Chair(wo)man of the board / Jessica Nichols earns title as No. 1 female flowboarder in the world

For Jessica Nichols, life is all about balance.
This week, she's back at Utah State University, carrying a full load of junior-level graphic design courses.
This summer, she balanced a job at Flowrider, the indoor surfing center in downtown Ogden's Salomon Center, with a heavy touring schedule as a flowboarding athlete.
And three weeks ago, she was in Alabama, competing for three days and earning the title of No. 1 woman flowboarder in the world.
"I've been flowboarding for about a year and a half," said Nichols, 20, an Idaho native who spends her winters at USU in Logan, and her summers with family in Ogden. "I've been snowboarding since I was 7, so when I walked past Flowrider, I knew it was something I wanted to try."
Flowrider offers customers a chance to try their surfing skills in a wave machine the size of a backyard pool, with water jets that pump 55,000 gallons a minute up a curved incline.
"It took me a good solid month before I could do turns and spins," Nichols recalled, with a laugh. "The first day I tried it, I thought, 'I'm going to be really good at this because of snowboarding, but the whole first hour, I couldn't stand up. They always tell people to use the rope for balance, but I didn't want to. I couldn't even stand up until I used the rope."
Still, Flowrider manager Shaun Hancock was impressed with the 5-foot-2-inch, 110-pound athlete. He offered her a job assisting customers at the facility. She could practice her own skills when business was slow.
"She had a lot of enthusiasm and energy," Hancock said. "She really wanted to learn, and I knew she'd be good working with people as a coach."
Nichols said a lot of the skills she learned as a competitive snowboarder were transferable to flowriding.
"I fell in love with the sport," Nichols said. "I had the job first, then I fell in love with the sport."
Ogden's Flowrider facility is one of two in Utah that are open to the public. The other is at the Lindon Aquatic Center. About 80 Flowrider facilities exist in America, and 130 worldwide, Hancock said. The Ogden location is one of 13 nationwide that hosts a competitive Flowrider tour, which came here in April.
"It's the fastest-growing board sport, and it's just getting going," Hancock said.
Nichols taught herself to carve through the water, do kick flips, and master curves, spins and other power and agility stunts. When her skills earned her second place in the women's category in 2008, she decided to turn everything up a notch.
"I practiced a lot, and I'm really happy it paid off," she said. "I can push the water really hard. What sets me apart is the smoothness of my techniques, and the more advanced tricks. I rode for multiple hours every day trying to get there, and I went undefeated in 12 out of 13 competitions. I was undefeated except in Minnesota. Judges want variety, difficulty in your tricks, and control."
Rob Chalfant works for Wave International, which sponsored the competitions, and was one of three judges at the nationals.
"She had a good combination of tricks and she is very smooth," he said of Nichols. "She knows how to use the entire surface of the ride. A lot of people do the same thing over and over. Jessica mixes things up, and she has added new tricks since last year.
"As with most extreme games, there are more men involved than women, but Jessica is probably good enough to go up against the amateur men."
Nichols plans to work and train at Flowrider on weekends, but until next spring, her main focus has to be school.
But her graphics design major was chosen with flowboarding in mind, she said.
"I'm trying to start my own company and design my own flowriding and surfing gear," she said. "Flowriding has a tendency to rip off your bathing suit, which is why I wear a T-shirt and shorts. I want to come out with my own line of rash guards (surfwear made of protective fabrics), and I want to design boards. A company let me design a custom board, and that's the field I want to go into.
"I'm kind of a competitive person, and when I started snowboarding, I loved the competition," she said. "How cool is it to get to get paid to do something you enjoy? I also love teaching people, and I love traveling to compete. It's funny how it all fell into place for me. I tell people I have the best job in the world."
 
 
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Got your swimsuit, your balance and your ticket to ride? Here are some flowboard tips and tricks you may want to try, offered by Flowrider manager Shaun Hancock.
* Knees
From a prone position, push on your board as if doing a pushup. Slide your knees onto the board, and ride.
*Carve
Standing on the board, use your foot to drive the edge of one side into the water. That will send you riding in that direction and create a spray of water behind you in the opposite direction.
*Barrel Roll
On a body board (shorter than the standard board), lie on your belly. Shift your weight hard to one side, so your back is in the water, then continue rolling until you are back on top of the board. Roll hard or you won't have enough momentum to get back on your board.
*360 Spin
Standing on the board, use your feet to spin the board 360 degrees, pushing down the edge of the board in the direction you want it to go.
*180 Shuvit
Standing on the board, push it down and spin it 180 degrees with your feet. Land on it as it pops back up.
*Kick Flip
In a standing position, jump and pop the board off the water, causing it to rotate upside down then right side up. Land back on top.
* Superman
This is a way to enter the water. From the side or back of the Flowrider, run toward the surf with your board held in front of you, parallel to the water. Pull the board beneath you just before you hit the water.
* Switch Riding
Most people feel comfortable riding the board with one specific foot in the front and the other in back. Switch your feet. This will help increase your versatility and ability to take tricks either direction.