Marian’s Luke Van Den Heuvel wins Barefoot Skiing World Championships title

When Covid cancelled a competition dream decades in the making, Luke Van Den Heuvel trained harder, determined that when the chance came, he’d be ready. This is the result.

For 35-year-old Luke Van Den Heuvel, his ambitions to compete at the Barefoot Skiing World Championships stem back to his childhood on the lake with his family.

The crane company worker from Hay Point turned that dream into reality over the weekend in Texas.

The journey to these World Championships can be traced back to the age of six.

Training from age 12, Van Den Heuvel could only dream his sport would take him all the way to Texas, competing for his shot to become the senior men's world champion in his first attempt at the title.

As the four-time national champion hit the water he knew it would take some of his best to come out on top, and reign supreme as the owner of not only the world championship, but also the largest silver belt buckle he had ever seen.

Growing up in Glenden, he took to barefoot skiing as a result of it being the most popular, and eye-catching sport on the water.

Luke Van Den Heuvel has taken out the title at the Barefoot Skiing World Championships in Texas.

Dabbling in wakeboarding initially, it didn't take long for him to transition his focus entirely to the sport, a passion which kept him moving forward until his late teens.

“I started in 99 and stopped in 06’ … I left the sport getting to that 21-year-old age,” he said.

At that point, Van Den Heuvel made the choice to walk away from the sport, only to find himself right back in it after a sudden family tragedy.

Having bought himself a ski boat to spend more time with his young family, Van Den Heuvel soon found the love for the sport again through old friends and reaffirmed his focus to become one of the best.

Along his comeback journey came many national titles and accolades, as the former talented junior became a dominating force in the seniors.

He was invited to the 2020 edition of the world championships.

Going with the way of the world in 2020, the championships would eventually be cancelled due to Covid, with Van Den Heuvel forced to put his aspirations aside and get back into his own training with a hope of a return.

“I was skiing every weekend … even on those cold four-degree days,” Van Den Heuvel, said, adding he was determined that when he got his moment, he was going to take it.

That chance finally came last week.

Luke Van Den Heuvel out on the water.

Ranked fifth in the world and steaming in with confidence, Van Den Heuvel took to the two rounds of competition like a bee to honey.

A modest Van Den Heuvel said he “did all right in both rounds” and was crowned the undisputed world champion of the senior event.

“I never ever dreamt I’d get world champion … yeah … it honestly hasn’t really sunk in,” he said.

This achievement, he said, wouldn’t be possible without the tireless support of his wife and two children, extended family, friends and sponsors.

Luke Van Den Heuvel with his son.

Working full time at Boom Logistics at Hay Point at the same time as training to be a world champion athlete is no easy feat, but Van Den Heuvel has no plans of slowing down his pursuit of further domination in the sport.

With the Oceania championships next month and the open world championships next year, he is an athlete to watch and support into the future.