The IWWF has announced that David Small is to be inducted into its Hall of Fame. The multiple World Champion barefooter is one of five people named in the 2024 list of inductees.

The Hall of Fame is made up of individuals the international governing body considers have made an outstanding contribution to the sport.

"This distinguished award honours and celebrates the remarkable contributions of each recipient to their respective discipline, their community, their clubs, federations, confederations, the World, and the IWWF," the International Federation says.

It describes David as an "inspirational coach".

He holds 19 Open World Championship titles and is a 7-time Overall Open World Champion. He broke the Jump World Record in 2010 with 29.9 metres and the Trick World Record in 2018 with 13,350 points. 

He learned to ski at Chasewater Club in the West Midlands, starting out as a tournament skier before focussing on barefoot. 

He now lives in Florida where he helped set up the World Barefoot Centre, along with Keith St Onge from the USA, who is another of the five 2024 inductees into the Hall of Fame.  

The other 2024 inductees are barefoot official, Brian Price (Australia), Julia Meier-Gromyko (Cable Waterski, Germany) and Lynn Novakofski (Show Ski pioneer, USA).

Below is an edited version of the IWWF citation for David Small:

Dave made his international debut in 1996 at the Junior European Championships in Germany and his Open debut in 1998 at Spelthorne,  Great Britain. His World debut was in 1999 at the Texas Junior/Senior World Championships.

David competed at the European Level until 2009 when he moved to Florida USA where he set up a ski school with his great friend Keith St Onge. David continued to compete at World Level with his final worlds in Canada in 2018.

David has been the bedrock of the GBR Barefoot waterski team for 20 years, helping and supporting the various skiers that have come and gone during his time. He has been an invaluable coach, especially his time spent at Spelthorne Barefoot Waterski Club, where he coached the young British team.

David also spent several summers at Ron Scarpa’s ski school in Florida as a coach. In 2010, David moved to Florida and set-up a ski school, quickly joining forces with Keith St Onge, to form the great World Barefoot Centre.

Congratulations David!