Brandon Rothe is so smooth on a skimboard, he might not even get all the credit he deserves.
He’s the kind of rider who might not overly impress some in person, but go home and check out his clips on YouTube and jaws might start to drop.
Technically, he’s tight with his craft. Rothe takes it seriously, which is not to say he doesn’t have fun, but the time in the water is time for business.
“Some people, big competitors, have told me that maybe flailing your arms around will get you extra points,” said Rothe, 24. “I’m really big on just skimming the way I do. Everyone’s got their own style, so it’s cool.”
Everything would be even cooler for Rothe if he can win this weekend at Aliso Beach Park, the site of the 33rd annual Victoria Skimboards World Championship of Skimboarding. It’s a big weekend for all professional skimboarders but especially for Rothe, who was born and raised in Laguna Beach before moving to San Clemente last fall.
See, Rothe is the defending champion of “the Vic.” And he’d like nothing more than to win the championship again on his home break.
Victoria Skimboards General Manager Trigg Garner wouldn’t be surprised. He said he wasn’t even surprised to see Rothe snatch the title away from legend Bill “Beaker” Bryan last year. Bryan, also a Laguna Beach resident, is like the Michael Jordan of skimboarding, dominant for well over a decade. That might not even be giving Bryan enough credit, because “his Airness” only won six rings and Bryan has won “the Vic” a total of 14 times.
Bryan is also the defending United Skim Tour champion. Yet, when it was Rothe who stepped up to collect first prize after a long weekend of skimming last year, Garner didn’t bat an eyebrow.
“There’s always that little bit of surprise [when Bryan doesn’t win],” Garner said. “Bill is still that good. But not really [surprised], with the way [Rothe] was skimming.
“The only negative thing I could say is I don’t think some people recognize the technique of his riding because he’s so smooth. He’s definitely a technical rider; he just does it with a nonchalant smoothness.”
