Upsets abound as Lance Smith Wins the National Open Championship at Footstock

Crandon, Wisconsin –The 40th anniversary of Footstock was definitely one to remember. All weekend, 20 mph winds out of the north battered the fame Lake Peshtigo figure eight course, wreaking havoc on the National Figure Eight Barefoot Championships in Crandon. But in the end, one man stood standing. Lance Smith of Indiana survived the conditions to outlast 130 of his fellow barefooters to capture his first Open National Championship at Footstock.

It was all part of a blustery National Championship in Crandon, that saw some of the world’s best barefooters competing head-to-head over a mile and half figure eight course to see who can barefoot the furthest. But unlike past years, endurance didn’t have much to do with winning. Just making your step-off did.

The brutal wind caused crash after crash in the step-off area

taking out some of the tournament’s most legendary skiers, including pre-tournament favorite and 6-time Open National Champ, Jon DeBelak. Out of some 290 barefoot runs taken, over 100 of them ended in a crash in the step-off area.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tournament like this. It was crazy out there,” explains, Tournament Co-founder, Gary Mueller. “Just making your step-off was a major accomplishment. Last year we had over 60 figure eights. This year we didn’t have a single figure eight until noon on Sunday.”

Not only did the favorite Jon DeBelak go down early. The second seed, and heavily favored US Team member, Owen Schattschneider, also was upset by the resurgent 2-time champ, Marc Donahue of Florida.

But the Open division wasn’t the only division to see upsets. In the women’s division, Dawn Van Alstine returned to Footstock for the first time in 18 years to beat 2-time women’s Champ Ella Miljevich of Rhinelander in a rough water run-off.

Another Footstock veteran, Greg Fatla, returned after a three year hiatus to wreak havoc in the Gen-Ski division. Greg was the first skier to do a figure eight the entire weekend and did multiple eights on Sunday to beat US World Show Team Skier, Dane Engstrom and take the 17-39 National Title.

In what might have been a glimpse of the next future Open champ, Nate Nichols plowed through the Junior division to beat Parker Van Alstine and Jack Nolan for the Junior National Title. The 16-year old Nichols also took third in Open division.

In the Masters Division (60 and over) 73 year old Mike Netzer showed that age is just a number by taking down Rick Legios for the National title. Bob Mahnke finished third.

The Senior’s saw 4-time Open Champ and Hall of Famer Aaron Schoelzel come out of retirement to return and beat Dan Ehlers and heavily favored Travis Lepak.

But the pride of Indiana, Lance Smith was the biggest story of the day. After knocking at the door the last two years, Lance overcame the roughest conditions he’s ever seen to top Marc Donahue to take his first Open National title.

In all, bare footers from ten states and two countries competed in the grueling, two-day championship. Skiers from as far away as California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and Canada took part.

2026 Footstock National Figure Eight Endurance Barefoot Championship Results