CORTEZ – Slicker’s Eatery General Manager Brandon Rolland won his division while competing in the 42nd annual ZAP Pro-Am World Championship of Skimboarding.
Rolland traveled to Dewey Beach, Delaware for the annual tournament that took place this year Aug. 9-11. Rolland, 31, competed in the Grandmasters division that featured 13 amateur competitors 30-39 years old who came from around the country to participate. Rolland won his quarterfinal heat on Friday, his semi-final heat on Saturday and the final heat on Sunday.
“On Friday, the waves were absolutely terrible because of the remnants of Hurricane Debby. The waves were decent in size but the conditions were really windy, rainy, nasty and choppy. It got really glassy and clean on Saturday and Sunday and it was beautiful weekend,” Rolland said.
“They score you on your three best waves. I probably ran 10 waves in each heat. The goal is to get on your board and do as many tricks and maneuvers as you can while connecting to a wave, surfing out and doing as many tricks as you can on your way back to the beach. You start on the beach with a running start. Dewey Beach has a nice little slope, kind of like a mini-ramp, so you get a lot of speed running downhill towards the water. You jump on your board, slide out to the waves and try to time it right so you get the biggest and best ride. This is my second time winning this event. I try to do this one as often as possible. This is probably my fifth or sixth time competing in this event,” he said.
“I’ve had friends tell me I should go pro but I’ve always felt like I still need to do more to earn it. There’s people that have entered the pro ranks that haven’t really climbed the ladder the way things used to be. Anyone can enter as a pro but there’s kind of an unwritten rule that you don’t go pro until you’re dominating your division, which for me is starting to happen. I’ve won my division several times. It’s a thought, but not yet,” he said.
Rolland started skimboarding when he was 14.
“I actually learned to skim on the Manatee County Golf Course. When I was old enough, I’d take the bus to the beach by myself and take the trolley up and down the Island. I’d skim on the north end by White Avenue and the Sandbar restaurant and then come up to Coquina and skim the groins,” he said.
When asked what he likes about skimboarding, Rolland said, “The connection to the beach and the water and being able to express myself and blow off steam. It’s creative and it’s an adrenaline rush when you’re riding the waves. I love being on the beach and I grew up on the water. I also like to surf and I enjoy watersports.”
At this stage in his life, Rolland has to balance his love of skimboarding with his work responsibilities.
“I try to do the Shore Pound Throwdown tournament in Sebastian Inlet that’s put on by Shore Pound in the spring and then this one in August. I try to get to both of those if I can. I used to do the tour non-stop and go to every single event,” Rolland said of the annual tour that consists of five or so tour stops.
“I won the entire tour in 2019 but working at the restaurant makes it tougher to do that. Winning this year sparked that desire again and I do want to try the tour again. Skim USA puts on the tour events and there’s also the United Skim Tour,” he said.
