when the waves at shallow water were poor, surfers would often attempt to surf in shallow breaking water. this led to the making of smaller, lighter boards, named skimboards for the way they allow the user to skim across the surface of the water. lifeguards were quick to adopt these new boards and used skimboarding as a way to quickly move up and down the beach in shallow water. skimboarding has progressed and is now a recognized sport. competitions are held each year around the world and produce large amounts of revenue for the market interested in this sport. these competitions also allow skimboarders to exhibit maneuvers that technology, evolution and skill have made possible.