The first one features Jeremy Petrie (right) against Luke Bruckner (left) as Jeremy fights to maintain his grip on the handle, re-gripping it many times. Luke wins and goes on to take 6th. Jeremy wins 8th. There’s a lot of re-gripping going on. This video starts after they already made one eight.

Footstock – Jeremy Petrie vs Luke Bruckner [video]

The next features Dan Ehlers, who is hailed as the comeback story of the year at Footstock, who after 21 years took 4th place, versus Keith St Onge, one  of the world’s very best barefooters.

Footstock – Dan Ehlers vs Keith St Onge [video]

Be sure to head over there for all the details and more great pictures like this one…

Chris McWatters does his best Superman impression

Best Dam Barefoot Race Highlight Video

After lots of wind in 2007, a little less wind in 2008, then way too much wind in 2009, so much that they delayed the race by a day only to run it in 40 degree temperatures, the weather gods finally smiled on the race as weather was near perfect in Beaver Dam, WI. At race time, the temperature was near 60 degrees, is was partly sunny and just enough breeze to let you know that there was wind. The lake behind Dawn & Woody’s Moonlight Bar was nearly glass.

waiting for the horn to sound

Shortly after 11am, the boats idled out to the starting line and about 11:10am, the horn sounded and the 5 boats took off with their barefooters in tow.  In two falls that likely impacted the final results, Aaron Schoezl, a past Footstock Figure-8 Champion, fell on his deep water start. One other footer also quickly fell, but their identity was a mystery to those of us on shore (update – per Mike Miller in a comment below, it was Mark Mahan that fell.)

and they’re off

And with that, the boats disappeared behind the point as they raced northeast towards the far end of the lake. After about 8 minutes, we heard from one of the spotter boats that the first wave of footers were passing them. About 15 minutes into the race, we heard from the turn-a-round boat that four boats were already on their way back towards the finish.

As the race timer ticked towards the 27 minute mark, we could hear the roar of some of the boat motors as they raced back towards the finish line. As the timer crossed 27 minutes, the first boat, Team Mahnke, appeared past the point and raced across the finish line with a time of 27:12.

As the winners fished their final footer out of the water and cracked open their first celebratory beers, another boat, Team Mahan, made it’s appearance around the point, turning towards the finish line, when their footer fell. They quickly turned the boat around and put the handle back in the footer’s hands as another boat, Barefoot Central’s Team, appeared from behind the point. Team Mahan with their footer on the end of the rope, quickly took off towards the line, finishing with a time of 28:13 and they were followed quickly by Barefoot Central with a time of 28:24. The fourth boat, Hotfooters, finished 49 seconds later with a time of 29:13.

Team Manke enjoying their celebratory beers

After a 22 mile race, the top four teams were separated by a mere 2:01.

Back to the falls from the beginning of the race… Aaron Schoezl’s team, took 3rd behind the Mahan Team by 11 seconds. If Aaron or Mark don’t fall, they both likely contending for first. The initial pickup probably cost them about 45 seconds, maybe  a little more, maybe a little less. Those falls put them about a minute behind the eventual winners.

Update: One last note… Team Mahnke was also hampered by an 8-cylinder engine running on what they thought was 6, so they didn’t have nearly the speed that they are use to. It was fine for the initial start, but after that, they just couldn’t get the same speed. Even with the handicap, they were still able to win the race.

Here the the final standings after the race:

1. Team Manke – 27:12 (Bob Mahnke, Luke Bruchner, Chad Mietz, Paul Stokes, Mark Donahue)
2. Team Mahan – 28:13 (Mark Mahan, Rob Christenson, Chris McWaters, John Debelak, Mike Miller)
3. Barefoot Central – 28:24 (Chris Van Zealand, Aaron Schoezl, Scoot Reed, Lucas Twelemeyer, Jamie Kumlien)
4. Hotfooters – 29:13 (Mike Peterson, Gary Slawny, Dan Weinberger, Marci Holtz, Dave Strobel)
5. Team Hughes – 44:22 (Tommy Schmidt, Andy W., Shane Hughes, Chad Behl, Tyler Sweeney)

recapping their races to each other

I’ve copied it below because theirs will disappear eventually.

The U.S. Elite Barefoot Water Ski Team and the U.S. Senior Barefoot Water Ski Team each won overall team gold medals, the U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team earned the overall team bronze medal, and 15 U.S. athletes combined to earn 37 individual medals in respective events as the Barefoot Water Ski World Championships concluded Sunday at Lake Inspiration and Forest Lakes in Otaki, New Zealand.

For the second time, the biennial Elite (Open) Barefoot Water Ski World Championships was held simultaneously with the biennial Junior and Senior Barefoot Water Ski World Championships. The seven-day event featured more than 130 athletes from 13 countries. The Elite Barefoot Worlds took place for the 16th time, while the Junior Barefoot Worlds was held for the eighth time and the Senior Barefoot Worlds commenced for the sixth time.

Athletes participating as members of the U.S. Elite Barefoot Water Ski Team were: Ryan Boyd (Orlando, Fla.), Billy Brzoza (Coventry, R.I.), William Farrell (West Sacramento, Calif.),Elaine Heller (Alma Center, Wis.), Keith St. Onge (Winter Haven, Fla.) and Laura Szwed (White Lake, Mich.). The U.S. Elite Barefoot Water Ski Team won its 12th consecutive world team title. South Africa earned the silver medal and Australia claimed the bronze medal. 

The U.S. Elite Team was led by St. Onge, who won gold medals in men’s slalom and overall, the silver medal in jumping, and the bronze medal in tricks. Brzoza earned the silver medal in men’s slalom; Heller earned silver medals in women’s slalom, tricks, jumping and overall; and Szwed earned bronze medals in women’s slalom and tricks.

For complete results of the Elite Worlds, click here.

Athletes competing as members of the U.S. Senior Barefoot Water Ski Team were: Adin Daneker (Olympia, Wash.), Andrea Eggert (Smyrna, Ga.), Mike Salber (Clermont, Fla.), Heather Towers (Venetia, Pa.) and Kevin Towers (Venetia, Pa.). The U.S. Senior Team won the gold medal, followed by Australia and New Zealand.

Salber won gold medals in men’s tricks and overall, and silver medals in slalom and jumping; Kevin Towers won gold medals in men’s slalom and jumping, and silver medals in tricks and overall; Heather Towers won the gold medal in women’s slalom, silver medals in tricks and overall, and the bronze medal in jumping; and Eggert won the gold medal in women’s jumping.

A handful of U.S. independent competitors also earned medals in the Senior Worlds. Teri Jones (Tucker, Ga.) earned the silver medal in women’s jumping and bronze medals in tricks and overall;Tenley Cederstrand (Tacoma, Wash.) earned the bronze medal in women’s slalom; and Jerry Kanawyer (Byron, Calif.) earned bronze medals in men’s slalom and tricks.

For complete results from the Senior Worlds, click here.

Athletes participating as members of the U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team were: Shannon Heller (Alma Center, Wis.),Jacklyn Kumlien (Janesville, Wis.), Jamie Kumlien (Janesville, Wis.), A.J. Porecca (Willowbrook, Ill.) and Lisa Pressendo (Port St. Lucie, Fla.). The U.S. Junior Team earned the bronze medal. South Africa won the gold medal and Australia earned the silver medal.

Heller earned silver medals in junior women’s slalom, jumping and overall; and Jamie Kumlien earned bronze medals in junior men’s tricks and overall; Porreca earned the bronze medal in junior men’s jumping. John Pressendo (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), competing as a U.S. independent, earned the silver medal in junior men’s slalom.

For complete results from the Junior Worlds, click here.

The results of the Men’s Open Finals have been posted on the Australian Barefoot Water Ski Club’s website now and here are the final standings for Men’s Open:

1. Keith St Onge (USA)
2. Heinrich Sam (South Africa)
3. Andre De Villiers (South Africa)
4. David Small (Great Britain)

You can view the full results here.

The Women’s Open results are final as well and here are the standings:

1. Ashleigh Stebbeings (Australia)
2. Elaine Heller (USA)
3. Emily Goldia (Great Britain)
4. Laura Szwed (Great Britain)
5. Shannon Heller (USA)

The Men’s are all up[ and back and conditions for them were the same so no problems in that regard. The skiing was  great and just waiting for the scores to be posted. Welll I can safely tell you that this sport will always throw up a challenge. Both Bill Brzoza and Keith St Onge from the USA have tied for the gold at this stage. That means a run off to decide the champion.

Well just to give you an update on things here in Otaki, we are on hold because of conditions. The wind is up and water isn’t looking very friendly. And just to add it’s bloody cold as well!

Finally back to the water and it’s Women’s and Men’s tricks. The water is challenging but we are still seeing the big tricks and starts coming out and looking good. Ashleigh is away last off the dock in the Women’s and goes in about 3/4 way in her 1st pass. Ski’s all the way home so it’s a wait and see on the final results. Good skiing by all the Ladies. In Men’s tricks it all comes down to who’s doing it best on the day. Conditions are tricky.

Guess we need to wait a bit more to find out who’ll win.