youtu.be/nEeh0UXjRyE youtu.be/CV9__JpZ5iQ
A very modern boardsport, flowboarding includes parts of various boardsports like bodyboarding, snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, skimboarding and skateboarding. Participants of this sport ride on “sheet waves,” that are artificial waves. The WaveLoch FlowRider and FlowBarrel are sheet waves that are patented by Wave Loch Inc, whose headquarters are in La Jolla, California. The sheets are created by strong pumps that push three-inch water layers at speeds of 20 – 30 mph. The surfaces over which the water flows are designed to replicate ocean waves. However, one of the core differences is that the sheet waves do not move forward like ocean waves. The movement results from the flow of water over the unmoving surface. Simple and more complex tricks can be performed in fairly small areas and participants build speed from the energy created by the water beneath them.