Costa Rica Skim Trip || Claro Skim Fest – Words By Max Smetts
This past weekend the Claro Skim Fest put on by Skim CR Eventos went down at Playa Blanca in Costa Rica. The venue was one that was too picturesque to describe in words and provided some small yet fun skim to the competitors. We had to wait till the afternoon to hold the contest, as there is such major tide swings that made it virtually flat at low tide in the morning. Most the competitors showed up in the morning though to hang out which made for a fun atmosphere as everyone was glad to be at the great beach enjoying each other’s company.
I came away impressed with the level of skimboarding in Costa Rica. It was my first time visiting the country and I had no idea what to expect. From the moment I stepped on the beach, I quickly realized the passion for the sport that was in the air. Many of the kids had a mixture of surf style riding with their skimboarding that I love to see. You could quickly tell that the Costa Rican riders had their own flare to their skimboarding and this excited me. I ended up leaving my board behind to one of the skimboarders named Julio that was a standout all weekend and I cant wait to see where he takes his talents in the future!
It was also my first time meeting our international riders Kelmar Sandoval (Costa Rica) and Gerardo Valencia (Mexico). These guys are super talented riders with even better personalities. They are both super positive and great people to be around. They finished 1st and 2nd respectively and made it a super fun final to watch. You could tell they respected each other and cared about performing their best for everyone to see.
Finally, I have to give it up to all the event organizers that made this event possible. These guys put a lot of effort into this great event among the others they put on all year long in Costa Rica. I would like to give a big thanks to them for letting us be involved with their event and I cant wait to make another trip back to Costa Rica in the near future!
Photo Credit: Max Smetts – Tori Mogford
