Phillip Bloxham, aka @stone_skimmer, shares his connection to Nature, his litter-picking commitment to Sea Shepherd, and what it takes to achieve a record-breaking skim.
We met Phil at the 2026 World Stone Skimming Championships in Scotland. For those unaware, the championship is an international meeting of record-breaking skimmers plus a few confident chancers willing to give it a spin. Imogen from Faith In Nature’s Studio team, trekked from Manchester to Oban to spectate this year's contest.
The wonderfully eccentric world of stone skimming
What started as a group of mates throwing stones after a stint in the pub has somehow evolved into a 35-year tradition on tiny Easdale Island, attracting more than 400 competitors and thousands of visitors for a silly but serious spectacle.
The skim zone is within a sheltered cove, where contestants are given 3 chances to achieve a long-distance pelt across the top of the water, the stone must skip at least 3 times. They need to stay within the markers and hit the back wall for entry into the final - it’s not easy. All ages and abilities are welcome to enter the ballot but it is highly subscribed. Spectators roar enthusiastically from the top of the viewing zone, it takes all afternoon and is followed by a celebratory prizegiving and ceilidh - WHAT A DAY!
Last year, the event hit the headlines after two entrants were accused of a stone smoothing scandal. GASP! In response, the tournament appointed a geologist to ensure stones originated from Easdale and were not tampered with - regulation stones only.
Around the edges of the island, the old slate quarries are now flooded. A huge wave in 1881 brought the quarrying industry to an end, but left behind picturesque pools of crystal-clear water, now a very popular spot with wild swimmers.
10,000 Stones Challenge
Phil, the stone skimming champ from Wales, was anxiously waiting in the ferry queue over to the island when we met. Unfortunately for Phil, he didn’t achieve the result he was after on the day, but his enthusiasm for stone skimming didn’t dull. We chatted about skimming and his personal challenge to raise funds and awareness for marine conservation by skimming 10,000 stones and picking up 10,000 pieces of litter.
Why do you think such a simple act can be so satisfying?
It’s mesmerising when a stone dances along the water for longer than most people think possible. The sounds put other peaceful noises to shame. That blissful ‘plink, plink, pitter patter’ makes the first skips incredible to listen to. Satisfaction shaped by sound. Then you have the long skims - the stone leaves that audio in the distance as it glides towards the horizon, and it’s your eyes that get to experience science defying science - a stone that does not want to sink. As well as what your senses tell you, you just never truly know what’s going to happen. Perfect skims with rubbish stones, rubbish skims with perfect stones. Every single throw is a gamble, and the novelty refuses to wear off. It’s the perfect ASMR cocktail of wonder.
We’re in awe of your efforts to support the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a global non-profit dedicated to safeguarding marine wildlife and ocean ecosystems. Tell us more about it and how it's progressing?
I wanted to do something good. I don’t like social media, but am trying to build a following to get more people into nature to love it the way I do. I have been vegetarian since I was 16, vegan for the last 6 years. I have always said that animals are the best part of this world, and supporting an organisation that battles to protect wildlife is an honour.
With every throw, I am aiming to do something meaningful for nature one small act at a time.
I’m 6 weeks in and have reached 3450 stones skimmed and 1775 pieces of litter picked. The idea came to me after months of sunshine, so I missed the perfect weather. I’m focussing on skimming first because stones vanish when the rain comes back. I’ve raised over £500 so far, thanks to friends and family and my social media following.
Can you tell us how your relationship with Nature changed because of your love for skimming?
My entire life has been focussed on nature. I grew up mostly climbing trees and skimming stones, plus fighting imaginary monsters in the forest on my way to the river.
My passion moved into snowboarding, surfing and rock climbing, but in 2016 I messed up my knee riding the snow down the French Alps. One terrible decision to return to the UK - ignorant to the horrendous delays I’d face before treatment - meant that a fairly minor cartilage injury became a life of knee pain and limitation. It was clear 9 years ago that I must never run or jump again. So that ripped a lot of my passion out of life. It was only in 2022 that I moved to Cardiff and when I was wandering along the river looking at kingfishers and otters, I noticed unlimited skimming stones. Life led me to competitions and it turned out I was one of the best in the world. Since then, my love of nature has not changed as such, but I’ve spent more time than ever out there and that’s a real blessing. Wading along the rivers, discovering hidden gems all around Cardiff and beyond. Everywhere I go, I am searching for the perfect stone skimming spot, and I love being out there every day. It’s love with a purpose beyond just loving it.
It also means I notice the impact that humans have on nature more than ever. Litter everywhere, discarded because it wasn’t their problem. You lose a lot of faith in humanity when you come across an entire picnic left lying on the river’s edge, all the joy consumed, but all the litter left behind.
You mentioned Cardiff is a haven for stones and rivers. What does a stone skimmer notice that other people might walk straight past?
It is an absolute stone skimming utopia! But it’s not all sat there on display. I find most of my amazing places by scouring the map, finding a possible good spot and then wandering along in real life. When I get it right, I’m off the beaten path, the sanctity of the stone haven is protected by a little clamber over some slippery rocks or a fumble through the bushes. It’s not that people walk straight past the wealth of stones, it’s that they’re just well enough out of sight that only the stone skimmer is looking. Rivers are everywhere, lakes are amazing - Cardiff does not boast, but it does provide!
What makes the perfect skimming stone, what are you looking for and what’s the knack to finding them?
Perfect comes in all shapes and sizes, expectations and surprises!
Sometimes, I finish a session and find one random, low quality stone in my bag that flies into the distance. I cleared Roath lake - about 135-140 metres - with a natural stone that wouldn’t even have made the top 200 I had that day. The key when looking for a stone is to find one that wants to skim, even if you throw it poorly. These are the three ingredients you want to bear in mind:
1 - An overall flat base. It doesn’t need to be smooth, but it should be flat. If you put it down on the table, it shouldn’t rock much when you prod at the edges. If it does, it’ll wobble during the skim.
2 - No sharp edges. You can occasionally get away with a great skim of a sharp stone sometimes, but there’s a huge risk that the sharp edge will catch the water and end the skim.
3 - It needs to feel great. This is most important. If you feel like you can launch it beyond the sunset, then it’s probably going to skim really well as long as it has 1 and 2. A bit of friction - like a little notch - for your finger to get some spin from is better than a perfect circle.
Bonus point: the stone size in Easdale is way too small for most adults. They need that rule to make it harder to hit the back wall in the small lake, but you don’t want to stick to it if bigger stones feel better.
You've achieved some impressive distances, with 177 metres currently your personal best. What's the most memorable place you've ever skipped a stone?
That’s like asking someone which sip of hot chocolate was the best. If you LOVE hot chocolate, they’re all the best.
I’ve skimmed stones in crystal lakes with mountain backgrounds in Patagonia, underneath trains and behind speedboats in Berlin, into sun sets and sunrises in Scotland, England and Wales, under bridges all over the place, in puddles, in rock pools, off the edge of John O’ Groates and down the bottom of Land’s End.
There are FAR too many perfect situations to choose a most memorable. I really value times where an animal shows up in my skimming videos. It’s always a bird, and always so welcome. For me, it’s what I do in a place that makes it memorable, more than the place. You’d have to come with me on an adventure to catch a glimpse of the beauty I find.
For Phil, stone skimming is about much more than seeing how far a stone can travel. It's a reason to slow down, pay attention to the landscape and turn that connection into action for the places and wildlife he cares about.
Find out more about Phil's challenge and support his fundraising here: justgiving.com/10000stones
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