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Action Watersports and Jon Coretti joined together to host seven barefoot jumpers and eight wakeboarders riding in the outlaw division for a spectacular show! The site was held on the Grand River just a few minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, MI at boat launch #3. A beautiful park and biking path lie directly next to the site for great accommodation and relaxation until the barefoot jumpers come sailing by for a quick jump-start to the heart! Action Watersports sponsored the event with two 190 MasterCraft’s that gave all footers a strong and fast pull down the lake and over the ramp! We were lucky enough to foot behind Allan Jackson’s old boat as well! Even though we weren’t on the Chattahoochee River, all jumpers were ecstatic to show their style and grace behind the custom MasterCraft. Other sponsors included Zimmer Great Lakes, Superior Furniture Company, Boaters World, MasterCraft, Jon Coretti, Sideways Cuts and product from Barefoot International and Barefootcentral.com.
All the jumpers were on site at 8am for the skiers meeting and compete for $3000.00 in cash!! Second place would bring home $1000.00 and third at $500.00. The water was smooth as butter and everyone was getting antsy! The rules were quite simple! No re-rides, No whining and weather you land or miss your first three jumps you’d be able to go onto the next round. Longest jump out of either round would count for the tournament. Must land the jump and show BSP (Barefoot Skiing Position). Other than that, it was fare game, just watch out for the ducks!
We picked numbers to see who the two lucky jumpers would be to go first. As I didn’t want to go by seeding because I would’ve gone last and the conditions could’ve roughed up I somehow picked lucky #1. I started suiting up and noticed the water beginning to get rougher. Ryan Boyd and I were matched up in the first two boats so we got out there not noticing that the water was becoming choppier! I decided to give it a go and if it were too rough I’d let go. Well, I must admit if it were any other tournament I wouldn’t have even suited up! The crowed was on the bank, I was suited up and my eyes looked like two green back money symbols, “ $ $.” My mind kept saying, “$3000.00 cash” and
“Cha-Ching!” What’s a barefoot jumper to do?? Never waste a crowd and collect money for doing what they love!
After Ryan Boyd and I scared the crowd and ourselves, I had to radio in and say it was much too rough to jump! I had the longest jump and would’ve loved to collect the cash but of course we decided to jump on the following day at 6am. The wakeboarders went out and road but it was so rough that they were even having a hard time! Ryan Boyd and Chris Morrison dazzled the crowd with some attempted front flips and tumble turns but even the simplest tricks were impossible!
The next morning was glass and some spectators, the jump competition was on in full force! We went by ranking this time so I got to see what everyone jumped. My first jump was just shy of 2nd place but my second jump was the tournament winner, and I new it as soon as I landed!
It was big and I knew everyone would have to start chasing it, which is never easy.
Al Morrison tried and came extremely close but somewhere along the line his father and
he forgot the first two rules! No Whining and No Re-rides! Even though he had a duck fly in front of him everyone had the same conditions.
Just goes to show that I didn’t teach everything to my protégé.
Better luck next year Al! Ryan Boyd was less than a foot behind me and his mom figured out that every inch equaled $285.71. That
played some nasty games with his head.
The podium went as follows. KSO, 1st with Ryan Boyd taking (2nd), Joey Erickson taking (3rd), Al Morrison (4th), Aden Daneker (5th), Jon Coretti (6th) and Chris Morrison taking (7th). I even got to save Jon Coretti after he landed on his ribs from not bringing the landing gear down on a 65ft. jump!
Jon got the wind knocked out of him so bad that he passed out in the water.
He was fine and I think he was faking it to get the crowd involved!
Just kidding Jon!
The tournament was a huge success with great sponsors and superb cash payout for the footers. We don’t see this often enough in our sport so we’re looking for a larger crowd and more competitors!!
This was Jon’s first year organizing the tournament so every year will
no doubtedly grow with more excitement! The site may be in a beautiful private lake next year, which will be a great venue. The park was great as well mostly because of the great viewing area and bike path next to the site. I’d like to send a huge shout out to ACTION WATERSPORTS
and JON CORETTI! Thanks for all the support and can’t wait to do it again next year!!
KSO
The Grand Rapids Extreme Games will be held next year on the last weekend of July and if you want to be involved e-mail Jon Coretti ASAP at
jcoretti@grzankagrit.net.
Jon will put you on a list and keep you posted throughout the year on this event.
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