Jackson Gerard is a big fan of World Barefoot Champions Keith St. Onge and David Small. Fourteen-year-old Jackson has trained with them, looked up to them, and on Saturday…. he beat them.
At the 2017 Southern Splash at Lake Grew in Polk City, Florida, Jackson surpassed his heroes and set a pending World Record of 12,950 points in Open Mens and Junior Boys Tricks. Dave was close behind with another pending world record of 12,850.
It marks a changing of the guard in Open Mens Tricks in the United States and around the world.
Jackson is the current Junior World Barefoot Overall Champion and captured the bronze medal in Open Mens Tricks behind Dave and Keith at the 2016 World Barefoot Championships in August.
Could 13,000+ points be next for Jackson?
But in Wake Slalom, Keith is still King. The nearly 40-year-old barefooter set a pending World and Senior Mens “Super Clean” slalom record of 21.
And in Jump, Smallz is always living large. Dave won the event with a 27 meter jump followed closely by Kiwi Ben Groen with a 25.8 meter jump and Jason Lee at 22.3 meters.
Australian powerhouse Ashleigh Stebbeings set two pending women’s slalom world records of 18 and still managed to help set-up, judge and score. She is an all-world multi-tasker!
Tournament Director, Kiwi, and honorary Southerner, Ben Groen set a pending New Zealand record in tricks of 12,050 points.
Duane Godfrey tore it up for four pending Canadian National Records. The nearly 60-year-old airline pilot from the Great White North hit 14.8 and 14.6 in slalom and 4360 and 4160 in tricks.
Already kicking butt at 60-years-old, Carol Jackson set a personal best of 1630 in tricks
The Young Guns were out in force at the Southern Splash. Thirteen-year-old Brice Storman hit 3100 points in tricks and 15.2 in slalom. In Boys B Tricks, Stefan Lippelgoos scored 2660 points and Logan Walter chalked up 2100 points.
Brett Swanbom was close to a personal best with 870 in Boys B tricks and 8.18 in slalom. Ana Gerard continues to improve with 320 points in Girls B tricks.
For all the scores click here. Tournament Director Ben Groen will be posting the video.
Overall, a great day on the water at the site of the 2017 U.S. Barefoot Nationals… and could this record fest be an omen of things to come in August? You need to be there to find out! Be sure to sign up for nationals August 1-5, 2017!
The next tournaments on the calendar are on June 3rd with the Barefoot Blowout in Texas and the Sinissippi Mud Run in Wisconsin!
Stay tuned, Barefoot Nation!
American Barefoot Club 