The 2012 Carbon Flow Tour National Championships were held at Fantasy Surf, (5151 Kyngs Health Ave Kissimmee) on August 10th and 11th. The best flow boarders in the world battled it out for a chance at the National Title. Carbon is a company that manufactures the actual flow boards. They had a display in the crowded spectators area. The man working the Carbon table talked to me about possibly transferring one of my sketches to a board. I told him I would be interested and gave him my card. Large bleachers were set up to handle the spectators while the three judges and the announcer sat front and center against the glass.
The FLOW Tour had divisions for
body boarders and flow boarders, men and women, boys and girls, amateur
and professional, young and old. For the past ten years, the FLOW Tour
has traveled to many of the 55+ Flow rider locations throughout the
United States and has inspired an
ever-expanding level of competition among body boarders and flow boarders
around the United States – and it all comes to a head on the FLOW Tour which consisted of 10 stops across 7 different
states. With a prize purse of over $27,000 dollars; it’s no surprise
hundreds of riders from across the country travel with the tour to make
their mark in the flow boarding community.
Competitions required a minimum prize purse of $2500 as well as the
all-important point system. There were 10 events including the National
Championships. Each competitor’s best 6 results, including the
championships, were added together to bestow the 2012 season
champions in their respective divisions.
I found a seat at a table and decided this was to be my best sketch vantage point. Spectators and competitors would often stand obstructing my view of the judges but I would patiently wait for my moment to strike. The Judges were Matti Griffin, Robert Pals and Patrick Boyce. One competitor entered the competition having never been on a flow board. He wiped out again and again much the the amusement of the judges and spectators. Of course most competitors were doing a series of advanced tricks. The air was thick with the sharp smell of chlorine. Since I was nursing a cold, I decided to leave as soon as I finished my sketch to spare my lungs.