I was using my skin edge flare tool to slightly flare the skin edges, but didn't have it tight enough. So it's my fault that the flare tool's edge jumped off the skin edge and dug a ditch right into the skin. DOH!
Watch for image 3 in the next few days...some good friends at a local aviation sheet metal fab shop may have a way to flatten that skin out without thinning the sheet. Otherwise I'll just buy a new one from Vans.