Barefoot water skiing began in Florida as a recreational activity in the late 1940s and was quickly introduced into the water ski shows at Cypress Gardens, Fla. Interest in barefooting grew, and in 1961 USA Water Ski organized the American Barefoot Club (ABC). Today, the ABC is a sport division of USA Water Ski, the national governing body for the sport of water skiing in the United States. Originally, membership in the ABC was reserved for barefooters who could stay on their feet for a minimum of 60 seconds.
| The barefoot craze spread overseas, becoming especially popular among the Australians, who eventually organized the first barefoot tournaments. They were patterned after conventional competition, with an added discipline called "start methods," which has since been discontinued. Today, barefooting is a world-wide sport recognized by the International Water Ski Federation, the world governing body of water skiing. A World Championships is held every two years. The U.S. Barefoot Water Ski Team has won the Team World Championship title nine consecutive times – 1986 in Kelheim, West Germany; 1988 in Melbourne, Australia; 1990 in Jacksonville, Fla.; 1992 in London, England; 1994 in Sydney, Australia; 1996 in Fergus Falls, Minn.; 1998 in Sydney, Australia; 2000 in Fergus Falls, Minn.; and 2002 in Wallsee, Austria. |
In the United States, USA Water Ski sanctions more than 50 barefoot tournaments each year. The Barefoot Water Ski National Championships, held each August, attracts more than 150 of the nation’s top barefooters who compete for event and overall medals.
The Barefoot Events
Barefoot water ski events – wake slalom, tricks and jumping – are similar to the three events in traditional water skiing. Differences arise in the speed of the boat and the skier (depending upon age division, barefoot events are sometimes faster, with a top speed for the Open Division of 43.2 mph), in the lack of buoys in slalom, and the height of the jump ramp (18 inches as compared to five or six feet for traditional jumping). The absence of skis more than makes up for the differences in the equipment on the ski course.
| In wake slalom, points are awarded for full crossing from the outside of the first wake wave to the outside of the second, for crossing one wave only, and for straddling a wake wave at the moment the 15-second pass is terminated. Crossings can be made on one foot or both feet, the barefooter facing forward or backward. Point values increase for the more difficult methods.
Barefoot tricks runs are 15 seconds in length and are scored by judges in much the same manner as those in conventional tricks skiing. In barefoot jumping, the takeoff edge of the ramp is approximately 18 inches above the water line. Jumpers must step off a ski prior to reaching a step-off buoy, located 165 feet before the ramp, and maintain a barefooting position into the ramp. Jumping distance requirements to qualify barefooters for Open competition are 35 feet for women and 50 feet for men. |
Divisions of competition/skier rating
There are 16 divisions in barefooting with 14 of them based on gender and age, and the Open divisions divided only by gender:
| Male | Female |
| Boys 1 — 9 & under | Girls 1 — 9 & under |
| Boys 2 — 10-12 | Girls 2 — 10-12 |
| Boys 3 — 13-16 | Girls 3 — 13-16 |
| Men 1 — 17-24 | Women 1 — 17-24 |
| Men 2 — 25-34 | Women 2 — 25-34 |
| Men 3 — 35-44 | Women 3 — 35-44 |
| Men 4 — 45-54 | Women 4 — 45-54 |
| Men 5 — 55-59 | Women 5 — 55-59 |
| Men 6 — 60 & over | Women 6 — 60 & over |
| Open Men — Any age | Open Women — Any age |
Skiers are rated on the basis of performance which meets or exceeds minimum requirements. Ratings are: Master, Expert, First Class, and Open. Entry to tournaments is based on rating.