Blair Conklin and Sophia Nguyen are the 2017 United Skim Tour (UST) champions.
The pro skimboarding season is over, and the sport has crowned its world champions.
Despite missing the OBX Skim Jam, the Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am, and the Sununga Skim Festival, the rider from Laguna Beach successfully defended his 2016 world title with four strong results in 2017.
As a result, the last event of the season held in Brazil was entirely dominated by local athletes. Renato Lima, who had won last year, repeated the feat in front of an ecstatic crowd.
"What a blessed week, closed with a golden key. It was a week of spectacular waves and a high level of skimboarding. I also won the Brazilian Nationals final, so I'm stoked," expressed Lima.
But the greatest surprise of all came from the women's division. Fourteen-year-old Sophia Nguyen, from Pensacola, Florida, dethroned multiple-time world champion Casey Kiernan, and become one of the youngest title-holders of the history of the sport.
The United Skim Tour will return in 2018. Hopefully, with more news updates and media resources from the organization compared to this year.
2017 United Skim Tour | World Champions
Men: Blair Conklin (CA)
Women: Sophia Nguyen (FL)
2017 Skim Festival Brasil | Final
1. Renato Lima (BRA)
2. Gustavo Camara (BRA)
3. Pablo Marreco (BRA)
4. Jacks Rodrigues (BRA)