Fringe sports get a splash of panache

Thrill-seekers jump out of mainstream, soak up new tricks

By Deb Acord, Special to the Rocky

Published July 7, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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Photo by Brian Lehmann/The Rocky

Barefoot skier Michael Whitney demonstrates a backward one-foot trick.

Michael Whitney and Lucas Garnhart love watersports.

It doesn't take much prodding to get them to talk about their time on Colorado's lakes and reservoirs. But don't expect them to get all sentimental remembering the spray of mist in their faces or the soothing effects of a day spent boating.

No, Whitney and Garnhart are all about the thrills, the speed and the challenge of new moves and new tricks on the water.

Whitney, 48, from Highlands Ranch, is a barefoot skier. Garnhart, 18, from Colorado Springs, is a wakeskater.

They were attracted to their respective sports because they veered from the mainstream - in Whitney's case, water-skiing, and in Garnhart's, wakeboarding - and they offered them new ways to challenge themselves.

Along the way, both have become known for their skills on the water. Whitney has won national titles in barefoot skiing. Garnhart competes with Tommy's Slalom Shop team in Denver.

Water-skiing with sole

Barefoot skiing dates back to 1947, when renegade skier Dick Pope Jr. kicked off his skis and headed out on the water, skimming along the surface at high speeds on just the soles of his feet.

Pope's feat was recorded on film, and three years later, the first barefoot competition was held at the 1950 Cypress Gardens Dixie Championships, according to the American Club, a division of USA Water Ski, the national governing body of organized water-skiing in the U.S.

In the ensuing decades, barefooting has remained a fringe sport in the water-skiing world, and Whitney likes it that way.

"I learned to ski when I was a kid, and it came easily for me," the computer operations manager said. "But then I didn't ski again from age 8 to my late 20s. When I went back to the water, I got hooked on barefoot skiing and never went back to anything else."

Whitney says he is drawn to fringe sports.

"I'm one of those guys drawn to things that are a little unusual, that aren't what everybody else is doing," he said. "I like barefoot skiing because it really challenges me."

Skateboarding on water

Like Whitney, Garnhart thrives on fringe sports. The Tommy's Slalom Shop employee gave barefoot skiing a try, but when wakeskating came along in the 1990s, he found his niche.

"When my family started going out on the lake, I started wakeboarding," he says. "But I've been skateboarding my whole life, and when I saw wakeskating, I knew that was the sport for me."

Wakeboarders ride a flat board and perform tricks across the boat's wake. Wakeboarders use boards with bindings and special boots - think snowboarding on water.

Wakeskating takes the sport a step further, losing the bindings and boots for skateboarding on water. Wakeskaters use smaller boards to perform tricks straight out of a skateboard park.

Garnhart likes the improvisation of wakeskating. "It's such a young sport. Everyone can put their own emphasis, their own style on it," he said. "On a wakeskate, one guy can make a trick look totally different than another guy."

Barefoot skiing vs. wakeskating

Which is more extreme, barefoot skiing or wakeskating? Which sport requires more strength? Skill? Guts? We asked Michael Whitney, a dedicated barefoot skier, and Lucas Garnhart, a passionate wakeskater, to square off, and we added some background from USA Waterski, the national governing body of organized water-skiing.

Protection, protection, protection: Barefoot skiers often wear padded suits for protection because of the high speeds at which they travel. They sometimes wear wet suits with gloves, hoods and booties when the water is cold.

Padding is for wimps: Wakeskaters rely on sport-specific shoes, specialty toe ropes and handles. When the water's cold, most just suck it up.

Speed demons: It's all about speed. Barefooters need to go fast - really fast - to skim over the water. The average speed for barefoot skiing is 35 mph for a 150-pound skier, while the average skier travels at 20-25 mph.

Tricksters, not speedsters: It's not high speeds but big wakes that make wakeskating interesting. The average speed is 14-18 mph; some go up to 23 mph.

Specialty boats: Since barefoot skiing requires fast speeds, a boat needs to move at least 35 mph while leaving a small wake so as not to throw off the skier. Some boats are equipped with tow bars for beginners, while other boats are made specifically for barefoot skiing.

A boat or an ATV, it doesn't matter: Wakeskaters are looking for new thrills. So whether they're pulled by personal watercraft or bass boats, they don't care as long as they reach 25 mph. Some wakeskaters even find their thrills being pulled along the water's edge by land-driven ATVs. The challenge: There's no wake to help with the tricks.

Give me glass: Barefoot skiers are happiest when skiing on smooth, wake-free water. For this reason, Whitney skis at the private Pit 4 Waterski Club near Henderson.

Bring on the bumps, if you must: Wakeskaters like their water smooth but can handle choppier conditions, so long as the boat's wake is big. Garnhart skis at the private Lake Colorado near Pueblo.

Skip the talk: Barefoot skiers don't need fancy terminology. The sport is broken down into three simple categories - jumping, tricks and slalom - but don't let that fool you. "It's all about speed and staying on the water," Whitney said. "Your body takes more of a beating than in traditional water -skiing, and if you fall, the falls are also harder."

Gnarly, dude: Wakeskating's origins lie in skateboarding, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the language of skating migrated to the water. "It's about balance, about popping the wakeskate - getting in the air and learning the timing. In wakeboarding, everybody's hucking the same stuff. That doesn't happen in wakeskating," Garnhart said.

Slalom: Maneuvering around a series of buoys.

Tumble turns: Making a 360-degree turn.

One-foots: Skiing with one foot in the air.

Perez: Carving outside the boat's wake and sliding into a surface 360-degree turn.

Shifty: Shifting the board 90 degrees in one direction, then back in the opposite direction.

No pain, no gain: Barefooters are going more than 30 mph when they hit the water. When they fall, some end up with a nasty aquatic road rash - often on their faces, where they take the brunt of the spills.

Big moves over bruises: The slower speed of wakeskating means less impact and fewer injuries, but Garnhart says that doesn't mean his sport is any easier. "I've tried barefoot skiing, and I didn't find it to be that hard, off the boom anyway. And I'm pretty confident a barefooter wouldn't be able to do a shuvit (a pop and rotate move)."

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