Tacloban City (August 21) -- Skimboarding is fast becoming a popular water sport in Central Philippines. The enthusiasts have already formed a circle and go around Visayas promoting and enjoying the waters in the different skimboarding spots which they have already identified.

Tanauan Mayor Roque Tiu announced that the municipality of Tanauan is ready to train young people who would like to learn skimboarding. Already, the town played host to a number of skimboarding clinics for the youth of the nearby municipalities of Leyte.

This is the municipality's contribution to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's mega region strategy of development wherein Central Philippines is being eyed as the Tourism Capital of the Philippines.

Tanauan will always be remembered as the birthplace of skimboarding in the country, Mayor Tiu said, but he would rather that Tanauan be remembered as the Skimboarding Capital of the country.

On August 13, in connection with the Fiesta celebration of Tanauan, the local government sponsored a Skimboarding Competition minus the champions. This is to give chance to the other riders to excel and win too.

On August 16-19, 2007, the Tanauan, Leyte riders ruled the skimboarding competition held in Maasin City, Southern Leyte.

Malaysian International Skimboarding Competition champion, Leo Espada emerged as the winner of the three day competition taking home not only the championship trophy but also Eight Thousand Pesos in cash.

The second place was won by Odilio Hermosa of Talisay, Cebu who brought home Six Thousand Five Hundred Pesos in cash plus trophy.

Brando Espada took the third place winning Four Thousand Five Hundred Pesos in cash while his brother Dariel who placed fourth in the Malaysian International Skimboarding Competition, got the fourth place and Two Thousand Five Hundred Pesos in cash.

The Maasin Skimboarding Competition was participated in by more that forty skim riders from Maasin City, Southern Leyte; Cebu and Maasin City. Of the forty riders, sixteen are from Tanauan.

Skimboarding dates back to the late 1920's when Laguna Beach lifeguards used to skimboard on pieces of wood. Although people still skimboard on wood skimboards throughout the world, the sport has evolved immensely.

Today skimboarding is one of the most high-tech water sports anywhere, while continuing to be one of the smallest. The boards used by professional skimboarders are built using technology adapted from aerospace to attain maximum lightness, buoyancy, and rocker. The board used by the average skimboarder is far more technologically advanced than that of the average surfer.

Even though skimboarding is a fairly old sport, it continues to be a small sport. While skimboarding has become more and more globalized in recent years, Laguna Beach California has long been the "north shore" of skimboarding.

The skimboards were sometimes referred to as "double enders" because of their shape. The boards were rounded at both ends but one end had a larger radius, which was the nose of the board. Even in these early days of skimming people were pushing the limits by venturing out into the waves. Some of the basic moves were speed runs and fly aways with the occasional top turn to make a big spray.