Barefoot Water Skiing

Water skiing without skis — bare feet slice through the water at 65+ km/h.

👥1 per team🌤outdoor
Photo · Wikipedia

What is Barefoot Water Skiing?

Barefoot water skiing is a discipline of tow-sports in which the skier rides on bare feet, requiring boat speeds around 65 km/h and above to plane. Competition covers slalom (crossing wake at speed), tricks and jump (from a ramp), all barefoot. The World Barefoot Council governs the sport internationally.

Quick facts

Category

Aquatic Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇺🇸 United States

Estimated origin

1947, Cypress Gardens, Florida (A. G. Hancock)

Olympic

No

Popularity

niche

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified