Local skimboarder at helm of new magazine
Bill Baxter’s life is a unique one. He’s seen the world and made great friends, all while doing what he loves. Now, with the launch of a new photo magazine, he’s doing wonders for world of skimboarding.
Coastal Point • Submitted
Bill Baxter’s new publication, Pile Skimboard Mag, is opening eyes to the extreme sport.
“I love getting to travel and going all over,” said Baxter, “but it’s always great to get back to Delaware. It’s still one of the best places I’ve skimmed.”
The sport dates back to the 1920’s on the West Coast, when lifeguards would skim across the shores of Laguna Beach, Calif., on planks of wood. The craze picked up during the 1960’s and the 1970’s and began spreading like wildfire.
While there are a variety of techniques, the gist of the sport involves taking a running start along the beach toward a desired wave, throwing the board flat onto the surface of the water, gliding or “pumping” toward the wave before it breaks and riding it down the beach.
Today, skimboarding is practiced worldwide, with the Delaware shore being one of the sport’s hotspots. Skimmers take their talent to Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas, to Santa Cruz, Calif., and around Florida’s coastline. But the breaks at Dewey Beach and the Indian River Inlet are still among the most sought-after.
“The breaks are different, from the north end to the south end of the inlet,” said Baxter. “You just have to learn what to look for. It’s all right here, though.”
With the success of his own riding, an interest in personal lessons and the rise of his primary sponsor, Harvest Skimboards, Baxter went a step further, putting out the state’s first publication devoted to the sport, Pile Skimboard Mag. The 9.5-by-13.5-inch spiral-bound issues, which started a year and a half ago, feature exclusive interviews and photos of amateur and professional skimboarders across the world.
“Pile Magazine gives these guys something they can feel,” Baxter noted. “When you look at these photos, you get the idea of the intensity of the sport.”
Shots off the Delaware shores and along Cabo beaches capture some of the best in the biz riding the water.
“I’m trying to show skimboarding to those who love it and those who don’t know much about it,” he added. “It’s the younger guys who are really stepping into it now. I am part of the first generational skimmers in the area, and now I get to pass it along to the younger guys.”
His passion has taken him to the United Skim Tour, one of the sport’s most popular competitions, which started in Dewey this year and finishes up at Newport Beach, Calif., in mid-October.
Pile Skimboard Mag is available at most area surf shops, and the large format has been picking up some positive response.
“It took a while to get the ball rolling,” Baxter said, “but people can pick up an issue and see the waves breaking right on the beach. Kids are seeing themselves on the pages. It’s like a poster book for them. They can put these pics up on the walls and get their names out there. These pictures can actually help them pick up contracts and sponsors.”
Young skimmer Casey Ritzer was even picked up by Harvest.
Because he’s spent so much time with the sport, Baxter knows what works best, no matter what side of the lens he is on.
“After you’ve done this for so long,” he said, “you know what you want to see and what you’re looking for.”
Whether fans are suited up, ready to shred, or just an amazed spectator strolling the beach, the appreciation for the time and effort that people put into skimboarding is far-reaching.
“It’s a lot different than other sports,” said Baxter, “and it’s not for everyone. People will walk past on the beach and comment. It feels good when people tell you they enjoy watching you.”
Coastal Point • Submitted
Bill Baxter’s new publication, Pile Skimboard Mag, is opening eyes to the extreme sport.
As with any sport – especially those involving hurling oneself at waves that are crashing against the sand – there are there are some considerations every new skimmer faces.
“I’ve watched so many kids progress over the year,” Baxter said, “but they all start out the same. It’s a matter of asking yourself, ‘What is going to make me stick with it?’ Skimboarders take their lumps. If you’re out there and you’re not falling, you’re not trying. You do your time on the skim boards, and it pays off. It’s definitely not something for those weak at heart.”
But the skimboarding community is nothing short of a family affair for Baxter.
“You form a lot of friendships and meet some great people,” he said. “Everybody’s always learning from each other. That’s where you make those bonds. Guys like Dan McDonald, Corey Mahoney and Brandon Mariner really make it worth while.”
The skim board line of Baxter’s sponsors, Harvest Skimboard, has been popping up all over the east coast. The five-eighths- or three-quarter-inch polyvinyl foam cores are available in E-glass, S-glass or carbon fiber. Harvest apparel is also available. (For more information about the Harvest line, visit www.harvestskimboards.com.)
Private and individual skimboarding lessons are also available from Bill Baxter himself.
“It’s nice,” he said. “I get to share what I know and work one-on-one. It seems to help the kids progress faster, whether they’re just starting or trying to advance their level and up the bar a little bit. In turn, it motivates me to push myself a little more.”
To schedule lessons with Baxter, call the Bethany Surf Shop at (302) 539-6400. Lessons are readily available, by appointment, seven days a week.
Skim fans can pick up the latest issue of Pile Skimboard Mag at the Bethany Surf Shop, too, at 99 Garfield Parkway in downtown Bethany Beach. They can also check it out online at www.pilemag.com.
Coastal Point • Submitted
Bill Baxter’s new publication, Pile Skimboard Mag, is opening eyes to the extreme sport.
“Pile Mag sort of a grass-roots effort,” Baxter said, “but it’s a way I can give back to the sport. You meet a lot of great personalities. There have been a lot of guys that helped me get where I am today, and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my sponsors.”
Baxter said he particularly thanked his sponsors, Harvest Skimboards, Astrodeck, RVCA clothing and Bethany Surf Shop, and Erika Ritzer for her help with Pile Magazine.
