PERHAM, Minn. — Betsy Gilman last month finally won the gold medal she has been chasing for decades.
Thirteen countries were represented at the World Masters Barefoot Championships that took place Sept. 7-13, 2025, in Chartres, France. Betsy Gilman (center) brought home the gold for the U.S. (Courtesy of Betsy Gilman / Forum News Service)
The 55-year-old Perham resident represented the U.S. at the World Masters Barefoot Championships in Paris, where she collected several medals — including the gold for women of all ages in the barefoot ski jump.
Gilman set a goal for the gold in her mid-30s. While she has received medals in competitions before, the closest she got in the barefoot ski jump was silver. Every year that passed, gold seemed less likely.
But on this day, on a secluded lake in France, Gilman had tied for first place in the barefoot jump, reaching a distance of 8 1⁄2 meters (or roughly 28 feet).
While her personal record is 10 ½ meters (34 feet), she was happy with her jump due to unfavorable conditions.
The tie-breaker required both skiers to give it their all in a “sudden death” match, but high winds benched them. On the last day of the competition, the waters were still rough by barefoot jump standards. Gilman explained the danger of rippling water begins when a skier touches the ramp.
“It’s more slippery on the jump than it is in the water,” she said. “So when you come into the jump, you need to have equal pressure on both feet. If there’s waves, you’re compensating. So if you come in and you have more weight on one foot than the other, you can go off weird.”
The judges informed the skiers that if neither jumped, no gold or silver would be awarded.
“The other woman didn’t want to do it,” Gilman said. Despite the risk of injury, accepted. “All I had to do was a little jump and land it. So that’s exactly what I did.”
In barefoot skiing, Gilman also won gold in her age division 45-54, in slalom and in trick skiing. With all ages included, she placed fourth overall in slalom and fourth in tricks for barefoot skiers. With all the points she collected, she also came home with a bronze medal in all age divisions for her category.
Much was gained on the 19-year journey to the gold.
Gilman is a lifelong skier. She has trained at the World Barefoot Center in Florida since 2008, but it was in 2016 when she decided to take time off from work and chase the gold. She retreated to her family cottage on Big Pine Lake and had the “best summer” of her life. For six months, she trained for the championship competition.
“I’m not the best in slalom,” she said. “I’m not the best in tricks, but I love to jump. I love it. So, I was like, well, that’s a goal I can chase and enjoy doing it.”
Gilman explained the jump became her favorite event because it combined the speed she loves with the skill to glide over a ramp on bare feet and ride away.
While skiing can be done at most ages, barefoot jumping is typically reserved for younger athletes. Gilman explained using feet instead of skis can be hard on the body. Skidding across the water on bare feet isn’t the issue, but rather the crashes into the water. For perspective, she explained those on two skis may travel upward of 18 mph, whereas barefoot jumpers typically go around 42 mph, with the top allowed speed being 44 mph in competitions.
When they take off from an 18-inch high ramp at that speed, a lot can happen.
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As she began to compete, Gilman found success. She returned home with medals, but the gold in the barefoot jump remained elusive. By not achieving her goal with ease, she found something more valuable.
The years of competing provided a network of friends from all over the world to share her passion for water skiing. When she was feeling down, after the first day of competition in France didn’t go her way, it was the reminder of what matters that pulled her up.
Gilman explained that competitors have three jumps, and the longest distance is the one that is scored. After the first day, she called her husband Ryan and rattled off things that went south that prevented her from showcasing the best of her abilities. He listened and then replied with a simple question.
“He asked, ‘Why are you there?’” she recalled. The question helped her focus on the value of the experience. She was there because she wanted to explore a part of France with friends, and have fun competing. “So he goes, well, just go do that. And then after that, I didn’t think about it anymore.”
Benching the mind can sometimes free up an athlete to perform at their peak. For Gilman, it appeared to help. But the competitive nature of an athlete is always under the surface.
“My goal now is to be the oldest woman barefoot jumper in the world,” she said. “And I’m not far off. I think that the oldest woman who jumps is 58.”
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