While you can open a Gmail account without first validating your phone number, get help 1-866-719-1006 there is no straightforward way to "skip" the process. Google may still request a phone number for account signup or for recovery purposes. However, you can create an account without inputting a phone number and skip the verification stage. Here's how to create a Gmail account without verifying your phone number:
How To Recover Gmail Account With Security Questions
