A region championship is nice. A state championship is even better. But a world championship? How many high school athletes play a sport that has a world championship, much less put themselves in contention to actually win one? Not many, that’s for sure. One of those rare athletes, however, can be found in South Georgia. His name is Chandler Cargile, and he is the second-best junior barefoot water skier in the world.
Cargile grew up in a family that loved water skiing. He learned to ski at a very early age and continued through his formative years. Four years ago, he discovered barefoot skiing. Initially, barefooting was something he did as a way of having fun and goofing around at the lake. Then, one day, he decided to take it up a notch. He researched water skiing schools and found the World Barefoot Club in Winter Haven, Florida. Cargile went down to the WBC and took a few lessons. He enjoyed it and asked them about becoming a sponsored skier. “To do that, you had to go down there a minimum of 15 times per year,” says Cargile. He wanted to explore the opportunity, and he made the commitment. A year later, Cargile was competing favorably in regional competitions.
In 2012, after recovering from a broken hip, Cargile was named to the U.S. Junior Team and competed in his first world championships, held in Waco, Texas. Cargile qualified again for the junior team and made his second trip to the world championships, which took place in Mulwala, Australia, in March. The qualifying process isn’t easy. A skier must meet certain benchmarks in the different events – jumping, tricks, and slalom. There aren’t very many barefoot meets held around the country; in order to qualify, a skier has to be on his game every event. “That may be the hardest part. There just aren’t very many chances to qualify,” says Cargile.
He met the benchmarks this season and punched his ticket to Australia. This time, he was much more relaxed and confident. “My first experience at worlds was much more nerve-wracking. I didn’t know what to expect. I was more comfortable, and I really felt like I had a chance to be one of the best junior barefooters,” he says.
At the world championships, Cargile earned a silver medal in the slalom, tricks, and overall competitions. He was also a big reason why the U.S. team won a bronze medal, finishing behind New Zealand (silver), and Australia (gold). What does it mean to be one of the best in the world? “My coaches and my parents have told me that barefooting comes naturally to me. Having a family that loves water skiing has helped, too. It’s shown me that I can do whatever I put my mind to if I work hard. A little bit of effort goes a long way,” he says.
Through it all, Cargile seems to take everything in stride. He’s a humble young man who loves to talk about skiing but not necessarily about his accomplishments. And now that the world championships are over, he would like to take a little time and just enjoy water skiing. “I plan to keep skiing, but I want to have fun with it. I’d like to ski just for fun for a while,” he says. That shouldn’t be much of a problem. After all, when you’re one of the best in the world, you can kind of do whatever it is you want to.
So what does it take to be a good barefoot water skier? According to Cargile, commitment is the biggest thing. Barefooting isn’t easy, and the water is very, very unforgiving. “You just have to go out there and keep trying. Those falls hurt, man! Probably 90 percent of barefooting is mental. You just can’t give up,” he says.
Special Feature/South Georgia/May 2014
Chandler Cargile
Valwood School
Valdosta, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
17-year-old Valwood student places second at barefoot water skiing world championship
Worldbarefootcenter.com contributed to this story.
