Barefoot skiing
Encyclopedia
Barefoot skiing is water skiing
behind a motorboat
without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing (30-45mph). The necessary speed required to keep the skier upright varies by the weight of the barefooter and can be approximated by the following formula: (W / 10) + 20, where W is the skier's weight in pounds and the result is in miles per hour.
, Florida
. According to the Water Ski Hall of Fame, and witnesses of the event, 17-year-old A.G. Hancock became the first person ever to barefoot water ski in 1947. That same year, Richard Downing "Dick" Pope Jr., was the first person ever to be photographed barefooting, stepping off his skis on a training boom alongside the boat. In 1950, the first barefoot competition was held in Cypress Gardens, with Pope and Mexican competitor Emilio Zamudio as the only two barefooters in the world at the time. Throughout the 1950s, additional barefoot starting techniques were invented including the two-ski jump out, the beach start (invented by Ken Tibado in 1955), and the deep water start (invented by Joe Cash
in 1958). The tumble-turn maneuver was 'invented' by accident during a double barefoot routine in 1960 when Terry Vance fell onto his back during a step-off and partner Don Thomson (still on his skis) spun him around forward, enabling Vance to regain a standing posture. In 1961, Randy Rabe became the first backward barefooter by stepping off a trick ski backwards, a maneuver Dick Pope had first tried in 1950 but vowed never to try again after a painful fall. The early 1960s saw Don Thomson appear as the first "superstar" of the sport, developing both back-to-front and front-to-back turnarounds, and performing the first barefoot tandem ride in a show at Cypress Gardens.
During this time barefooting began developing in Australia
as well. In April 1963, the first national competition was held in Australia, with 38 competitors http://barefoot.org/History.htm. The Australians were the first to develop barefoot jumping, one of the three events in modern barefoot competition, as well as pioneer many new tricks. In November 1978, the first world championships were held in Canberra
, Australia, where 54 skiers competed for a total of 10 different countries http://barefoot.org/History.htm. Australians Brett Wing and Colleen Wilkinson captured the men's and women's titles.
Optional equipment:
Barefoot water skiing has a competitive aspect which is very established. In traditional competition, there are three events:
For more information on rules, see the World Barefoot Council.
Some other barefoot competitions feature endurance events. These include:
The newest form of Barefoot competition is an event which brings together all three events Tricks, Slalom and Jump into a single set.
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
behind a motorboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing (30-45mph). The necessary speed required to keep the skier upright varies by the weight of the barefooter and can be approximated by the following formula: (W / 10) + 20, where W is the skier's weight in pounds and the result is in miles per hour.
History of barefooting
Barefoot water skiing originated in Winter HavenWinter Haven
Winter Haven may refer to:* Winter Haven, Florida* Winter Haven High School* Winter Haven Red Sox* Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport* Winter Haven Super Sox* Winter Haven Area Transit* Winter Haven...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. According to the Water Ski Hall of Fame, and witnesses of the event, 17-year-old A.G. Hancock became the first person ever to barefoot water ski in 1947. That same year, Richard Downing "Dick" Pope Jr., was the first person ever to be photographed barefooting, stepping off his skis on a training boom alongside the boat. In 1950, the first barefoot competition was held in Cypress Gardens, with Pope and Mexican competitor Emilio Zamudio as the only two barefooters in the world at the time. Throughout the 1950s, additional barefoot starting techniques were invented including the two-ski jump out, the beach start (invented by Ken Tibado in 1955), and the deep water start (invented by Joe Cash
Joe Cash
George Joseph Cash , better known as Joe Cash, was a World Championship water skier and renowned instructor. He was post-humously inducted into the WaterSkiing Hall of Fame in 1987, along with Mike Suyderhoud.-Biography:...
in 1958). The tumble-turn maneuver was 'invented' by accident during a double barefoot routine in 1960 when Terry Vance fell onto his back during a step-off and partner Don Thomson (still on his skis) spun him around forward, enabling Vance to regain a standing posture. In 1961, Randy Rabe became the first backward barefooter by stepping off a trick ski backwards, a maneuver Dick Pope had first tried in 1950 but vowed never to try again after a painful fall. The early 1960s saw Don Thomson appear as the first "superstar" of the sport, developing both back-to-front and front-to-back turnarounds, and performing the first barefoot tandem ride in a show at Cypress Gardens.
During this time barefooting began developing in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as well. In April 1963, the first national competition was held in Australia, with 38 competitors http://barefoot.org/History.htm. The Australians were the first to develop barefoot jumping, one of the three events in modern barefoot competition, as well as pioneer many new tricks. In November 1978, the first world championships were held in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia, where 54 skiers competed for a total of 10 different countries http://barefoot.org/History.htm. Australians Brett Wing and Colleen Wilkinson captured the men's and women's titles.
Equipment
Equipment required for barefooting:- Boat – Barefooting requires a boat or other towing object that can travel to a speed of (30-45mph) with a barefooter under tow. Some boats are made specifically for barefooting, as they have small wakes and can travel at fast speeds. For a current list of boats approved by the American Barefoot Club, visit ABC Boats.
- Handles and ropes – Normally a handled rope is used but may be optionally replaced with a ski boom (see below). A safety release may be used with the rope so that it can be detached from the boat in the event the barefooter becomes tangled in the rope. Though is it possible to barefoot with a normal 75 foot nylon tow rope and handle, many skiers use special ropes made out of Poly-E or Spectra to reduce spring. Barefoot handles have plastic tubing around them, so the skier can wrap their feet around the rope without getting ropeRopeA rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
burn and can have small modifications for frontward and backward toe holds. - Personal Flotation Device – It is recommended and in many locations required that skiers and barefooters wear a flotation device or padded wetsuit.
Optional equipment:
- Barefoot wetsuit – The skier wears a fitted, padded neopreneNeopreneNeoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene in general has good chemical stability, and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range...
barefoot wetsuit which has built-in flotation so that the need of a life jacket is unnecessary. It is possible to ski with a Coast Guard approved Type III flotation vest though this does not pad the skier well and the skier will not be able to perform many tricks. Some barefoot wetsuit manufactures include Eagle, Vortex and Barefoot International. - Padded shorts – Though not necessary, many barefooters wear padded neopreneNeopreneNeoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene in general has good chemical stability, and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range...
shortsShortsShorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...
. These help pad the skier's buttocks which is very helpful in performing the deep water start and tumble turns. - Booms – Barefoot booms are used for learning barefooting and also, learning new barefoot tricks. The boom is a long pole that hangs over the edge of the boat and allows the barefooter to ski directly alongside the boat. Because the pole is fixed the barefooter may lean his or her body weight onto the pole and recover from falls more easily than on a rope.
- Shoe Skis – Shoe skis may be used for training. Shoe skis are small 'skis' put on the foot that are only a few inches longer and wider than the skier's foot. Shoe skiing is performed at a much lower speed (approx 18 mph) than barefooting because of the increased lift provided by the surface area of the ski. As an intermediate step to barefooting, flat soled street shoes may also be worn. This provides more lift than bare feet, but a more similar experience to barefooting than actual wooden 'shoe skis'.
Competition
- Tricks – The skier has two passes of 15 seconds to complete as many different tricks as possible. All tricks have specific point values depending on difficulty. The skier also is awarded points for the start trick they performed to get up. For more information on points awarded for each trick, see the Trick Point Chart.
- Slalom – The skier has two passes of 15 seconds to cross the wake as many times are possible. The skier can cross the wake forwards or backwards and on two feet or one foot. The world record was set by Keith St. Onge in 2006 (20.6).
- Jump – The skier travels over a small, fiberglass jump ramp. They have three jumps and the longest one successfully landed counts. Professionals can jump as far as 90 feet (27.4 meters) and the world record of 29.9 meters (98.1 feet) was set by David Small.
For more information on rules, see the World Barefoot Council.
Some other barefoot competitions feature endurance events. These include:
- Figure 8 – Two skiers on opposite sides of the wake ski while the boat drives in the pattern of a figure 8. The skier who is the last one standing wins.
- Team Endurance – This is a race between a variety of teams. Each team has a boat and the skiers take turns skiing. This generally takes place on a long river, where race distances can be up to about 45 miles. The first team to cross the finish line wins.
The newest form of Barefoot competition is an event which brings together all three events Tricks, Slalom and Jump into a single set.
See also
- Cable skiingCable skiing.Cable skiing is a way to water ski , where the skier's rope and handle are pulled by an electrically driven cable, whereas traditionally a waterskier is pulled by a motorboat. The mechanism consists of two cables running parallel to one another with carriers between them every 80 metres. The...
- HydrofoilingSit-down hydrofoilThe sit-down hydrofoil is a fairly new water sport. Unlike water skiing and wakeboarding you do not ride on the water, instead your body and the board rise above the water, supported by the hydrofoil wing which is still under the water. This is done by being towed by a towboat with a driver and...
- Waterskiing
- WakeboardingWakeboardingWakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques....
- Kneeboarding