Skimboarders compete on Everett’s Jetty Island

EVERETT — One by one, riders sent their boards sliding across wet sand.

Hop on, gain speed. Hit the ramp, go airborne. Land back on the board with a muddy splash.

The crowd on Jetty Island roared as a dozen or so young riders on Saturday afternoon showed off their skimboarding skills during the Puget Sound Throw Down.

Skimboarding is a sport where riders slide across shallow water on flat boards.

“They make it look way easier than it is,” said Jennifer Nonisa, 24, of Everett.

Nonisa and her friends came to support Marty Ferguson, one of the event organizers.

About 50 people were watching the competition. Most gathered around the ramps, others lounged further down the shore, where the sand was dry.

This was the second year Ferguson and a group of friends put on the event. Last summer, riders skimmed across the sandy shores of Howarth Park, one of the top spots in the area to go skimboarding.

The sport is still not mainstream, but it’s getting more and more popular in Western Washington.

Skimboarders are becoming a common sight at places like Howarth Park on a sunny, low-tide day, Ferguson said.

The sport was definitely fun to watch, said Sarah Sandford, 21, of Monroe. She isn’t keen on trying it herself, though.

“My board would get stuck in the sand I and would go face down,” Sandford laughed.

A pair of speakers set up on the beach were blasting with music. It was time for a new challenge, the emcee said. A couple people pulled the ramps further apart. Would riders be able to make it? The crowd cheered.

Many skimboarders are converts from other board sports. Jennie Marker, 25, of Lake Stevens, gave skimboarding a try and plans to take it up. She likes other board sports.

“This is the closest you gonna get to walking on water,” she said.

Skimboarding is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly board sports, Marker said. You don’t need a boat to pull you, or another person to depend on. You spend money on the board, true, but soft sand with a couple inches of water is all you need after that.

Blasts of music and enthusiastic shouts could be heard as far as the boat launch. Jacob Ovalle and his friends missed the 1 o’clock ferry and were anxious to join others.

“I’m gonna miss all the cool tricks,” said Ovalle, disappointed that he couldn’t see what triggered a particularly loud cheer.

Ovalle, 25, of Mill Creek, tried skimboarding two weeks ago and got hooked. On Saturday, he was going to watch and learn. Next summer Ovalle hopes to have some tricks to show, too.

“It’s a fun outdoor activity, that’s for sure,” he said. “Beats watching TV.”

Denise Bakken, 53, of Seattle and Paul Rogers, 51, of Lake Stevens heard the announcements while they were boating and decided to check it out. The two had never heard of skimboarding.

“I think it’s great,” Rogers said. The contest sparked his curiosity. He said he wished there were a booth with information about the sport.

The pair cheered at a particularly skillful Hippie Jump, where riders had to hop over a bar and land back on their boards.

The adrenaline spread to everyone on the beach.

Board sports are mostly male-dominated, and Marker said she hopes to see more women get out there. She said she’ll encourage her daughter to get into extreme sports.

But for now, her daughter is only 4 and spent Saturday afternoon sloshing her bare feet in the soggy sand.

Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.