A 13-YEAR-OLD Jimboomba boy is mastering how to ski backwards using his bare feet.
Footage has been released of Zak Pain laying flat on the water while tethered to the side of a speeding boat.
The lad then carefully moves his legs to position his feet before standing upright on the water.
The feat is a trick Zak wants to practice ahead of the the three-day Queensland Barefoot State Championships, which will be hosted at Boyland from February 15.
The tournament will test competitors skills like skiing on one foot, jumping and crossing boat wash.
Zak’s mother Donna Pain said the high-octane sport required skiers to be towed at speeds of more than 60km/h to stand up.
Zak had only just qualified to jump on water but was already planning to use the trick at the state competition to boost his points.
“It is a skill and you need to be going quite fast,” Ms Pain said.
Zak was hoping to score plenty of wins at the state championships but had already qualified for national competition in March, she said.
Ms Pain said her son, who was ranked 42nd in the world for his age last year in the sport, began skiing when he was just two years old.
He quickly progressed to skiing without skis, using only his feet instead.
“We have always skied as a family,” Ms Pain said.
