2023 U.S. Barefoot Nationals
The best water-skiers don't need skis. Come ski with the best.
Come Barefoot in Montana August 24-27
Site Details
Water Ski Mania is a private water-ski site 2 miles north of Helena, Montana (at 4060 Buoy Blvd, Helena, MT). Looking at the image above, the event will be run on the left lake, which lies north to south . The prevailing winds are out of the west so skiers will have the protection of the trees if the winds pickup.
The site is 2400’ long with no turn around island, affording the skiers the maximum length to the advisory buoy (by rule) and more than 15 seconds of skiing. Also, the starting dock will come with a stable regulation tower for starts.
If you have any questions about the site, ask skiers who have skied here, such as Keith St.Onge, Ben Groen, Keenan Derry, Fred Groen, Ashleigh Groen, Mikey Caruso, Georgia Groen, Doug Jordan, Jerry Kanawyer, Joe Lovato, Eric Coryer and the list goes on.
Tournament Dates
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Site Familiarization is 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
ABC Board of directors meeting 8am to 1pm location TBA
Friday, August 25, 2023
Skiing Division/Events TBA
General membership meeting and
pizza feed at 6:00pm
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Skiing Division/Events TBA
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Skiing Division/Events TBA
Awards Banquet, Closing Ceremony and live music 6:00pm
* All junior events will be held on Saturday and Sunday.
Tournament Supplied Boats
The site is at 4000 feet above sea level and has hosted barefoot tournaments annually since 1995.
The elevation does raise a performance issue for the boats. Skiers will get 45 mph but don't expect any more.
There will be 3 Barefoot Sangers provided and 2 of them will have 8.1-liter big blocks. Each of the boats will have a super fly high with a 2-meter leader.
The Rocky Mountain Barefoot Club would like to thank Paul Klutz and Hank Cobb for generously donating the use of their boats.
Host Hotel and Accommodations
To be determined
*The brown building in line with the 2,4,6 balls is the Marriot Residence Inn near the Helena Regional Airport.
** Photo Credit to Linda Heeney and Chris Bolkan for being the pilot.
Helena Regional Airport
Flying into Helena is very convenient via 3 major airlines and their hubs. The Helena Regional Airport (HLN) is less than 3 miles from the ski site. The hubs with direct flight to Helena are:
- Delta Airlines via Salt Lake City (SLC)
- Alaska/Horizon Airlines via Seattle (SEA)
- United Airlines via Denver (DEN)
There are 4 other airports you could consider. They are:
- Bozeman Montana (BZN) is 1 hour & 15 minute drive and is closer to Yellowstone National Park
- Great Falls Montana (GTF) is a 1 hour drive north of Helena
- Butte Montana (BTM) is a 1 hour drive south of Helena
- Missoula Montana (MSO) is 1 hour 45 minutes west of Helena
Entry Fees
Getting to the starting dock!
The entry fee is $150 per skier, if paid before June 1, 2023, then the entry will increase to $180.
Site Familiarization will be $20 and will increase to $25 on June 1, 2023. Skiers can use these direct links to get started.
The tournament is limited to the first 80 paid entries. Site familiarization will be limited to the first 64 scheduled appointments.
Awards
Medals will be given to the top 3 places in events & divisions, as well as the overall champion plaque for each division.
Which one are you taking home?
Camping and Parking at the lake
Camping and parking is available on site. It will be in the field just north of the homes on the east side of the lake. Please make a reservation for camping in advance. Click here for the nearest RV dump station at:
Cenex Gas Station
3100 North Montana Avenue
Helena, MT 59602
Click here for other camping options around Helena, Montana.
August Weather
This was the calm before the storm. Typical weather in August is dry. The high temperatures will average in the mid to upper 80's and lows in the upper 50's. Because Helena lies in the shadow of the continental divide, the low humidity makes for cool nights.