Paul Stokes - Barefoot Waterski Athlete

This run I’m very proud of. These young guns bring out my best. Some people don’t understand how I can just drop the handle sometimes appearing like I’m giving up. The truth is I know my competition pretty well and it’s an acknowledgment of them deserving the win. I’m not sure if it has actually ever cost me a match up. I don’t typically fall and once there is nothing left in my muscles and they are failing, if I feel my competitor is still strong, I save myself from an unnecessary crash. In this case, I was very tired but I felt like Van was also so I stuck it out and won by one just one roller. These match ups are so much fun.

Maple Bluff area water ski competitor Paul Stokes wins wake slalom event at Barefoot Championships

10/31/2022

Thank you BVMSports.com for the nice article!

Maple Bluff area water ski competitor Paul Stokes wins wake slalom event at Barefoot Championships Here’s the update promised when Paul Stokes was headed to the World Masters Barefoot Championships.

10/30/2022

Congratulations to Marc for winning Blairfoot Bananza ‘22 and for being the series champion.

Photos from Paul Stokes - Barefoot Waterski Athlete's post

10/02/2022

The IWWF World Masters Barefoot Championships is a wrap! What an amazing event. I’m blessed to be bringing home some hardware. A gold for team USA! In Men’s 45-54 I am the new world champion bringing home the gold! I also received a bronze in tricks which secured a second overall for my age grouping.

Pride, humility, stoke, nerves, it was all there. I had a wonderful experience with my wife. We made many new friends and rekindled several friendships from the past.

Thank you to the Austin Barefoot Club, the owners of Utopia River Ranch, and all of the volunteers and contributors that made this event happen. IT WAS EPIC!

09/21/2022

Feeling light and strong on the water is amazing. Thank you Luke Briggs Fitness for your guidance and coaching over the years. Thank you Luke for your support in my journey to IWWF World Masters Barefoot Championships!

09/16/2022

Water is a precious resource. I love being in and around water. Hearing it, seeing it, feeling it, sliding across it! BUT! Water is very powerful, it penetrates just about anything, and causes rot and mold. If you ever have water damage to your home, you can trust Madison Property Restoration to shoot you straight, set proper expectations, and do great work.

09/14/2022

GLASSOLA! It is totally cool to "shatter" glass when you are walking on water. If glass gets shattered on your vehicle, not so cool. I trust Glass America for windshield repairs and replacements.

09/13/2022

When you are cruising through life walking on water like it's a walk in the park, make sure you have a great financial advising team by your side! Thank you Tota Vita Financial Associates for your support this season! Don't give me too much crap for spending a fortune on what I love. :)

09/12/2022

Thank you Minuteman Press of Waunakee for your ongoing support for my "on the water" adventures and for taking care of my print and promotional needs!

09/08/2022

What a beautiful evening on the water! We took this great sunlight and did a little photo shoot. I think we captured some good stuff. Will share!

09/04/2022

I may not be posting much but don’t think for second we aren’t having a great season! So far I’ve locked a silver in pro wakes at the US Nationals and a bronze at Footstock. I’ve battled some nagging injuries, essentially retired from tricks, and grinding my way to the Masters Worlds later in the month. Like this post if you want more content!

08/21/2022

07/22/2022

Couldn’t be more stoked about this new wetsuit! Thank you Minuteman Press of Waunakee for the amazing logo work. I look forward to sharing more with you about all of my amazing sponsors in the coming weeks!

06/04/2022

Got the W today! More to share later!

06/03/2022

The 2022 barefoot waterski season has officially kicked off in the Midwest and it is officially awesome!

The 6 “O” Figure 8 Season Opener was a huge success. This was the second year my family hosted the event on our cottage lake. It sounds crazy, but we hoped for sketchy weather. Last year, the weather was extraordinary, sunny and 90 degrees! It was nice to be warm, but the swarm of boats was almost unbearable. Everyone got their boat out early last year.

This year the weather was upper 60’s, partly cloudy, and moderate winds. It was perfect! We had minimal boat traffic with no disruptions. All the competitors skied well, and the comradery was strong. The move from the public park last year to our private property this year, worked out well. The site had a relaxed vibe, and everyone gave positive feedback.

My competition went well. As the defending champion, I was the top seed at the top of the bracket. At the bottom of the bracket was the second seed, Marc Donahue. Marc and I would ultimately duke it out in the finals and Marc came out victorious. Marc is a great and humble champion. His performance was dominating and inspiring. We’ve had a long history against each other. I’ve had the upper hand for much of it, but he’s gotten me since last year’s Footstock.

The 6 "O" Figure 8 was also the kickoff to the 7 stop Figure 8 Barefoot National Series. This new series is exciting, and I have a goal of competing at a minimum of 4 stops on the tour, the minimum, to put me in a position to place well in the series.

This Saturday, June 4th is the Plum 8 on Plum Lake, Sayner, WI and it’s the second stop on the tour. Like and follow my athlete page to keep up with the season.

A huge shout out to my 2022 season sponsors, supporting my journey to the 2022 World Masters Barefoot Championships!

Madison Property Restoration, LLC
Sparkle Auto Body
Glass America
Actuate Improvement
Lake Elmo Sports
The Barefoot Company
Stokes & Associates, Inc. - American Family Insurance
Luke Briggs Fitness
Minuteman Press of Waunakee

Thank you for your support!