Armchair BEA, Day 4: Beyond the Blog

So for Day 4 of Armchair BEA, we could write about our life "beyond the blog".  So, because I got a lot of comments on my introduction post about flowboarding, I thought I'd write about that. 

Flowboarding is surfing and bodyboarding on a manmade wave.  I can do both, but I enjoy surfing more (just don't call it surfing in real life, people get mad...I've heard it called either "standup" or "flowboarding").  My husband, who can also do both, enjoys bodyboarding more.  We have both competed on a national level in flowboarding, traveling across the country to compete.  He, however, is a national champion (in the 30 and up category), in addition to being a 2 time tour champion. 

This is a video I made 3 years ago of my husband, I'm sorry I don't have anything more recent.  I have a ton of pictures of the both of us on facebook (but I can't get them to copy and paste)

Our "home wave" is at Massanutten Resort and Waterpark, just outside of Harrisonburg, VA.  But, we've ridden at:  Sahara Sam's Oasis (NJ), Great Escape Lodge (NY), Camelback Waterpark (PA), Kalahari (Ohio), Wilderness of the Smokies (TN), Solomon Center (UT), Silver Mountain Resort (ID), Spash City (IL), Waterville (AL), Moses Lake (WA), Alberqueque (NM), Waterpark of America (MN), Waterworld Denver (CO).  My husband has ridden at Great Escape Lodge in Williamsburg (VA), Wavehouse San Diego, Vista, Lindsay and one other in California (but I can't remember the name of the town).

While we are now "old" (almost 30 and 33, respectively---hey, its hard keeping up with those darn kids!), and don't want to compete on the tour anymore, we still make it an active part of our lives.  As part of our summer vacation this year, while we are planning on going to visit San Francisco, Seattle, Crater Lake and Glacier National Park, we're going to be able to ride at about 5 (or more) different waterparks.   



Me competing 2 years ago in Ogden, Utah.

 My husband's bodyboard is a little more curved than an ocean bodyboard, and instead of really having to muscle the board around (like you do in the ocean), its more about balance and weight placement.  My board is just long like a surfboard, but isn't as wide, nor does it have a tail fin.  Its just smooth all the way around.  The movement for that is more like that of a wakeskater or skateboarder (and oftentimes the tricks are similar).  In surfing you lean forward, doing standup, you lean back. 
Flowboarding isn't all fun and games, both my husband and I have really hurt ourselves while riding.  He's jammed fingers, torn cartilage in his shoulder, and now has arthriis and bursitis in it.  I've sprained my ankle pretty bad, fallen and had my knee-cap move over and back, jammed my shoulder; in addition to bumps, bruises and just the impact of falling.

But, its worth it, not just the time I can spend with my husband doing something positive, but the places we've been and all the people we've met have been wonderful.  I've friends all over the world because of flowboarding.

I do keep a blog of our summer adventures, The Furmans On Tour, if you'd like to check it out and keep up with our adventures.