Flowboarding is a late-20th Century alternative boardsport that is an alchemy of board designs, techniques, tricks and culture derived from surfing, bodyboarding, skateboarding, skimboarding, snowboarding and wakeboarding.

Flowboarders ride on artificial waves that are technically called “sheet waves.” Known technically as the WaveLoch Flow Rider and the Flow Barrel, these sheet waves are the patented constructions of Wave Loch, Inc. which is headquartered in La Jolla, California, and Aquatic Development Group which is headquartered in Albany, NY. Powerful pumps project a three-inch layer of water at speeds ranging from 20 MPH to 30 MPH. The water flows up and over surfaces engineered to replicate the shape of ocean waves. Sheet waves are stationary waves, in that the wave does not move forward, and the movement is derived from water flowing over a stationary surface. Flowboarders get their speed from the energy of the water flowing at them, and can perform basic to sophisticated turns and tricks within a relatively small area.