Since we last checked in with the flowboarders at the 2007 Collegiate Nationals, tales of their exploits have trickled back to Collegiate Nationals headquarters in New York. Derek Zemen, rumor has it, is paying tribute to his last semester at USC by building a skate ramp in his living room. T-Mac (that’s Tyler McIntyre folks) of Mesa College and Jeff Ranta, formerly of SDSU, showed their stuff at the 2007 Flow Tour National Championships at the Wave House this past fall.

This wasn’t your grandmother’s flowboard competition. The Flow Tour National Championships turned the Wave House into the United Nations of the wave rider world. Riders from as far away as the Netherlands and South Africa made a pilgrimage to the famed Bruticus Maximus. Both McIntyre and Ranta threw some sick moves in the expert stand-up division and snagged third and fourth, respectively.

And then there’s Kristen Barney of Mesa, the sole woman to qualify for the finals at Collegiate Nationals last year. Barney also dominated the field at the Flow Tour National Championships, winning the female stand-up division. Being an instructor at the Wave House, Barney knows all the tricks to B-Max and has the insider’s track at the competition. Look for her in the finals again this year.

For those out there who can’t wait until the Collegiate Nationals return to the Wave House on April 19th for your daily dose of flow, check out the Collegiate Nationals athlete blogs. McIntyre, Barney and Peter Nussbaum of USC will keep you posted on everyone’s favorite royal palace of youth culture, the Wave House. So, flowboarders, keep holding it down in SoCal until the Collegiate Nationals crew catches up with you in April.