In the expert drop knee division’s final heat, Curtis Lam, of Virginia, sets a bottom turn before a series of spin moves Saturday at Maverick’s in Sunriver.

SUNRIVER — Flowriders and bodyboarders have their own individual styles, but both are candy for the eyes.

When flowriders and bodyboarders compete, like at Saturday’s WaveLoch Flow Tour, they only have so long to show off as many moves as possible.

At Maverick’s at Sunriver, flowriders were standing on short curved boards, bodyboarders lying prone on bodyboards hovering inches above a Kevlar-covered incline, doing a variety of tricks: 360 spins, twirls, hops, shove-its and ollies — all in span of 40 seconds.

Flowriding is best described as surfing on an artificial wave — in this case on Maverick’s FlowRider machine. Those who call themselves expert flowriders and bodyboarders say it’s a combination of a few different sports.

“You get into your own zone,” said Nick Nguyen, 22, of Dallas, Texas, as he took a break from the WaveLoch Flow Tour competition Saturday, shaking water from his brown hair. “It’s kind of like skateboarding in a way. It’s pretty much it’s own unique thing. … But it’s a mix between just about everything (board-related): surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding.”

Nguyen won the expert bodyboarding event Saturday.

Twenty-five riders representing seven states joined the Sunriver competition, which is part of a 16-event series that started April 25 in Waterville Gulf Shores, Ala., and continues through Aug. 16, when the final competition will be held again in Alabama. Each Flow Tour event gives riders points toward the national competition. The Sunriver stop awarded more points than most other Flow Tour events because of its bigger purse.

The Flow Tour’s inaugural year was in 1996. This year is the first year that the tour is offering prize purses.

Saturday’s purse, awarded by Maverick’s, was $2,500, with top experts in each event receiving $600 for first place, $350 for second, $200 for third and $100 and fourth.

“I’ve been running the tour for the last 12 years,” said Chris Granone, Flow Tour director. “When I started, it was a four-event tour, I would go to Ohio, Texas and California. It’s evolved into a six-event, then 10-event and now it’s a nationwide 16-event tour. … We did get literally the nation’s best riders here. Not all of them, granted, but a good amount.”

Judges rate riders based on several factors. One is the length or duration of the ride, another is smoothness, the use of edges on the board and the use of the entire platform and the tricks, or degree of difficulty.

Two competitive categories were offered on Saturday, the flowboard and bodyboard. Within those categories, riders were divided by skill level and age. Competitors ranged in age from late teens to early 20s, with only one masters (30 and older) rider: Sunriver’s Blake Lundstrom, 33.

On Maverick’s FlowRider machine, riders fought against the 25,000 gallons of water flowing up the wide incline. Flowride expert Josh Dodson, 19, of Bend, made the surfing look as easy as walking. He cruised smoothly over the water’s surface, carved tight figure-eight turns and sprayed water 10 feet in the air with a sudden change in direction.

“We (Maverick staff/competitors) have never seen anybody else ride it (the FlowRider) really,” said Dodson, who won the men’s open flowboard division Saturday. “They (traveling experts) all have a different style of riding than we do. It seems to be a little more of a skateboard background. And most people that work here all snowboard. So we have a different style of riding.”

Maverick’s event organizers hope to grow the event in Sunriver. 2008 was the first year that Maverick’s was part of the Flow Tour. Then, the facility drew about 10 participants. This year 25 competitors joined the challenge, some traveling from as far away as Florida and Virginia.

The winner of the expert flowriding category was Sean Silveira, 20, of Orlando, Fla. He has been traveling to compete in the Flow Tour for two years and has already made friends around the nation through flowriding.

“Usually you just come out here to meet new people,” said Silveira. “Everybody is usually really nice. You have fun and hang out with your friends.”

Co-owner of Maverick’s and event director Shelby Cunningham said she was impressed by the expert competitors who traveled from their respective states to compete.

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “It is really good for our local rider base because we get to learn from them. And they help us and teach us tricks. When we started this last year, we had no idea that the skill level was the way that it was. We have just been so thrilled.

“These are great people and they are so talented. The sport is evolving every year. It’s incredible.”