| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 23, 1953 Oakland, California |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | Jennifer Leachman LaPoint |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Waterskiing |
| Event(s) | Slalom |
Kris LaPoint (born 23 January 1953) is an American former professional water skier. During his career he set or tied the world record on seven occasions and won 14 major championships. In 2008 he was inducted into the Water Ski Hall of Fame. He is the older brother of water skier Bob LaPoint.
Kris LaPoint was born in Castro Valley, California in 1953, two years prior to his brother Bob. In 1967 at the age of 13 he set the world slalom record at the Tournament of Champions in Mission Bay in San Diego. [1] LaPoint would go on to set or tie seven world records and win 14 major championships.
LaPoint is married to water skier Jennifer Leachman, a former women's slalom world record holder and a 2015 Water Ski Hall of Fame inductee. The couple now work as real estate agents and also run a ski school at their private lake, LaPoint Ski Park, in Orlando, Florida. Following Andy Mapple's death in 2015, LaPoint and Jeff Rogers took over running Mapple Skis. [2] After several years of continuing to promote the Mapple Ski brand, LaPoint decided to found his own brand, LaPoint Skis, which are all hand-made by Kris on site at LaPoint Ski Park. [3]
| World Records | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3@35' off | 1966 | ||
| 6@35' off | 1969 | ||
| 1@38' off | 1970 | ||
| 2@38' off | 1975 | ||
| 4@38' off | 1975 | ||
| 3@39.5' off | August 8, 1982 | Champion Lake | Shreveport, LA |
| 4.5@39.5' off | April 29, 1984 | McCormick's | Seffner, FL |
| Major Championships | |
|---|---|
| Masters Titles | 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977 |
| U.S. National Championships | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1982 |
| World Championships | none |
Water skiing is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires sufficient area on a stretch of water, one or two skis, a tow boat with tow rope, two or three people, and a personal flotation device. In addition, the skier must have adequate upper and lower body strength, muscular endurance, and good balance.
Barefoot skiing is water skiing behind a motorboat without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds (30–45 mph/48–72 km/h) than conventional water skiing. The necessary speed required to keep the skier upright varies by the weight of the barefooter and can be approximated by the following formula: + 20, where W is the skier's weight in pounds and the result is in miles per hour. It is an act performed in show skiing, and on its own.
Alberto Tomba is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Italy. He was the dominant technical skier in the late 1980s and 1990s. At 182 cm and 90 kg, his powerful build was a contrast to the lighter, more traditional technical skiers who prioritised agility over muscle. Tomba was able to take advantage of the introduction of spring-loaded ski gates which replaced the older, solid gates in the early 1980s by using his power to maintain a faster, more direct line through courses. Tomba won three Olympic gold medals, two World Championships, and nine World Cup season titles: four in slalom, four in giant slalom, and one overall title. He was popularly called Tomba la Bomba.
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Bob LaPoint is an American former professional water skier. During his career he set the world record on five occasions and won 15 major championships. In 2006 he was inducted into the Water Ski Hall of Fame. He is the younger brother of water skier Kris LaPoint.
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