In all likelihood, human beings have picked up flat stones and hurled them bouncing across the top of the water since the very beginning of time. Stone skipping is an instinctive human physical activity and this compulsion to challenge gravity, at least momentarily, by making a little stone walk across the waters must have deep roots in our consciousness. There is no origin for stone skipping.
Stone skipping is natural and universal.
Generally, stone skipping technique is passed from grandparent or parent to child in a simple and unceremonious tradition. Then, without fail, you will begin to see stones flying out parallel to the water, ricocheting off the surface until stopping and gently sinking into the depths. The childlike joy and broad smiles shared by all who skip stones does not require explanation or interpretation. All who skip stones will have a significant positive emotional and physical experience. For this reason alone, stone skipping survives as a recreational activity passed down from generation to generation from time immemorial.