Marcus Brown knows his way around the water.

Brown, a Chico State alumnus, has made himself into a professional water skier. But it wasn’t an overnight process. In fact, it was far from it.

Brown’s water skiing career began in his hometown of Biggs, just 32 minutes from Chico State. His passion for water sports and the lake lifestyle began at age 6. Brown competed in his first-ever water skiing tournament that summer.

Both of his parents were teachers and his summer breaks were spent on the lake each year with his family. Brown credits his older brother and parents as his biggest influences in shaping his passion for water skiing.

Slalom is Brown’s best event in water skiing. Slalom is an event where the skier weaves at high speed, slashing back and forth through a series of buoys to make tough cuts across the wake.

At age 14, Brown had an early setback. During a jumping event in which he had a bad landing, Brown completely shattered his femur. The injury required major surgery and ended his jumping and trick-event career.

However, Brown’s water skiing career and rise to becoming one of the biggest icons in water skiing men’s slalom had just begun.

“My biggest accomplishment (as a Wildcat) was in 2002,” Brown said. “I got invited to the University World Championship in Tianjin, China.”

Brown was on the Chico State water ski team from 2000-2003. He won the University World Championship for men’s slalom in 2002 for Chico State.

As a professional water skier, Brown has won and placed in many tournaments and championships over the globe. Currently, Brown is the residing U.S. Open Champion.

The Australian Moomba Masters International Invitational is one of the most prestigious and dangerous events for water skiing today. The event is held in the center of Melbourne, Australia on the choppy, fast-flowing Yarra River and brings over 30,000 attendees to watch the finals year after year.

“The first time I ever won a pro event continues to be one of my greatest and favorite moments,” Brown said. “In 2005, I was the Australian Moomba Masters Slalom champion.”

A competitor from New Zealand tied with Brown and they were forced into an extra playoff round in which Brown would get his first pro win during his birthday in the land Down Under. The competitor from New Zealand offered to split the purse before the extra round began, but Brown rejected him and won the event outright. Brown was the first water skier ever to compete and become the champion in the Australian Moomba Masters.

After winning one of the biggest and toughest victories in professional competitive water skiing, Brown began to think about what he could accomplish next.

“That’s where the seed was planted,” Brown said. “It’s not all about trying to be the best in the world. Even though I still continue to try to be the best, I had to figure out what else there is.”

Over the next year, Brown plans to release four cinematic films focusing on the “FlowPoint” movement he created. These films will give a rare look into some of the most talented individuals in sports in their quest to find the “FlowPoint.”

Brown described his “FlowPoint” movement as: “That place we all go when we lose ourself in the moment. We become the moment, and reach our highest potential. It’s that feeling we never stop searching for.”

“The act of doing something crazy or challenging or impossible,” he said. “It reveals a deeper layer within ourselves. Our problems disappear, we feel limitless, we become the moment. That is the FlowPoint.”

The “FlowPoint” film series will explore individuals who are experiencing the ultimate feeling that comes when greatness is accomplished in whatever the activity.

“Ultimately I want to speak to all types of people about their FlowPoint,” Brown said. “The FlowPoint is the moment that we all live for. Not everyone is going to win a Superbowl or hit a grand slam, but you can feel these FlowPoints through other people. It’s when you lose yourself in the work, the sport or the activity. I want to tell stories from any walk of life about people who are doing things for, and living life at, the FlowPoint.”

For more information on Marcus Brown or the FlowPoint Movement, go to www.marcusbrown.net.

Lars Gustafson can be reached at [email protected] or @larsonsports on Twitter.