll speak soon!



>> On 9/1/11, Tex Haines wrote:

Must have been in the hook of sand to the south of the point. I can still see it. Seriously magic place. That was a lot of fun. Glad you liked the write up. Still have to get that shape into production for next year. Not sure whether it qualifies for a Mark Mills Pro Model status. But I’d like to push the idea and if you are incentivized what ways would you use to help us sell it. Could you find a great professional photographer to shoot you? HA!



>> On Sep 28, 2011, at 7:22 PM, Mark Mills wrote:

Tex, how have you been? I would love to help you push the idea on the new board shape. Everyone here who rides the board completely flips out how she rides. The specs on this board makes riding a heap load of fun… Here is why it works for me:


1) Full nose- more body surface and planes out farther.


2) Weight- this is very important especially on East Coast. This will allow you to plane out farther and bring you back to the beach easier. Makes the board more stable as well.


3) Width is wider (Large would be 22in width by 54.5in Length)- this shorter length for your normal Large templates works because you’ll be able to turn faster and not worry about loss of speed due to the fact that you already made up for that on the width as well as in added weight and added thickness.


4) Thickness- 1 inch tapered to 3/4 on nose/tail


5) Rails- Boxy- will also help to get you back to the beach (another reason you will get away with a shorter board for faster turning).


6) PolyVac- perfect choice for maintaining flex on a thick board


7) Rocker-2 inches. You don’t need anything less due to the weight and width… and this will help to get over the smaller wave before getting to the bigger wave.


 
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 Brad Dickey

Dickey Wedge


Garth “Worm” Wyckoff

Garth @ Aliso // p: Bailey

 


Keith Perry

 

Keith has been skimboarding on a Victoria skimboard since he was 4 yrs old. He started skimming with the original Victoria beach crew in the early 80’s. His first board was one of the first custom fish tail woodies that was given to him from a Vic local named John Paul. (see picture above) He did not start competitive skimboarding until age 19, but quickly turned pro after winning his age division in 1994. In 1996 he placed in the top 5 at the Vic contest and started to tour around on the contest circuit for 8 years straight. As a professional skimmer he had the opportunity to travel around the world to help places like Cabo, Chile, Portugal, and Japan learn about the sport of skimboarding. He feels after the many years involved in skimboarding, that he has left his mark on the sport and he continues to wrap with the best of them.

DOB: 03.28.1974
Location: South Laguna, CA.
Home Break: Lagunita Wall
Stance: goofy
Favorite Trick: off the lip shuv it airs to the sand
Known for (specialty): Big turns and Style barrel riding
Skim Goals: To help the sport progress and to skim Solag 4 life
Hobbies: Skateboarding, Snowboarding, photography
Accomplishments: Skimboarding and snowboarding at the pro level, graduating from college
Role models: Hende, Shaun Palmer, Bob Marley
Music: Reggae, Hip Hop, Classic Rock
Your view on Competitions: A good time to skim and be around others who love skimboarding. A way to show your skills and adapt to the ever changing skim conditions.
Advice to groms: Dont stop get it, get it. Keep it real and go big!
Words to live by: “Solag 4 Life”, “Do what you like and do it well”, “Life is short, go big”

 

 

Skim Octoberfest1

Skim travels- Looking back at my skim travels I now feel that the best part along with seeing new places and skim scenes was meeting people from all over that were stoked on the unique sport of skimboarding which started right here in Laguna Beach. No matter where it was from up and down the East Coast from Florida to Dewey Beach Deleware or even on the beaches in Japan there was always a sense of friendship that was made from skimming and all that wanted to feel the stoke of skimboarding.

Fun memory- Traveling alone with a skim bag and back pack trying to figure out a ride from airport to Dewey Beach, out of nowhere I see two skim legends walk up, Conley and Garth the Worm came back to MC the contest and to revisit the scene that they once were a part of back in the day. With no idea that they were coming the stars aligned that day and I had a ride and place to stay with two of the coolest respected guys in skimboarding. Another summer I stayed on the East Coast for 3 consecutive stops driving from Florida up the whole coast stopping in the Outer Banks, NC and up to Deleware always with no real plan just hanging out with other skim families and friends.

Being able to travel to the new spots at the time in foreign land was a highlight for me and something that I will never forget. To pull up on a beach in another country and to see others skimboarders skimming and wanting to share their waves with us was a great feeling and I hope that I inspired some groms on the beach to pick up a skimboard and try it.
Lastly nothing will compare to the summer trips to Cabo when we would drive from Laguna to explore, surf, skim, fish, camp, and enjoy Baja only to find perfect skim waves at the end of the road in Cabo San Lucas.

I can’t exactly remember the first time I saw skimboarding, because I actually grew up and spent many of my toddler years on Victoria Beach where it all started…so Im sure crawling around in the sand I looked up to see some of the OG Vic locals slashing away on their woodies. Guys like Tex Haines, the Prietto’s, Trager, Johnny K. (clubber), Brian Pappa, Hende, the Westgaard’s, just to name a few….were on the slopes hitting the on shore glassy victoria waves long before most of you that are reading this were born.

I have scene some old family footage of me starting to skim in 1978 on what I remember to be the first custom woody. It is the board pictured in the 1978 picture. On the board under the glass I remember it saying custom woody for Vic local John Paul Garau. He gave me the board to start skimming on and from that day in 1978 skimming across the downward slopes by two rocks on Victoria Beach I was hooked and I still yearn for the unique feeling and sensation of skimboarding. But some of my first vivid memories was watching Ivan, Johnny, and Brian Papas throwing down some serious slashes and wraps at two-rocks which was in the early 80’s.
Skimboarding has always just been a part of my life and a sport that has brought enjoyment and a unique sense of belonging feeling to it like no other sport. Growing up in Laguna, crawling in the sand at Vic and being around the Solag lifestyle made skimboarding a natural choice of activity for me when it came to those epic summer days in Laguna. I never recall thinking of skimboarding as an industry, but more a sport that I loved to do and realized that by competing at a high level (being pro) that I was able to travel around to new spots, meet new people, and help the sport grow.

Keith_Peery_Victoria_Skimboards

Keith_Peery_Victoria_Skimboards2


 Pete Rash

Pete Rash

 

Height : 5 ”10
Weight : 180
D O B : 10 / 20 / 1959
Home Town : Virginia Beach Virginia
Current Residence : Virginia Beach Virginia
Stance : Regular
Board Set Up : 1 inch Thick tapered down ends , 21 X 55 Poly Vac
Trade Mark : Zebra Stripe
Years Riding : 40 an some
Refreshment of Choice : Starbucks and H2O
Favorite Skim Spot : The Point @ Cape Hatteras NC
Favorite TV Show : Shameless , Ray Donovan , Masters of Sex
Favorite Sounds : The Ocean
Favorite Tricks : Front Side Wraps and Long Liners
Favorite Websites : You tube , Surfline.com , Facebook
Favorite Foods : Seafood , Mexican
Favorite Season : Summer

Pete_Rash2

 

Steve Glade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Legends:

Amber Cottle

Kai Bond

Nick Hernandez

Tom Trager

Kurt Westgaard