Published: Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 / Updated: Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 12:05 PM
Barefoot Challenge Jan. 1 on Lake Norman
SHERRILLS FORD, N.C. --
The 34th annual Lake Norman New Year’s Day Barefoot Challenge will be held Sunday, Jan. 1, at Lake Norman Marina. The event, which is set to begin around noon, will be hosted by Lake Norman Marina and the Carolina Show Ski Team.
It is one of the longest running and unique barefoot water ski tournaments in the world, organizers say. About 30 contestants from the Carolinas and surrounding states are expected to participate in the competition.
The tournament is partnering with Samaritan’s Feet to raise awareness and money for impoverished children who suffer from foot-borne diseases and infections because of a lack of shoes. The slogan is “Barefooting for Bare Feet.”
Samaritans Feet is a nonprofit organization based in Charlotte, whose 70,000 volunteers endeavor to provide shoes, compassion and hope to the nearly 300 million people who go without shoes each day.
Competitors in the tournament will earn one point for every second they stay on their bare feet, and points for their starting method and any tricks performed. The towboat pulls them in a tight circle pattern increasing the challenge and enabling spectators to keep a close eye on the action. Lake Norman Marina will donate to Samaritans Feet 10 cents per point compiled by the contestants.
Last year, Jeff Blair of Mooresville, N.C., broke the course record held since 1996 by world barefoot champion Ron Scarpa. Blair racked up 816 points by starting his run with a flying backward dock start and adding points by doing a back to front turnaround, multiple tumble turns and one foots and staying up for 151 seconds.
Concessions will be available at the site, and Carolina Show Ski Team skiers will be available to answer questions about water skiing.
For more information, call 704-572-9174 or visit carolinashowski.com.
Lake Wylie Pilot is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impracticable for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since Lakewyliepilot.com does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Lake Wylie Pilot.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking on exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators, we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.