Mike Seipel and his brother John started Barefooting at the age of ten. That was the start of an extraordinary career. As one of the greatest ever Barefooters, he is also renowned as a true innovator and promoter within the sport. In 1982, at 22 years of age, he won his first World Championships gold medal in Slalom. His total World Championships collection includes six gold medals, three silver and two bronze medals, his final one being in 1990 in Jump. Between 1981 and 1990, he also set a grand total of seven Barefoot World Records in Start Methods, Tricks and Jump. He took eleven gold medals at home in National Championships. In 1988, he decided to quit Slalom and Tricks in order to concentrate on Jump. This decision led to his creation of the new inverted jump method now preferred by most top jumpers. In 1983, he launched his Barefoot Boom to help beginners – another significant innovation. In 1993, a year before he retired from competition, he took the World Games gold medal in Jump in the Netherlands. In addition to these achievements on the water, he founded Barefoot International, one of the first significant Barefoot training centres and with his brother began manufacturing and selling barefoot accessories, wetsuits, ropes and handles. He still continues his popular traveling clinics from his home in West Palm Beach, Florida