Skim Club @ UCF earns first national title

When most college students head to the beach, the main objective is to kick back, relax and have a good time. But last weekend, 12 members of the Skim Club @ UCF took to the warm water of Vilano Beach for a different reason: to win the National Collegiate Skimboarding Association Championship.

The club beat out seven other collegiate teams, including rivals University of South Florida and Flagler College, to win its first national title in only its third year of existence.

"When we got the trophy, I was pretty speechless," said Michael Flickinger, the club's president. "We accomplished our goal."

According to the NCSA, the title is given to the team whose competitors net the most combined points from two events: the Fall Classic, which took place last November, and the National Championship, held April 9-10.

The UCF club was dominant, winning both competitions with a total score of 53.25 points. Flagler College finished in a distant second place with 34.25 points.

Individually, UCF was led by Erick Rosenberry, who finished in first place in the professional division with five points, and Chuck Wright, who finished second in the competitive division with nine points. The Knights also received strong performances from John Oates, Ryan Williams and Mike Puhalovich.

This tournament also saw UCF's first female competitor, Erica Bickel, who finished third in her division.

As a result of the victory, UCF has received more recognition within the skimboarding community. Although nothing is certain, Flickinger stated that the club is in talks with Zap Skimboards about a potential sponsorship.

While most teams would look at a national championship as the appropriate culmination to a season full of hard work, these boarders believe it is just the beginning.

"Winning the championship has given us a drive to push the club in the right direction," said John Oates, the club's vice president  "This whole year is about getting funding, sponsorships, and new members … Everything is looking up."

Unlike most sport clubs at UCF, the Skim Club is not affiliated with the SGA Sport Club Council, even though it has tried to become an official club in the past. However, the Skim Club hopes its recent success will help it to be recognized by the SCC.

The club has been able to practice and attend tournaments, but most of the funding for their events has come out of the students' pockets. Flickinger mentioned that it is tougher to recruit new members and raise enough money without support from the SCC.

"If we did get funding, our club would take off," Flickinger said.

Obtaining the support of the SCC is one of the Skim Club's main goals for the near future.

"I just think we have a lot to offer the SCC," Oates said. "We compete really well, have a bunch of great guys and it creates a good image."

According to Jordan Clark, another of the club's members, the team battled despite the lack of support.

"The fact that we went out and represented UCF on our own time, without any help, and competed against the top teams to win a national championship really shows how dedicated we are as a team,"  Clark said.

When asked why skimboarding doesn't receive as much recognition as other sports, Clark pointed out that the sport itself is relatively new.

"It's only starting to get big the last few years," Clark said, "so I think over time that will happen naturally."

In three years, the skimboarding club has increased from just three competitors to more than 85 members on Facebook.