Barefooting

Barefooting began in the 1940s when skiers first attempted to glide on the water without skis, and it grew into an organized sport through the 1960s. The first World Championships were held in 1978 in Australia, establishing Tricks, Slalom, and Jump as the three events. From simple moves like tumble turns and basic crossings, the sport has evolved into a highly technical competition with strict judging standards and precise measuring systems. Over time, advances in technique and training have pushed athletes to set new records and raise the level of competition around the world.

Barefooters are known for being some of the wildest (and most fun) athletes in all of towed water sports disciplines today. The sport is exhilarating, and the lifestyle is contagious. To get involved and learn to barefoot, check out worldbarefootcenter.com

Slalom

Most people understand traditional water ski slalom, but instead of weaving around buoys, the barefooter has two 15-second runs to complete as many wake crossings as possible. Crossings can be forward, backward, on two feet or one foot, and they must happen inside one of four zones for judges to count them. A two-foot crossing is worth .5 points, and a one-foot crossing is worth 1 point. If both passes are in the same direction, such as two forward passes or two backward passes, the lower pass is multiplied by .25 before being added to the total. For example, if a skier scored three crossings in the first pass and four in the second, the three would be multiplied by .25 to equal .75 and added to the four for 4.75. If the skier went one direction in the first pass and the other direction in the second, no multiplier is used (benefit to the barefooter). In slalom, if the boat driver is off the set speed by more than .5 mph, it results in an optional re-ride. Barefooters will also refer to this event as “Wakes.”

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Tricks

Beginning with simple moves like tumble turns, one-foots, and toeholds,Tricks became an official barefoot event in the 1970s. From those early basics, the event grew into the most complicated part of barefooting, with dozens of tricks performed both forward and backward. Each skier has two passes of fifteen seconds, with a short turnaround that varies depending on the site. The goal is to perform as many tricks as possible in the 15 seconds. There are no style points because a trick either meets the standard or it does not. For example, if a foot lift is not clearly off the water, it will not be scored. If a turn does not show continuous motion, it does not count. In tricks, if the boat driver is off the set speed by more than .5 mph, it results in an optional re-run.

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Jump

A crowd favorite, the barefoot jumper has three attempts to go as far as possible. Distance is measured from the end of the ramp to the first point the barefooter touches the water using a precise measuring system. Only distance counts, not form. For example, if the first jump is 20 feet, the second is 70 feet, and the third is 68 feet, the longest jump of 70 feet is the score. The maximum boat speed is 44.7 mph with a tolerance of .5 mph, meaning if the speed is off by more than .5, it results in a re-run