'Stone skimmers' draw crowds in Liverpool parks

A simple invitation from one university student to another has led to one of Liverpool's most unexpected social groups.

When Joel Lewis, 22, asked his Physics classmate Luca Killick,19, if he "wanted to go stone skimming?" neither of them knew it would spark something bigger.

Now, their sessions in parks across the city are drawing crowds and even going viral online.

"We filmed ourselves skimming and put it on social media, and it ended up getting around half a million views," Joel explains.

"After that, people started messaging asking when and where we meet. That's when we realised there was something in it."

As a response to these messages the pair formed the Liverpool Stone Skimming Society, which has become an opportunity for its members to try something simple, social and completely offline.

For Joel, who has skimmed competitively for several years, there's more to it than just throwing stones.

"Skimming itself means getting it far; skipping is how many times it can bounce," he said.

"Skipping is more the American style, where you're aiming for as many bounces as possible.

"The European way is about distance that's what we focus on."

Although this activity does require some skill, it's the simple nostalgia where it gets its appeal.

"The thing about stone skimming is it's not complicated," Patrick Downey, a regular participant of the group, said.

"There's no way to be pretentious about it, you're just throwing stones into water and seeing how far they go."

The activity is made even easier with the right stone, which is an art in itself.

The group regularly travels to beaches, from Crosby to as far as Scotland, collecting the perfect stones for each session.

"A perfectly smooth stone is awful, there's nowhere to grip," Joel said.

"You need a good point on the stone, that's where I generate the skim."

The Sefton Park meet ups has turned a niche hobby into a growing community, with people of all ages turning up to take part, watch, or simply socialise outdoors.

"Skimming is about having fun," Joel said.

In a fast-paced, always online world, it seems that something as simple as throwing stones into water is striking a chord.

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