It’s been a week of honors for Barefoot Water Skiers from across the generations!
RACHEL GEORGE
Rachel George-Normand is now officially in the USA Water Ski Hall of Fame after an amazing celebration at Disney’s EPCOT Theme Park on Saturday night. Dozens of barefooters were there to help celebrate Rachel’s incredible sportsmanship and contributions to our sport. 
During her barefooting career, Rachel won five World Barefoot Overall Championships and eight National Barefoot Water Ski titles.
She won her first U.S. title in 1999 and was undefeated on the water from 2001-2007.
She shares the honor of winning seven consecutive U.S. titles with Hall of Fame Inductees Jennifer Calleri-Schwenk and Lori Powell-Drell.
ROB BEMMAN
And BOOM! Rob Bemman received the USA Water Ski Hall of Fame Award of Distinction in the same EPCOT ceremony. For more than 35 years, Rob has contributed to the sport of water skiing as a competitor, innovator and manufacturer.
Following a long and accomplished water ski career as a Cypress Gardens skier, competitive barefooter and US Barefoot Team Member— Bemman used his experience to manufacturing high quality competition and recreational water ski products.
These products include water ski jumps used in competitions and shows, swivels for show skiers, kite releases and of course, the incredibly strong and lightweight Bemman Barefoot Boom. Rob is known as a one-man “mechanical inventor superstar.”
RON SCARPA
The International Water Ski & Wakeboard Federation has announced that Ron Scarpa, current member of the USA Water Ski Foundation’s Water Ski Hall of Fame, will be inducted into the International Hall of Fame on Sept. 8 during the 2017 Water Ski World Championships in Choisy-Le-Roi, France.
Ron Scarpa competed on every U.S. Elite Barefoot Team from 1978 to 2002. At various times over his decades of competition, Ron held worlds records Jump, Slalom and Tricks. He also was won the Overall World Barefoot Champion four times.
Americans Kristi Overton-Johnson and Kris LaPoint plus Greece’s Angeliki Andriopoulou will be the other inductees.
“With the largest entry of candidates received to date, the nine International Hall of Fame selectors had difficult decisions to make,” said Des Burke-Kennedy (Ireland), chairman of the International Hall of Fame Committee.
What incredible honors for our sport this week! Congrats to Rachel, Rob and Ron!
If you have barefoot nominations for the USA Waterski Hall of Fame or IWWF Hall of Fame please contact betsybarefoots@aol.com
American Barefoot Club 
Congratulations to all 3 Bob, Ron and Rachel, well deserved honor for each of you. thank you for your inspiration and contribution to this amazing sport.
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