Years ago, a hundred yards north of the pier, an event like no other was born. It was called Fiesta de Skim. I was so very blessed to be at this event. It was my first skim contest ever. I arrived at the beach early on that Saturday morning, with my Zap Axe and beach towel to watch the best kids I had ever seen compete for prizes and bragging rights. As I sat there intimidated and amazed, I dreamed of being as good as those guys one day, maybe I could even have an IWS sticker on my skimboard too.  I was only a grom, but what I saw that day impacted my life forever, that day I decided I am a Skimboarder.

This morning, so many years later, I drive over the bridge for yet another skimboarding competition. I am really tired, kind of aggie on not having any coffee, and dreading the setup process and all of those heavy things that have to make their way down to the beach. As the day progressed, I sit back and watch as Fiesta de Skim 2013 is in full effect, kids are smiling, people are cheering, my friends are shredding, and I think, “I am Here, I can’t believe I get to do this.” What an amazing experience this has been year in and year out, from a wide eyed grom, to becoming a bearded kook in a sombrero, I am so very blessed.

So maybe you missed the Fiesta (lame), this is what you missed. As we started running heats, the tide was dropping fast, we took about a 45 minute break at dead low. Paddled in on some low tide fun, got tan and ate pizza. As the tide began to push back in, the party, I mean the Fiesta, was back on. Running heats one after another, trying to get all of these 63 competitors in the water and shredding, we were on a role. Then we ran the first pro heats. Game changers, the pros were ripping, grabbing lines than no one else saw, and airing out some pretty nice waves. This immediately changed the level of competition across the board. The Conquistadors were up next and their level of riding was certainly above par as well. As the tide pushed in, the conditions improved, and Fiesta de Skim 2013 had waves. Yes waves, in Deerfield, I have pictures to prove it. Wave by wave, heat by heat, we found ourselves in the finals and the real show began. Arguably one of the best set of final heats we have ever had at Fiesta de Skim. In the Conquistadors division, Eddie Dixon had one of the nicest liners of the day. The only waves that came close, were the same lefts taken by Dave Scott and Alex Hood during the Pro final. The results reflect who had the best of rides of the day. The winners, if you will, are all the competitors and volunteers that make this event possible every year. So save your sombreros, keep in touch with all your amigos, because Fiesta de Skim 2014 is only a year away.