Fair Oaks Skimboarders Get An Early-Season Start

It's not your typical February Saturday afternoon in Fair Oaks. Even with beautiful 65 degree weather and sunny skies, one still wouldn't expect to find a group of local college kids, skimboarding on the American River, but that is just what they are doing. These "professional skimboarders" (they use the term loosely, due to the fact money is hard to come by in the sport) are some of the top names in a world-wide growing sport.

After his board smashes into his foot during an early-season failed trick attempt, called a "pop 360 shuvit", rider Matt Matteucci, 23, remains relatively unphased by the frigid temperatures.

"At least the water is still cold enough that my feet are freezing and I could barley feel that," said Matteucci.

The water temperature this time of year on the American River is a bone-chilling 46.5 degrees, according to the United States Geological Survey.  

Fair Oaks is home to multiple skimboarding spots, the most popular is located not on the Americn River but off of Fair Oaks Blvd. in a sandy creek bed at Banister Park.

Brent Lippincott, 26, has been skimboarding in Fair Oaks for more than five years.

"We used to skim at Banister a lot, but havn't been able to the last year or two, due to the excessive amount of trash bulid up and overgrowth,"  he says. 

Brent is co-owner of a well known company to flatland skimboarders around the world, The Inland Skim Movement. This will be their fifth year throwing contests and events both locally and internationally.

"We always try to promote keeping the beaches clean," said Lippincott. "We hope to organize a clean up day at Banister Park, so local kids can have a safe and clean place to hang out and exersise." 

Each week we'll take Viewfinder somewhere new for great stories that are not only visually interesting, but filled with people doing exciting things in the community. Drop us a line or leave us a comment and let us know where we should take Viewfinder next week!