For most people, anything done barefoot is typically a relaxing endeavour. For Shell Cove's Elle Keen, it means fanging it over the water at more than 70 kilometres an hour with nothing but a wet suit and her wits keeping her up.
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It doesn't sound all that relaxing, but it's been her happy place for as long as she could stand up - on the water that is.
It's something the now 15-year-old first picked up at the age of eight, the decision putting her on the path to success at the recent Australian Barefoot Skiing Championships in Perth.
It was her first junior (Under 17s) national title having previously claimed the sub-junior category three years running, with the most recent victory booking a trip to Florida in October to take on the world's best at the sport's World Championships.
She'll do so high on confidence having claimed three golds - trick, slalom and jump - en route to the overall crown, the payoff for all but living on the water.
"It's just the best feeling when you know you've come so far and won something that you've put a lot of time and effort into," she said.
"I've represented Australia in Australia before, but not outside Australia so it's really exciting to get to do that. It's exciting, but also a bit nerve-wracking because you want to be the very best you can be.
"It's really tough [competition], so I've just started learning and practicing new tricks now to get ready for the worlds.
"You take some big tumbles but you just learn from them. I just love it. The adrenaline's pumping and you just do your thing."
She does her thing as well as anyone her age in the world, at least that's what she'll be testing come October.
It promises to be a step up, but it's one her father Gary is confident she's ready for after COVID put paid to her last planned competitive debut overseas in 2020.
"We're part of a club at Moorebank up on the Georges River so we're up there pretty much every weekend through summer," Gary said.
"She spends countless hours on the water trying to get her to the peak of her sport and it can be pretty brutal. She does 73 kilometres an hour forwards in slalom, and 67 kilometres an hour backwards.
"If you come off at that speed, it'll rattle you a bit. Now she's barefoot jumping as well, so that's another kettle of fish going over to jump on your bare feet.
"It takes a special person to be able to take some of those whacks but she's always back up and going hard at it."
Preparation for worlds promises to be testing given the tough winter climes she'll be forced to prepare in, with the fresh water of the Georges River to climb littler higher than 13 degrees for the bulk of her training.
"We've got the rough end of the deal in a way because we've got to train through winter and when we go over there for the worlds they're just coming to the end of their summer," Gary said.
"They'll be all fresh and skiing in normal barefoot suits where Elle has to train in a steamer and dry suit in the limited time she can spend on the water because it's so cold. It's going to be tough in that way.
"It can really restrict your movement. It's like going in a run in a singlet top compared to going for a run in wet-weather gear, but it's a credit to her, she's still keen to pursue it and be at her best. I know wouldn't be able to get in that water.
"At the moment she's best in the world for under Under 17 girls, so she's come a long way. She's only 15, but she's mixing it up with some of the elite skiers that are even older than her so it's a credit to her."
Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
