Murray posing in the Barefoot Central Helmet Camera as Billy Nichols looks on.

Murray MCKINNON
from Johnstown, Colorado was selected as the 
May 2003 Footer of the Month

Here's why:

Dear Barefoot Central:

Murray McKinnon is a gentleman originally from Canada and currently living in Johnstown, Colorado.  He is a family man, a chiropractor, a guitar player, a hockey player, and of course, a barefoot water skier.  I would like to nominate Murray as a Footer of the Month because:

Murray is a relatively new comer to the sport.  He got the bug and spent all of last summer on his feet at his private sand pit on Colorado.  He is the lone barefooter on his lake where it is dominated by slalom skiers and wake boarders.  Last fall he came down to Texas to make sure that his form was correct.  Having good form is important to Murray.  He is all about safety and style.  Not a bad way to approach it.  While here in Texas, he learned to be a tumble master, started on one foots, and learned the back deep.

While on a business trip to Florida, Murray took time out to visit Ron Scarpa’s Watersports where he had the chance to spend the day and learn from Paul McDonald and World Champion David Small.  I spoke with him after the experience and it’s obvious that besides the actual foot’n, he genuinely enjoys the personality of this sport and he has begun to care about the future and the growth of barefoot waterskiing.

This spring, Murray made plans to spend a three day weekend here in Texas once again to continue his quest to be a better footer.  The weekend after Murray was going to be here, I had to be in Tin Top, Tx for the Barefoot Central boat review.  We were looking for a footer that was pretty much a beginner, especially long line.  I recommended Murray for the spot and the rest is history.  Murray was excited at the chance to help out the sport and sacrificed his weekend of lessons to donate his time to the sport.  He was most excited about hanging out with more personalities in the sport, most notably Billy Nichols and Keith St. Onge.

Murray was an excellent addition to our review team.  He rounded out our team as a rookie that most every wake intimidated.  He gave us a view of the wakes that we really couldn’t relate to.  Murray footed more long line in those two days than ever before.  He gained experience on and off the water about the sport he now loves so much.  As a long line footer and as a visitor and life long friend to Barefoot Central, he was honored with the ritual of putting an imprint of his foot on the home base fridge.  This is a long time ritual at Barefoot Central, and not just anyone receives the honor.

From left: Murray, Paul Stokes, Chuck Gleason Kyle Fahrenthold, Keith St. Onge  Sitting: Billy Nichols, Stuart Singer

With the pranks going around that weekend, and with the pranks that Murray is used to in the hockey world, he was scared to death during the ritual that we were going to tie him up like a pig and do something horrible to him.  In the end, Murray saw that we were just welcoming him into the “gang”.

Murray is new blood.  He is extremely excited about the sport.  He is a great ambassador of the sport already.  He cares about the success and growth of the sport.  He is the Barefoot Central Footer of the Month.

Paul Stokes

Congratulations Murray!!  You're now eligible to be voted the 2003 Footer of the Year.  If anyone would like to congratulate Murray, you can send him an email at Drmureh@aol.com.

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