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WATERSKI MagazineIt's politically incorrect to say anything derogatory about barefooters in Winter Haven, Florida. Former mayor and current city councilman Dave Dershimer used to show up at the office with his hair wet, not from the shower but from taking a sunrise barefoot set.”Some people move here because of [major league baseball's] spring training,” says Dershimer, who sealed the Canal Commission race in 1992 with a..businessman-as-a-barefooter promo. “But others move here for the barefooting. They can surround themselves with it and become a national champion.”
Ron Scarpa didn't even know how to barefoot until his family moved to Winter Haven in the mid-70s. He's simply gone on to become the greatest barefooter ever. Then along came Jennifer Calleri from the Chicago area in the mid-80s. She only became the best woman footer in history. In 1992, all but one gold medal from the Barefoot Worlds went home from England in bags bound for Winter Haven (the luggage belonged to Scarpa, Calleri and Lane Bowers).
The most recognized water skier in the world is Banana George Blair. He's seen on billboards in Brooklyn, Puerto Rico and Cuba. When he isn't doing an exhibition somewhere on the globe, Blair can be seen barefooting outside his home in Winter Haven.
Every skier who has come out of the bindings and stood for a couple of seconds can trace his footing success back to one man, A.G. Hancock. It was 1947 when a 17-year-old Hancock experienced before anyone else the surreal sensation of moving across water on bare feet. He did it on Lake Howard, where Scarpa now runs his barefoot school. “It wasn't that big a deal,” says Hancock. “I went home and told Mom I'd skied without skis, and she said, 'That's nice.' I didn't think it would lead to this.” One more thing about Hancock's water-breaking run: It was the only time he ever barefooted.
Other barefoot kingdoms:
Jacksonville, Florida:
Recent junior stars
Jason Lee, Wade
Bramlitt, Jennifer
Harris and Matt Wright hail from the area.
Otter Tail County,
Minnesota:
Drowning in lakes
and barefoot crazy,
the town of Fergus Falls drew some
20,000 fans for the
1996 Barefoot Worlds.
