In general, Roma tomatoes tend to work well for canned sauces because they contain less water and create a thicker sauce. Beefsteak, lemon boy, and better boy varieties also work well. Regardless of the type used, the tomatoes should be ripe and firm. Avoid using tomatoes that are mushy, bruised, or rotten. Set a large pot of water to a boil. Plunge each tomato into the boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds before removing it with a heat-resistant spoon or tongs. Immediately after the tomatoes are removed from the boiling water, they should be plunged into a bowl of ice water. This loosens the skins, making them easier to peel off for your sauce. You should be able to remove the skins by peeling them back with your fingers at this point, but if not, you can slide a smooth, sharp knife in between the skin and the meat of the tomato to begin the process. Remove the stem and the tough parts around the stem. Also remove any bruised, soft sections of the tomato. Hold each tomato half over a sink or extra bowl. Gently squeeze the half to drain it of excess water and the remove a good portion of the seeds. After the tomato is mostly dry, take a spoon to clear out the remaining seeds. You do not need to remove every last seed, but you should try to get most of them out. Place the tomato halves into a colander placed over the sink or over a large bowl. Allow the tomatoes to drain for 15 minutes or so. Removing as much moisture as possible will leave you with a much thicker sauce, and it will also reduce the amount of cooking time needed to create the sauce.

Summary: Choose high quality tomatoes. Boil the tomatoes whole. Quickly dip the tomatoes into a bowl of ice water. Slide the skins off. Cut the tomatoes into halves. Scoop out the seeds and squeeze out the water. Drain the tomatoes.


Use a small amount of sandboard wax on the bottom of the board. Rub the wax across the board from the back to the top and a small amount of the edges of the board. Take a handful of dry sand and rub it over the wax to help smooth it out. Apply sand to the board until it no longer sticks on the wax.  Slide the board back and forth in the sand, bottom down, so the board glides easily in the sand. Do not use wet sand on the board, as this can cause your board to stick to the sand as you ride. Make sure you are facing in the direction you are heading down the dune. Keep your arms and legs tucked into the center of the board. You will need to use a sandboard with no bindings to be able to lie down on your belly comfortably. Sit down and strap your feet into the bindings. Make sure your dominant foot is in front of the board, pointing in the direction you are heading down the dune. You should be able to rock back on your heels when you are strapped into the bindings. Look for a dune with dry sand that has a 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) slope. Make sure there are no shrubs, sticks, shells, or obstructions around the dune or at the bottom of the dune. If you are standing on the board, keep your weight centered and your knees slightly bent. Shift your weight forward and keep your hips and shoulders stacked on top of each other. Turn your head in the direction you are heading and keep your arms relaxed at your sides. If you are lying on your belly, keep your body in the center of the board, with your legs tucked in and your chin up. If you are standing, tip your weight slightly forward and slide the board until it moves down the dune. If you are lying on your belly, use your hands to push yourself off the dune. If you are standing, allow the board to pick up speed as you ride down the dune, keeping your back leg strong and your weight in the center of the board. If you are lying on your belly, keep your arms and legs tucked in and your chin up as you slide down the dune. Avoid leaning forward or shifting your weight too far forward as you ride.  Stretch your hands out to help you balance as you ride. You should slow down as you reach the bottom of the dune and come to a gradual stop. There are usually no lifts to carry you back up to the dunes so you will have to run back up the dune on your own. Do another run on the same hill to get the hang of sandboarding. Then, challenge yourself to do a bigger dune or a dune with a bigger slope. You may need to wax your board again between runs to keep it smooth and help it to slide on the sand.
Summary: Wax the bottom of the sandboard. Lie down on your belly for a less strenuous run. Stand with your feet in the bindings for a more challenging run. Start on a small dune with a flat starting point. Place your board downhill. Push off the dune to gain speed. Keep your weight centered as you ride down the dune. Run back up the dune with your board to do a second run.