2016 World Championships to be Held in Alma Center, Wisconsin

The 2016 Barefoot Water Ski World Championships will be contested Aug. 14-20, at the Blue Moo in Alma Center, Wisconsin.

The American Barefoot Club, a sport discipline organization of USA Water Ski, has announced the selections to the 2016 U.S. Elite, Junior and Senior Barefoot Water Ski Teams to compete there.

For the sixth consecutive time, the biennial Elite Barefoot Water Ski World Championships will be held simultaneously with the biennial Junior and Senior Barefoot Water Ski World Championships. The Elite Barefoot Worlds is taking place for the 20th time, the Junior Barefoot Worlds is taking place for the 12th time, and the Senior Barefoot Worlds is taking place for the 10th time. Athletes and teams from more than a dozen countries will compete for world team titles and world individual titles in wake slalom, tricks, jumping and overall.

Athletes that have been selected to the U.S. Elite Barefoot Water Ski Team are: Cody Ebbert (Utica, Pa.), Jackson Gerard (Babson Park, Fla.), Cody Heller (Alma Center, Wis.), Ariana Koehler (Lake Geneva, Wis.), Jason Lee (Winter Haven, Fla.) and Keith St. Onge (Winter Haven, Fla.).

Athletes that have been selected to the U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team are: Jackson Gerard (Babson Park, Fla.), Lexi McCauley (Louisville, Ohio), Brody Meskers (Chetek, Wis.) and Alex Youngblood (Highland, Mich.).

Athletes that have been selected to the U.S. Senior Barefoot Water Ski Team are: Jason Lee (Winter Haven, Fla.), Teri Jones (Winter Haven, Fla.), Jerry Kanawyer (Byron, Calif.) and Keith St. Onge (Winter Haven, Fla.).

Lee Stone (Spicewood, Texas) will serve as coach of the U.S. Elite team; Elaine Fatla (Alma Center, Wis.) will serve as coach of the Junior team; and Scott Jones (Winter Haven, Fla.) will serve as coach of the Senior team.

Alternates for the respective teams will be announced by the American Barefoot Club's Team Selection Committee following all regional championships later this summer.

At the 2014 Barefoot Worlds in Mulwala, Australia, the U.S. Elite and Junior Barefoot Water Ski Teams each earned overall team bronze medals, the U.S. Senior Barefoot Water Ski Team earned the overall team silver medal, and nine U.S. athletes combined to earn 19 individual medals in respective divisions and events.

About USA Water Ski: USA Water Ski was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States.