Though it may be the dead of winter, who says we can’t highlight those pastimes which make spring and summer inviting for extreme sports addicts? In the more temperate months, adventure seekers generally head to the water for long days of everything from wakeboarding to surfing to waterskiing.

While the latter is largely recreational, athletes like  Andre De Villiers prove waterskiing can be quite an adrenaline-fueled endeavor. De Villiers is  a barefoot freestyle waterskier of the highest order and this past August, he used a GoPro camera attached to the rig of the boat to capture some of his more insane tricks. Using his upper-body strength to hang on and ride the wake of a speedboat at Bonney’s Water Ski Park, De Villiers twists and turns and flips and dips, all while maintaining his balance and grip on the rope.

De Villiers isn’t just any old barefoot waterskier, though. He’s the 2012 Barefoot Freestyle Champion, which means he rides barefoot better than you or me could even ride with skis attached to our poor feet.

Check out his 3rd round run at the 2012 Barefoot Championships (BFC):

It’s not even close to the summer, but let De Villier’s barefoot riding hold you over until the days grow longer, the sun grows hotter and you can take your adrenaline back to the water.

Cover Photo Credit: Andrew Farquhar – flickr.com