Another Couple Peeps Doing 7’s

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Well, it has finally come to pass.  Paul O’Conner of Mad-City is no longer the sole person doing 720’s in the show ski world.  We have a couple more people to add to the role call now.

First off, we have someone from the Waterhawks in Waterloo, Iowa doing a 7 of the ramp through some fire.

Next, we have a 16-year old named Nick Wilson, from the Lake City Skiers in Warsaw, Indiana land a 7.  
Not sure how consistent either of these people are throwing them yet, but much props to them for landing one.  Me, I still spin abot 330 degrees when I throw a heli.  Makes skiing away a bit difficult.
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New Tricks and Their Point Values

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I promise to find something about barefooting to post about that isn’t based on something that is over at BFC, but this is a topic that I want touch base on.

New tricks.

Although people have come up with some slick new tricks, of which a ton of video is floating around on the net, it seems that the the WBC (the World Barefoot Council) only recognizes tricks that have been sent in to them for review for being officially recognized and having point values assigned.  It seems some people find this to be unfair, or maybe, too much of a hassel to go through.  They think that, hey there is video of it on the web, it should be recognized.  How many points will it be worth?  (You can read more of this discusssion over on this thread at BFC).

Foot (a WBC member) laid out the process… send a video of the tricks being done long line to the council and then the council will review them.  The council isn’t going to come look at videos on BFC to search out new tricks.

Now people are asking why the council isn’t going to look at videos on BFC?  Well, I’m guessing because the current process calls for the videos to be sent to them.  Plus, the council can’t be expected to search out new videos on the web looking for new tricks to add.  Why?  Because popular websites are going to have an easy time getting their tricks recognized.  A little one person website that posts new tricks probably isn’t going to be found, and the trick not reviewed.  It just isn’t a realistic process to go through.

Now maybe the WBC might need to update their process to recognize video links submitted to them, which I think would be fair.  Levels the playing field.  But expecting members to find them on their own accord is not a fair expectation for them.

Well, the people running BFC posted a video of new tricks they want considered, put it right on their front page, and asked WBC members to look at it.  Not sure if this will be enough to get them approved, but they are trying.

 

New Tricks for the WBC

Free Style!!!

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Way back in the 90s, there was a little sport called Free Style Jump.  Back then, they did a whole lot more of the ramp than just flips, gainers and helis.  They’d do all of that, then they’d do it on just a single ski, throw in some 1 ski 540’s, mobes, back mobes and some other stuff that I’m really not sure what they are and you have some pretty slick free style jumping.
It still exists today to some extent.  Now it’s called show ski jump, but just a bit tamer.  They mainly stick to the three staples (helis, flips and gainers), with a handful of people doing a bit more. You see the occasional 720, some one ski helis, and the vary rare mobious, but you just don’t see them vary often.  In the show ski world, unless you can stick damn near everytime, it’s just not going to make the show.  It’s too risky when you’re going for a state, regional or national championship.
But here are some people that don’t care about scores.  They just care about making you go “what the hell did I just see?” or “wow” or “holy shit!” and occasionaly make you’re jaw drop.

Now some ski teams still push the envelope a little bit.  Mad-City has Paul O’Conner who’s one of a handfull of people who can through a 720, and probably the only one that lands it consistently.  They also have a stable of jumpers so they can put together double 1-ski gainers, or the more traditional triple gainers.  There’s also Jon Debelak who’s skied for RAJ & Badgerland that can through the Mobe and gets to pull it out once in a while.
Some other teams will put together some crazy jumps of people flipping over helis and what not, but nothing like old school free style jumping.
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Freestyle Footstock

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There’s been some debate about what exactly is freestyle barefooting… while here’s AN answer.  You see the Andre and Zane DeVilliers and Chris Morrison do some pretty sweet tricks, including hitting the ramp and doing more than your standard barefoot jumps.  Nothing we haven’t see before, but it’s nice to see them try this stuff out on something less than perfect glass water.  Granted they still had excellent conditions, but not the glass you see them do this stuff on all the time.

Freestyle Footstock

Music City River Run – Oct 18, 2008

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The boys of Barefoot Endurance Racing on ning have announced the details of the 3rd Annual Music City River Run.  The endurance race takes place on Saturday, October 18th.

Sounds like they are doing two versions of the race this time…  one version will be the relatively normal 25 mile variety.  The other version will be 100 miles.  For more details, click the link above to check out the ning site.  Here’s the entry form with a bunch of details and here’s a link to the BFC forum with some discussion on the race.

Oh Brother…

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This is kinda of an uninspired video from BFC… not a whole lot new in this one, and there isn’t a lot of footing either.  They go shopping for “cowboy” clothes and hats, do a little footing in what looks like just swim trunks and cowboy hats, but if you look closely, you can see barefoot shorts under their trunks.  So if you’re excited to see guys go barefooting with cowboy hats, enjoy…

Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

Do Your Thing

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As usual, BFC has put together another video of really good footers doing some sick tricks on glass calm water.  It’s almost starting to get old.  But then about 2:30 in the video, they starting doing something interesting again.  I wouldn’t quite call them front flips or back flips, but the footers do go inverted, kinda of like a cartwheel, but with no hands (after trying to find the term for that trick, I guess its called an aerial cartwheel).  Then they start doing these over each other.

In summary, the first half is a little ho-hum with the sick tricks we’re becoming way too use to and then it gets interesting at the end.  Now go watch the video…

Do Your Thing

Redneck Barefooting

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Here’s what we need:

  • rope… check
  • wetsuit… check
  • kneeboard… check
  • snowmobile… check

Snowmobile?  Yes, snowmobile.   Don’t need a boat or even a jet ski.  Just something that can move over the water.

KSO, on a trip to Wisconsin decided to try out footing on a small private body of water behind a snowmobile.  Here’s the video…

Redneck Barefooting with KSO

Then, based on some dates, shortly after doing this, KSO went on to win his 9th Barefoot Nationals at the Blue Moo followed by Footstock in Crandon.  He had a busy summer in Wisconsin.

Footin’ Fever 2008

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For those of you who live near Winter Haven, FL or just need a little excuse to head down to warmer weather in the fall, Cypress Gardens is hosting a head-to-head barefoot endurance competition on Saturday, October 25.  Registration begins at 7am and the footin’ starts at 8am.  Depending on the number of entries, it may expand to Sunday if needed.  For full details, check out the announcement on USA Water Ski.