 We
recently had an opportunity to travel to West Virginia to visit
relatives. I had never skied in West Virginia, so I decided to
make use of our Locate a Footer to see if their were any footers near
Charleston. Low and behold, when I brought up the West Virginia
page, it showed only one footer, Ryan Boyd.
West Virginia
is a beautiful state, but it is known more for coal mining than it is
for barefoot waterskiing. Royn lives in Fairmont, about 2 hours
Northeast of Charleston, right in the heart of coal country.
Being one of
only a few barefooters in the entire state, and living in an area of the
country where the winters can be very harsh, you wouldn't expect Ryan to
be a very accomplished footer. That's where you would be
wrong. Ryan is one of the best, albeit unknown, barefooters in the
country. Earlier this year he was selected to ski on the US Elite
Barefoot Team and competed in the Barefoot Worlds in Australia.
Even with
those credentials now behind his name, he still remains relatively
unknown in the barefoot world. Living so far from nearly every hot
skiing spot in America makes him the best barefoot recluse in the US.
When we
arrived at Ryan's house, we were surprised to find one of the best
barefoot sites we'd ever seen. He lives with his parents on a
river and he's the only skier for miles. The mountains on each
side of the river give great wind protection resulting in bug wake
smooth water. Check out the wake coming off the duck below.
Ryan
was very happy to see another footer and took us out for as much skiing
as we could handle. It was still early Spring, and the water was
about 55 degrees, but that didn't phase Ryan a bit. He jumped in
with just a heater shirt and gave us a great ski show. My wife
Michele and I were not so tough. Our Texas blood could not take
the cold, so we suited up in our dry-suits. Ryan did give me a
hard time about it, so on my last set I jumped in wet. By the time
I got back into the boat, I couldn't feel my hands or feet.
The
Tygart Valley River was
absolutely gorgeous. The coal train bridges crossing the river
looked like something right off a post card. You couldn't ask for
a better skiing setup. The only thing missing was skiers.
We
had an opportunity to interview Ryan about his Worlds experience, his
skiing, school, and a few other topics.
 BFC: Ryan, lets start off with some simple stats:
How old are you? 21
At what age did you begin footing? 10
Where do you live? Fairmont, West Virginia
Where do you do most of your skiing? Tygart Valley River
Where do you go to school? West Virginia Wesleyan College
What's your PB in Tricks? 4990
What's your PB in Wakes? 17.8
What's your PB in Jump? 75 ft
BFC:
What's your favorite event and why?
Ryan: Overall,
because you have to respect the guys/girls who put all three event
together at the same time.
BFC:
Now let's get to some more in depth questions. You are an amazing footer, but you're still relatively unknown to most footers outside the
3-event tournament seen. What do you attribute that to?
Ryan:
I think it is a combination of things: First being from W.V. you definitely don’t get much media exposure no matter how good you are, Second as a junior boys skier I was never really the best kid out there. I was always in the shadow of somebody else. Third I suck as an endurance skier and I’ll be the first to admit it. I have been described as a liability more than an asset on every race team I have been on.
BFC:
2003 was a great year for you. Winning the Gold in Open Mens Tricks at the US Nationals, and then being selected to ski on the US Elite Barefoot
Team in Australia. How did you feel when you got the call asking if you
would like to ski for Team USA?
Ryan:
Put it this way, I can still tell you where I was and what I was doing when my Dad called me. I was ready…… I could have hopped on the plane the next day.
 BFC:
How did you prepare for the Worlds?
Ryan:
Living in W.Va must have made in
tough to train during Dec and January. Our river was iced over by Christmas and we did not see clear water the entire month of January.
I called Keith up and asked if I could come down and he said if you have gas money I have a boat. I flew down to Tampa and got to ski in somewhat warm water and jump in an awesome site for almost 3 full weeks.
BFC:
What are some of the things you remember most about visiting Australia and spending a lot of time with Keith St. Onge, Bowers, Brzoza, and Rachel
George?
Ryan:
What I probable remember the most was all of us eating breakfast together at “Terrible Terry’s” place. Lane and John told stories every morning about past worlds (before I could even do a front deep) and it was just a time when we were all together as a team.
BFC:
What did you learn that will help you prepare for the next Worlds?
Ryan:
Going into Worlds I kinda knew what to expect, but it’s the experience that I will take most from Australia. Doing something / competing in an event for the first time is always nerve wracking. Having gone through it once I’ll definitely have more confidence next time.
BFC:
How nervous were you skiing at a Worlds event? Did you feel more or less pressure than skiing at the US Nationals?
Ryan:
There was defiantly more pressure at Worlds. Barefooting is basically an individual sport and if you fall you have to deal with it. At the Worlds if you don’t perform than you not only let your team down, but your country. It also doesn’t help the nerves when the worlds best skiers are on the dock with
ya.
BFC:
Now for the serious question about Worlds: As a team, who do you think drank more beer at the Worlds? The Australians or Team USA?
Ryan:
HAHA…That’s no brainier we had MIKEY…………just kidding just kidding. The banquet Saturday evening proved that Team USA had TWO gold medals hanging around our necks.
BFC:
When you returned home after the Worlds, did you get a lot of media
coverage in your hometown newspaper?
Ryan:
Not
a whole lot…The local news channel came out and did a story before I left and the local newspaper called me and said they were sending a photographer out but he never showed up………
BFC:
What was the coolest thing that happened to you as a result of skiing on the US Elite Barefoot Team?
Ryan:
This is the part when I tell you that a Limo, filled with groupies, picked me up from the airport and that I signed a multimillion dollar contract with Nike and Dodge hooked me up with brand new truck rigged to a shinning new Sanger, both with hundred thousand dollar signing bonuses………………Right???????
BFC:
Changing subjects, let's talk some more about you. What are you studying in school? How many years do you have left to graduate?
Ryan:
I’m studying Marketing and I’ll graduate with my undergrad in a year and a half………I might be heading back to get an MBA so it might be another 2 or 3 years till I’m done.
BFC:
Do you have a girlfriend? If not, what type of girl are you looking for?
Ryan:
Nope no girlfriend… If anybody knows Brittany Spears tell her to give me a call!
 BFC:
Who do you train with the most?
Ryan:
My Dad…… I’ve never really had a training partner to ski with. My Dad and I learned everything the hard way. I did get to ski with Swampy (Keith’s original coach) for 2 summers. He really helped me mentally and sorta got my dad and I headed on the right track.
BFC:
Who are some of the footers you hang with the most in your area?
Ryan:
If you define area as a 100-mile radius than I get to ski with Kevin and Heather Towers several times a year. They are both awesome skiers and ever time you ski with Kevin you “learn” something new. I get to ski with John Forester a couple times a year even though he is semi retired. There is always my best buddy Neil.
BFC:
What are your goals for the 2004 season?
Ryan:
I definitely want to be more consistent than the past few seasons. The last couple of years I have been learning the high tech tricks. I have had problems getting them all to click at the same time at tournaments. My goal for this year is to put it all together and start putting some big scores on the board.
BFC:
You're very talented and still very young, where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Ryan:
I will definitely still be skiing, but it’s hard to say. I might be young, but my parents still say I need to grow up and get a real job so we will see.
 BFC:
How do you keep yourself motivated to train the hundreds of hours it takes to stay at the top of your game?
Ryan:
I have to admit it is hard. Going to college and having a life outside of skiing makes it even tougher. I think what motivates me is the fact that I’m constantly getting better and that adds to my drive. I also have a spot on the U.S. team and I don’t plan on giving it away.
BFC:
Do you play any other sports to break up the monotony?
Ryan:
Even though I hate to see winter come, I always look forward to taking a few cuts on my snowboard. I also try to hit all the intramural sports at school.
BFC:
If you had to pick one footer that you would aspire to be like, who would that footer be and why?
Ryan:
That defiantly has to be my Dad, he doesn’t do it to win, make teams, set records, make money, or any other reason other than to have fun and to improve.
BFC:
Is their anyone you'd like to thank?
Ryan:
Defiantly my parents, they have always been there for me and always supported me. Vortex Wetsuits for hookin me up with some awesome gear and
Keith St. One and Gliding Soles Barefoot Camp for always having a place for me to ski and all the help.
Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. You're officially off
the Barefoot Central Hot Seat.
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