AUSTYN VICTORIA is an artist, photographer and pro flowboarder based in Orlando, Florida. We were delighted when she took the time to talk to us about the new and exciting sport and some of her success in competitions to date.

With a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Sculpture Victoria has combined art with her passion for her sport and developed a clothing range for women flowboarders. To find out more and to follow her blog visit www.flowlove.co.

What sports were you involved in before flowboarding and had you always been a sporty person?

Before I started flowboarding I had been surfing and wakeboarding for about four years. As a kid I had athletic ability, I played some golf and tennis but they didn’t hold my interest. All through high school I was part of a very competitive marching band which takes a great deal of coordination and athleticism and I think that carried through to when I got into water sports.

When did you first hear about flowboarding and what made you want to give it a try?

My good friend who I met through wakeboarding worked at the flowrider in Kissimmee called Fantasy Surf and he invited me to try it. To be honest I didn’t enjoy my first session; I was the only one riding and I took a beating in those 30 minutes! A few weeks later I decided to give it another try. I returned multiple times, started getting better at it and then I was hooked.

Could you tell us the basic concept of flowboarding and what’s involved?

Flowboarding looks like surfing, feels like snowboarding and takes trick inspiration from skateboarding. It takes a lot of balance, keeping most of the weight on your back leg and steering the board by pushing on your toes and heels to carve back and forth. It is a very free feeling, almost like hovering over the surface. As with any sport, the more you practice, the better you get and their are many levels of tricks to learn, from novice to advanced. 

https://vimeo.com/austynvictoria/whatisflowboarding2

Bodyboarding is another option offered and is great for beginners and smaller children due to a more stable riding position. There is a also wide range of tricks for the bodyboard and many riders excel in both ‘stand-up’ and bodyboarding disciplines. Flowboarding is fun for all ages and skill levels and is an inviting challenge for athletes from surfing, skim boarding, skateboarding and wake sports.

How often do you currently train and what have been some of your biggest achievements in the sport?

I usually train on the flowrider about four times a week. My first competitive season I won second in Women’s Flowboard at the 2012 World Flowboarding Championships. In 2014 I was the first woman to place in the North American Open Men’s division during the summer Flow Tour at the Flowhouse LBI competition and at the end of the season I travelled to Abu Dhabi to compete in Worlds as a wild card entry, placing fourth overall in Women’s Flowboard. 

http://www.vimeo.com/austynvictoria/wfc14

Most recently I made it through to the Women’s Strapless final on the flowbarrel during the first annual US Open of Flowboarding at Wavehouse, San Diego, hosting the best barrel riders from all over the world. The flowbarrel is an entirely different beast; a constant eight foot barrel in which riders launch and do aerial tricks. There is only one in the US, and unfortunately it is on the opposite coast from me, so I was excited to be able to participate in the event after only a week of practice.

How are you helping the sport progress and how hard do you work to try to encourage others to give it a go?

I ride the best I can to keep pushing the women’s division, which has progressed tremendously the past few seasons. This year, instead of having only one women’s division in which all skill levels compete together, we have been given separate pro and amateur divisions and I hope this will encourage more women to compete!

I use my creative talents to spread the word about our sport. I most enjoy making videos of the events that encompass the whole experience, so those who were there can relive it and those who weren’t can see the event through my perspective.

I put a lot of time and effort into the videos in hopes that when people see them they will want to give it a go! When I am working at Fantasy Surf, I encourage local riders to return and try to recommend visitors to waves near their home town. I tell people about the sport and where they can find out more about it if they are interested, since most people who hear about the attraction don’t know that there is a competitive side as well.

What was the inspiration behind www.flowlove.co and what can visitors expect from the site?

I am an artist, I got my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Sculpture with studies in photography and after I graduated I wanted to find a way to merge my two passions: flowboarding and art. Out of this, and the complete lack of women’s flowboarding apparel, came my clothing line, flowlove. The goal of flowlove is to spread the word about flowboarding and encourage women of all ages to get involved!

At flowlove.co, visitors can shop for different apparel styles, which I am slowly expanding, and they can also find my blog with photos, videos, and posts of pretty much anything flowboarding related! I invite visitors to reach out with any questions they may have about the sport, how to get involved, how to find a wave near them, how to do a certain trick: any questions are welcomed and I will use my experience and connections in this community to help find an answer!

When you are not flowboarding how do you most like to spend your time?

I keep myself very busy. When I am not flowboarding, I like to work out, surf in the ocean, stay active. I do freelance photography and videography, picking up any shoots that may come my way in a variety of subjects and I teach private photography lessons. I’ve always got video projects to work on, whether they be full length event coverage or fun shots for my Instagram (@austynvictoriaflows). 

I love to travel! Mostly my travels include flowboarding in some way but I always try to get out and explore the culture in each new place I visit. 

I create wearable sculptures out of recycled materials and I also enjoy painting, drawing, up-cycling old furniture and decorating. I’m always looking to the world for inspirations for flowlove designs. I challenge myself to do something creative each day.

Do you have any exciting plans in the sport of flowboarding for the rest of the year and beyond?

I am currently in France to help instruct at a brand new flowbarrel which is very exciting. I am hoping this will open up opportunities to travel to new places, doing what I love and sharing flowboarding with others!