Women Skimboarders Come Up Big at Victoria Championships

The final heats of the Victoria Skimboards World Championship of Skimboarding rolled on Sunday, with sunny skies and massive crowds lining to watch both men and women fight the surf for the top spots and the world championship title. The men fought tough and showcased some massive skill, but the women were the heats to watch.

Women from across the globe, including California, Florida, Virginia, Maui and even some ladies from Japan battled it out during the two-day event. In the end, 14-year-old newcomer Catherine Squillante from Fredericksburg, Virginia took home the title.

Lanakilla Kelliher, a 33-year-old Maui big wave surfer and professional women’s skimboarder, ended the competition in third, and was excited about the number of people at the competition paying attention to the women’s heats.

“I would never want to be a judge,” she said, “I would never know where to start. There were pockets of magic within the waves and every girl here represented in her own right.”

Although skimboarding has been around for 30 years, this is only the second year there has been a professional women’s division.

“For women, this sport is in its infancy,” said Richard Tibbetts, the managing partner for SkimChicks. “The women come out here and bring their own style and energy, it’s completely different than the men’s competition. They have such physical beauty and commitment for this sport, I just wish the sport would recognize them more often. They need sponsorship and they need support, which is why it’s so exciting to have so many young women coming here to compete this weekend. The athletes are improving, and we need to continue to drive the women’s division forward.”

Pamela Simpson, the voice of the women’s division, thought there was a “great mix of skills. I’m excited to see the youth embrace the sport—they are the future. It’s great to see the women embraced as well. I think this sport is going to continue to grow.”

When Amber Cottle was skimboarding professionally, there was no women’s division, she had to compete with and against the men.

“These women can do it just as well as the men, they just need to push themselves," Cottle said. "This is not a feminine sport ... you have to be tough. There is nothing pretty about it when you crash hard, but the adrenaline is hard to match.”

The beaches were lined with enthusiastic crowds for both the women’s and men’s division, proving that the sport isn’t just a boy's club anymore.

“The best part of the competition was seeing young girls come out and put themselves out there," Kelliher said. "It’s essential for the sport to grow. I think if young women want to excel in this sport, they need to just get out there and push themselves beyond their comfort levels—if you want to succeed in skimboarding, you have to have balls. I think today will help keep the momentum going for the women.”

For girls who are interested in the sport, Cottle suggested just getting a board.

“Any board,” she said, “just do it. You’re going to fall and get scraped up and hurt, but you have to get out there.”

Catherine Squillante, the winner of the women's competition, has been skimming since she was six, and believes that if you’re a girl and want to get into the sport, you need to “keep with it—it takes a lot of practice. You’re going to get hurt, but it’s worth it.”

This weekend crowds and competitors show that the sport is going to continue to grow, especially for women.

“The women today are proof that there are girls skimming and killing it,” said Jen Jacobs, a local SkimChick and competitor from California. “It’s just great to get the recognition.”

FINAL RESULTS:

Professional Women
1st - Catherine Squillante
2nd - Anna Prophet
3rd - Lanakilla Kelliher
4th - Erin Carpenter
5th - Jen Jacobs
6th - Tia D'Ambrosio
7th - Silvia Garavito
8th - Yasmyn Andrade

Professional Men
1st - Sam Stinnett
2nd - Jake Stinnett
3rd - Teddy Vlasis
4th - Blair Conklin
5th - Brad Domke
6th - Paulo Preitto
7th - Bill Bryan
8th - Brandon Sears

40 and Up
1st - Brad Dickey
2nd - Takayuki Iwasaki
3rd - Ron Pesta

30 - 39
1st - Paul Wade
2nd - Lance Brooks
3rd - Takatoshi Inada
4th - Robert Salazar

25 - 29
1st - Will Wright
2nd - Michael Yunich
3rd - Kelly Hawlish
4th - Hiroto Suzuki

22 - 24
1st - Johnny Atoe
2nd - David Sterman
3rd - Bryan Russak
4th - Kyle Smith

18 - 21
1st - Tyler Cruickshank
2nd - Daniel McDonald
3rd - Trevor Stanaland
4th - Johnny Salta

15 - 17
1st - Johnny Webber
2nd - Perry Pruitt
3rd - Jiovani Reyes
4th - Troy Rohten

12 - 14
1st - Yuoto Kishida
2nd - Max Webber
3rd - Lucas Fink
4th - Timothy Gamboa

9 - 11
1st - Casey Ritzer
2nd - Fin Springston
3rd - Groscolas Milan
4th - Jaker Levin

8 and Under
1st - Lucas Jablon
2nd - Taylor Towe
3rd - Tosh Johnson
4th - Zac Henderson
5th - Cade Dickey 

Women Amateur
1st - Lauren Thunen
2nd - Kumiko Sawata
3rd - Keeley Dickey

Sportsmanship Award - Paulo Prietto
Best Barrel - Sam Stinnett
Best Wipeout - Mayumi Kuwabara
Best Trick - 360 Shuv-it Grab Mute by Koty Lopez

More competition results can be found at WSC Victoria Skimboards.