‘We love low tides.’ June tidal shifts bring skimboard competition to Dash Point
If you’re looking for another activity that showcases why Puget Sound beaches might be superior to those on the coast (like geoduck digging, paddleboarding, and orca spotting), look no further than flatland skimboarding.
Flatland skimboarding, specifically. Wave skimboarding is reserved for coastal beaches, but, according to Matt McDonald, promoter of Dash Point’s Beachfest Skimboarding Competition, flatland skimboarding is best enjoyed on Puget Sound’s low tides and tide pools, which make a perfect game board for the sport’s many flips and tricks.
On June 27, Dash Point welcomes back the annual Beachfest Skimboarding Competition, a “community staple that continues to put the local skimboard culture on the map,” according to a recent news release sent to The News Tribune.
Beachfest is spearheaded by local skimboarder and tournament director Logan Davidson, whose Instagram page has him listed as a “Professional Flatland Skimboarder.”
McDonald told The News Tribune on a phone call on Tuesday that this is Beachfest’s fourth consecutive year, though many flatland skimboarding competitions have been held at Dash Point in the past.
“There was a long-running DB Skimboards Pro Am contest that went on for a decade, but it came and went when COVID arrived,” McDonald said. Davidson was the tournament director for that competition as well.
According to the news release, this year brings about 40 participants from as far as Vancouver, B.C., and Salt Lake City.
Don’t expect to see any wave skimboarders there.
“There are little feuds between wave skimboarders and flatland skimboarders,” McDonald said. “The two hobbies don’t really mix.”
Along with sliding the mudflats and sloshing the tide pools, Beachfest features many ramps, rails and boxes for competitors to leap and spin on, creating quite the spectacle.
Skimboarders can compete in three different divisions: Under 16, Amateur and Professional.
Why late June at Dash Point? McDonald says this time of year brings the lowest tides to Puget Sound, and Dash Point, with its massive tidal flats that can stretch hundreds of yards, is a perfect venue.
“Beachfest is more than just a contest,” McDonald’s statement reads. “It is a vital celebration of an underrepresented sport. Skimboard culture is uniquely tied to the identity of Federal Way, and Beachfest offers the perfect, high-energy environment for the local community to gather, support local athletes, and see what the vibrant sport of skimboarding is all about.
“Spectators of all ages are welcome to come down to Dash Point State Park on June 27th to witness the action firsthand.”
Event Details:
● What: Beachfest Skimboarding Contest
● When: June 27
● Where: Dash Point State Park, Federal Way
● Divisions: U-16, Amateur and Professional
● Registration: 8 a.m. on June 27
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