We recently had the opportunity to talk with Nave Maimon of Skimboard Israel, which has an emerging skim scene.
"Israel is a country all along the coastline, we have at least 300 sunny days a year and water sports hobbies are very common here," Nave said. "The sea level in Israel is low most days, so it is more suitable for flatland skimboarding. Flatland skimboarding in Israel exsits from mainly in its amateur level, however the professional scene just keeps growing."
Q. What are your local skimboard spots like?
A. The spots in Israel are mostly found at the shore line. Some of them surrounded by rocks which creates nice shallow pools that are perfect for flatland skimboarding. When the sea level is low you can skimboard almost anywhere you want.
Q. What was your summer like on a skimboard?
A. The summer is a beautiful time in Israel. The beaches are always full and bustling with life. Almost everytime we went to the beach there was a perfect spot for flatland skimboarding. People here are not very familiar with the flatland skimboarding scene, so for me it was very interesting and fun to hear all the comments and to answer all of their questions. Some were very surprised you can jump with a skimboard and do ramps and rails with it. It was fun looking on their surprised faces.
Q. What was the highlight of the 2015 skimboard season for you?
A. The highlight was our flatland skimboard event in Tel-Aviv beach. Lots of skimboarders came, we taught each other new tricks & tips and the crowd around us was enthusiastic! Needless to say, the spot was great, we had ramps and skimboards, who needs more?
Q. What is the skim scene like in Israel?
A. Skim scene in Israel is relatively small. The flatland skimboarding scene always existed only in its amateur level. Now that we have companies like DB Skimboards we can revive the sport and bring it to a professional level.
Q. How did you found out about skimboarding in Israel?
A. I started 2 years ago when my friend bought himself a simple wood skimboard. I was excited at first and soon got bored. I wanted to advance to the next thing. Go faster and bigger. I found that you can't buy such a thing in Israel. So my first professional skimboard was ordered from the Internet. Then I discovered the skimboard area really. I was able to do new tricks, to jump, to really feel what it's like to experience flatland skimboarding.
