Is this a good idea?? Yes? No? Any thoughts on a safe alternative to skimboarding for kids and beginning adults. An inflatable top w/ handles over a rigid, lightweight plastic bottom provides comfort for the rider on his/her knees and a safe cushion in case of physical impact with onlookers at the beach.
As with any item marketing is everything.
Cant imagine your patent is very enforceable
nor the most elegant and best solution.
thick camping pad, etc. glued to the top of a skimboard
would be a better solution especially when you understand
that most kids want to learn to stand on these.
There is a plethora of skimboarding mfg. websites.
isn’t it true that more people get hurt annually from skimboarding than surfing?
I have two friends that broke their necks skimboarding, and the last time I ever did it, I f**ked up my ankle so bad I had to crawl home from the beach. (4 blocks) That was enough for me. -Carl
:isn’t it true that more people get hurt annually from skimboarding than surfing?
It is true, and that’s exactly why this product is designed to be much safer by sliding on a soft cushion on your knees.
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As with any item marketing is everything.
Cant imagine your patent is very enforceable
nor the most elegant and best solution.
thick camping pad, etc. glued to the top of a skimboard
would be a better solution especially when you understand
that most kids want to learn to stand on these.
There is a plethora of skimboarding mfg. websites.
This product is designed for the ultimate beginner who at first before graduating onto a skimboard can get used to and have fun sliding on their knees. You see many young children at the beach attempting to slide on their boogieboards in a similar fashion. However, this product is much more comfortable and can slide much further.
what can one say??
Before Mrs. Fields anyone would have laughed
at opening a Choclate Chip Cookie shop in a mall.
On your knees??
isnt the trick with these is to glide while being
light on your feet?? – In the hopes of following
the quickly dissapearing less than an inch of water depth??.
I’m not sure of the utilitarian-surfing value of dead weight
on a skimboard --even for beginners.
While kneeriding a skimboard might be…well, interesting to watch, at least … consider what happens at the end of your typical skimboard ride. Standing on a skimboard, the water kinda goes away, the board runs out of slide abruptly and the kid just runs off the end of the board, as he would with a skateboard. That way he can bleed off speed and momentum gradually and harmlessly. If he trips, well, hit and roll.
Kneeling, though, when the board comes to that abrupt halt I can kinda visualise somebody doing a face plant into mud and coming back up with a mouthful of sand at best. Worst could be a lot worse, depending on what’s in the sand and how badly somebody hit. Visualise somebody kneeriding a skateboard and going straight into a curb and you get the idea.
I see lots of lawsuits on the horizon with this one.
doc…
Well, you already know what I think…
There is only one skimboard, and it sure as hell ain’t safe. (photo: Aaron Peluso, skimonline.com)
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While kneeriding a skimboard might be…well, interesting to watch, at least … consider what happens at the end of your typical skimboard ride. Standing on a skimboard, the water kinda goes away, the board runs out of slide abruptly and the kid just runs off the end of the board, as he would with a skateboard. That way he can bleed off speed and momentum gradually and harmlessly. If he trips, well, hit and roll.
Kneeling, though, when the board comes to that abrupt halt I can kinda visualise somebody doing a face plant into mud and coming back up with a mouthful of sand at best. Worst could be a lot worse, depending on what’s in the sand and how badly somebody hit. Visualise somebody kneeriding a skateboard and going straight into a curb and you get the idea.
I see lots of lawsuits on the horizon with this one.
doc… This product has an incline, gradually increasing from a shallow rear to a bulkier front (As opposed to a consitently flat unit) allowing the rider to kneel on such an angle as to prevent a downward momentum in the event of an abrubt stop, as well the handles are situated in front of the rider so that he/she can resist that momentum. Of couse in any action sport, there is always a chance of injury, however lawsuits never stopped the production of skating, skimming or surfing. Good comments though, I appreciate all the insight.
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On your knees??
isnt the trick with these is to glide while being
light on your feet?? – In the hopes of following
the quickly dissapearing less than an inch of water depth??.
I’m not sure of the utilitarian-surfing value of dead weight
on a skimboard --even for beginners.
Though it sounds like it, this product is not actually a skimboard, it is a safe alternative for young children who exhibit a desire to do something other than make sandcastles at the beach but who are too young or are not parentally permitted to ride a skimboard or even venture a distance into the water. Though it may be possible that the dead weight may prohibit some speed and distance, it still gives the kiddies something fun and safe—> (Mainly for the parents) to do.
my friend knee rode a skimboard and came to an abrupt halt and took of the skin of the side of his face!!! (chin to scalp) we didnt try it again!!!
I appreciate all the opinions so far, but let me reitterate on the reasoning behind this product. This is not meant to be a “skimboard” in the traditional sense, true it’s utilizing the same functionallity, however this product (“Shoreboard”) is designed to give children of a young age a safe intermediary step to becoming a skimboarder. Not necessarily only meant for tourists, the product can be used by any child on practically any beach including crowded beaches where skimming may be restricted (Of course the Skim Nazi may be a better solution there…hehe). We feel this gives a chance to all those little kids who utilize a boogieboard (On their knees) to slide further and more comfortably. As a result, more kids will graduate onto “Skimboarding” which will ultimately help crossing fingers the industry to grow larger and more popular. Thanks all, keep the comments coming.
safe skimboard = football helmet & all thet stuff…haha that s funny! just picture it.!
Now, you are on to something with the football helmet.
Unfortunately for skimboarders, the beach atmosphere, and often the weather, encourages going shirtless, shoeless, and only in a pair of trunks. This means that you can get seriously hurt.
I used to skimboard, and found it only slightly less dangerous than skateboarding, maybe moreso because of the clothing issue.
If skimboarders are decked out in gear: pads, wristguards, helmets, motrin, I think they will be far more successful.
It’s quite a rush, especially when involved in a raunchy shorepound.
Wishful thinking aside
re: graduating to skimboarding.
Nobody graduates to skimboarding.
Nobody graduates to skateboarding.
Nobody graduates to bodysurfing.
Nobody graduates to bodyboarding.
Nobody graduates to kneeboarding.
The above all graduate to Standup Surfing
if they graduate at all.
Something like this could become a fad beach toy similar to what happened with the Razor scooter.
As a skimboarder for over 30 years, I can’t see it being a stepping stone to stand up skimboarding. It’s possible, but mostly I just see it as a beach toy for kids.
It’s true that lots of kids use the Boogie Boards to knee skimboard — I have seen them doing it since they came out. And that seems relatively safe. An improved bottom surface would probably make it safer because it wouldn’t stick as easily. I haven’t looked at your patent, so I don’t know what your board looks like, but I would make the rails soft. That’s the part of the board that’s going to do the most damage when the board bangs into you.
This is one of those things that could be hit or miss with the kids. I would contact some of the big beach toy manufacturers like AMF/Voit, and try licensing it to them. I think it would take a lot of marketing dollars to get the kids interested.
im happy i decided to graduate to kneeboarding.
when i was a kid and couldn’t go to the beach or there was no rain to fill the sand pit by my house i would take my skim board and slide down my parents carpeted hallways… i am sure they would have been stoked on the soft skim due to all the dents i left in the baseboards and walls…
ps. sometimes i would put on my sk8ing knee pads due to rug burns…