LOCAL BAREFOOT WATERSKIERS WIN NATIONAL ENDURANCE RACE
Lake St. Louis, MO – May 16, 2007

Lake St. Louis’ own MVS McDonald’s Endurance Barefoot Waterski Team won first place in the 2007 season’s first barefooting endurance race in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin this past weekend.  Nine teams from across the Midwest competed on Saturday in the 22-mile event hosted by the Beaverland Must-Skis Waterski Show Team.    

In a barefoot endurance race, each boat contains a team of four to six barefoot skiers (“footers”). The race proceeds relay-style with team members taking turns barefooting behind the boat at speeds of 40-55 miles per hour until they either fall or become too tired to continue. When one footer completes his turn, the boat races back to pull him into the boat as the next footer is dropped into the water. Then they’re off again until the next footer falls, continuing for the length of the course, which can run anywhere from 20 to 40 miles! In the case of last weekend’s Beaver Dam race, wind caused water conditions to be extremely difficult, so there were many skier transitions. As the boat turns around to pick up a fallen skier, it creates waves for other competitors that add an exciting challenge to the race.

“It was a tough race but we have been training hard and it paid off,” said Mike Schneider, the team captain.  “We got there early, checked out the course, and decided on a race strategy of taking the longer route but eventually getting in smoother water.  Once we got to the better water, we were able to lay down some long runs and make up all the time it took to get there and move into the lead.  From there we never looked back.”

Team Pavestone, also from Lake St. Louis, placed fourth in the event.  Each year, the race held in Beaver Dam draws some of the best barefoot skiers from the Midwest region, including some former and current national champions. Team MVS completed the course in just 39 minutes 24 seconds, with the second place boat coming in at 42 minutes 36 seconds. 

“We have sponsored MVS for several years now and are especially pleased they have won the first race of the season,” said Joan Elhoffer, who owns two local McDonald’s restaurants in Wentzville and Troy. “I know they have been training and we think they are going to have a good season.” The MVS race boat will be on display at the grand re-opening of the Wentzville McDonald’s on June 2nd.