Barefoot Water Skiing Competitions

Barefoot water skiing is a type of water skiing that as its name implies is done without water skis. It has become very popular in recent years although the sport originated back in the 1940’s. There is a competitive aspect to barefoot water skiing and competitions are regularly held where barefooting experts perform tricks and show off their skills. In a traditional barefoot water skiing competition there are three events, tricks, jumps, and slalom.

In the trick portion of the competition a skier gets two passes of 15 seconds each to complete as many different tricks as they can. Each trick has a specific point value depending on difficulty. Tricks can be preformed while the skier is already up or they can be preformed at the start of the run as the way the skier gets to their feet.

In the slalom portion of a competition a skier gets two passes of 15 seconds each to cross the wake as many times as they can. A skier can cross the wake either forwards or backwards using one foot or two feet depending on their preference.

There is also a jump portion to barefooting competitions where a skier uses a small fiberglass jump ramp to make the longest jump possible. They get to take three jumps and the longest one they land while holding on and being able to stand up afterwards counts towards their score. Some barefooting experts can jump as far as 90 feet in competition.

Along with tricks, jumps, and wake crossing some barefoot competitions feature endurance events as well. A figure 8 event is one such endurance event where two skiers take opposite sides of the wake ski while the boat drives in a figure 8 pattern. The skier who stays up the longest wins.

A team endurance event is a race between teams of skiers. Each team has their own boat and skiers take turns skiing. These events commonly take place on a long river because race distances can be up to 45 miles. The first team that crosses the finish line wins.

The newest barefoot water skiing competitions bring together all three events, tricks, slalom, and jumps into an action packed show. Endurance competitions are usually held separately but all types of barefoot water skiing events are only for the best competitors in barefooting who are looking for recognition and a cash prize. Past competitions including the ‘Splash of the Titans’ and the ‘Belfast Max’ have showcased the best that barefoot water skiing has to offer.

By: Tom Kowl

About the Author:

Marketing Strategy