Elaine Heller

ABC Female Athlete of the Year

The ABC has selected the 2011 Female Athlete of the Year: Elaine Heller.

          In the male-dominated world of barefoot waterskiing, Elaine Heller is continually driving herself and other women to perform beyond their ability. She is the first American woman and only the second woman in history to land an inverted barefoot jump, a feat very few male barefoot water skiers even attempt.  

 2011 was another record breaking year for Elaine, she set a new women’s world jumping record of 21.3 meters, breaking the record she set at the world championships in 2010. 

             Heller also had an incredible U.S. Nationals performance winning the gold in tricks, slalom, jump and the overall championships. She is ranked 1^st in the world in jumping, 2^nd in wake slalom and 4^th in tricks. 

 Elaine helps her family host several tournaments each year. You will find her doing everything from skiing and scoring to setting up equipment and hauling out the garbage.

 Elaine operates a Barefoot Waterski school called The Blue Moo Barefoot Academy. Elaine is currently in her junior year at the University of Wisconsin -Stout, majoring in hospitality management.  Her goal is to own and operate a business featuring Barefoot Waterskiing. Elaine believes her business and our sport needs to focus on attracting new participants to survive. Since half of all new skiers are female, Elaine hopes her success can help inspire other girls to give our sport a try.

 Elaine was nominated for the 2011 Woman’s Sports Foundation’s “Sports Woman of the Year” award.

Heller has broken the “fiberglass ceiling” in barefoot waterskiing and continues to set the bar high for women and men across the world. Heller hopes her success will help send the message barefoot waterskiing like a world champion is as attainable for girls as it is for boys. Just watch Elaine fly