Van Jantzen of Tega Cay

Dec. 9. The 47th Annual Lake Norman New Year’s Day Barefoot Challenge will be held Wednesday, Jan. 1, starting at noon. Hosted by the Carolina Show Ski Team, the tournament held at Lake Norman Marina combines barefoot skiing starts, tricks and endurance skills in one single ride—barefoot.

About 25-30 “Footers” are expected to compete, coming from as far as Florida and New Jersey.

Background

Barefoot legends Keith St. Onge, Ron Scarpa, Peter Fleck, Rachel George Normand, and endurance legend Mark Donohue have all competed in the event.

Two up-and-coming local competitors, 16 year old Van Jantzen of Tega Cay and 11 year old Logan Harrington of Davidson, NC. Last year Jantzen came out on top in the Open Division, beating long time winner Jeff Blair. After another year of training, Jantzen is aiming to boost his score and secure his second Open Division victory.

Last year Harrington surprised everyone but his dad by winning the Men’s Division and posting the longest time of the tournament. This year he has trained hard and received frequent coaching from local World Champ Rachel Normand. The result was Harrington winning all events and the overall title in the Junior Boys B division at the National Barefoot Championships held in Montana, and placing 9th in Junior Boys Tricks at the World Barefoot Championships held in Florida. This year he will be his first year competing with the top contestants in the Open Division.

Details

Admission is free, concessions are available on site, and it is recommended to bring lawn chairs. More information can be found on the event Facebook page.

The Carolina Show Ski Team is a 501C3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote water skiing and water safety.