The sport of wakesurfing is for everyone. The feeling of standing on water is amazing and should be shared with everyone. That’s exactly what Barefoot Wakes does. They’re an awesome organization out of Oklahoma that treats military families to amazing days on the water in order to make memories and escape from the stress of life! Their non-profit is dedicated to giving back to military families who tirelessly put the country they serve before themselves so when we came across their organization and saw that they exclusively use Phase 5 boards, we had to reach out. We caught up with Kari Treinen, one of the Barefoot Wakes Founders, to see how the idea came about and what keeps them pushing forward everyday! Check it out below.
For more info on this awesome organization, visit barefootwakes.org
PHASE 5: Thanks for chatting with us! First off for those who don’t know, tell us what Barefoot Wakes is all about!
Barefoot Wakes:We're just a group of family and friends who proudly share our passion for water sports with the families of our nation's heroes: active-duty, National Guard personnel, and veterans from each military branch. Our mission is to create unforgettable lake day experiences that offer a break from daily challenges and a chance to reconnect. Through the calming power of water and the excitement of wake surfing, we provide moments of healing, joy, and togetherness. We try to make sure these lake days are more than just fun. They are a heartfelt thank you to the families who sacrifice so much in support of the troops defending our country. We’ve seen firsthand the power of time spent on the water. Something about lake life opens people up, brings them together, and helps them heal. Our end goal is creating meaningful experiences for military families: fathers and kids, stepsiblings, or remarried spouses by giving them time to reconnect, laugh, and try something new together. Whether it’s wakesurfing, tubing, or just relaxing on the dock, we’re here to help build strong bonds and lasting memories.
Barefoot Wakes was founded by two families who know what it’s like to navigate single parenthood and blended family life. Raised in families led by parents who served, our founders know the pride and the challenges that come with being part of a military family. With backgrounds in education, child development, nonprofit leadership, and a shared love of the lake, we bring both heart and expertise to everything we do. It’s also a family effort. Our own adult kids help lead the charge, passing along their passion for watersports and giving back. To summarize what we do, this isn’t charity, it’s gratitude.
PHASE 5: How did Barefoot Wakes get started and where do you mainly operate? Where did the name come from?
Barefoot Wakes: At the beginning of 2020, two of our founders (Ryan & Kari) moved from Northwest Iowa to Northeast Oklahoma, on Grand Lake ‘O the Cherokees (or just Grand Lake to the locals!). The pandemic hit, our college kids moved back in, and wakesurfed every day for a few months. When the kids went back out into the world, there was an opportunity to introduce new friends and co-workers to wake surfing, sharing our favorite water sport. We found that over and over the families on our boat had a tie to the military and were either single parent homes, or blended families. After a few years of teaching on the side and seeing a need, Kevin & Brandy Lewis and Ryan & Kari Treinen sat down over Taco Tuesday margaritas (as you do!) and decided to form a non-profit organization to better serve our community. While many great programs help service members transition back to civilian life, we focus on the unsung heroes: the spouses, kids, and families who serve and sacrifice right alongside them. That’s where Barefoot Wakes shines. Military families face unique challenges, long separations, frequent moves, and the emotional toll of deployments, injuries, and blended family life. The numbers are sobering. Military divorce rates are nearly double the national average, and over two million kids have had a parent deploy since 9/11. These families carry a heavy load, often quietly and we wanted to help lighten that load. Barefoot Wakes “officially” started in 2023 and needed a name. We wanted to focus on the entire family and less on the military stereo types, so we stayed away from jargon associated with military operations and more typical patriotic themes. The moms came up with a really cool acronym about Boats Augmenting Relationships, Engaging Families Outdoors, Orchestrating Togetherness … and then our 20-something-year-old kids and their friends all told us we were lame. But “Barefoot” stuck by a popular vote and we had our entire volunteer crew help vote on and choose the logo. The SURF Grand Lake gear and Barefoot Wakes logo apparel has been a popular staple in the welcome basket we provide to our surf guest families! We operate on Grand Lake outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and can host military families from all over the country, but most of our riders come from the Tulsa area and Northeast Oklahoma.
PHASE 5: Why do you use Phase 5?
Barefoot Wakes: The Phase 5 Hammerhead skim board is the first board we owned, chosen by the kids as part of a ship store credit when we bought our first surf boat back in 2014. Not long after, we added a Hypsta, followed by the Swell Stealth and Doctor. My personal favorite, the Diamond Luv, is the latest addition to the Barefoot Wakes arsenal. We also have a couple of Phase 5 youth boards in the mix, and our next purchase will be a Phase 5 Oogle to add another solid teaching board to the lineup. Over the years, our crew has ridden and bought boards from other brands, but we always come back to Phase 5. They just ride better, consistently outperforming the competition. It’s as simple as that. When it’s time to hit the water, for fun or teaching surf lessons, the other boards stay on the dock, and our Phase 5 boards take their rightful place on the boat racks.
PHASE 5: Do you have any memorable stories you’d like to share from some of your sessions?
Barefoot Wakes:The Rodriguez family’s surf session was filled with good-natured teasing and plenty of laughter. Their two boys, ages 11 and 13, were thrilled to stand up on the surfboard before either of their parents (a victory they didn’t let them forget!) and by the end of the day, Sgt. Rodriguez also conquered the wake with a triumphant marathon run on his very first time wake surfing. But behind that laughter is a family carrying the heavy weight of adjusting to life post deployment and grief. In 2023, Sgt. Rodriguez deployed to Africa with the Oklahoma Army National Guard. Shortly after returning from his year-long deployment, the family faced unimaginable loss when his 20-year-old daughter tragically passed away from an overdose of ecstasy laced with amphetamines, leaving her two younger brothers and parents to navigate overwhelming emotions. The Rodriguez family surfed with Barefoot Wakes right after marking the one-year anniversary of her passing. With permission, I’m honored to share a text we received from Sgt. Rodriguez’s wife after their day on the lake:
“I just wanted to say thank you again for today. Our family has been broken since the loss of my beautiful stepdaughter, R. You all not only gave us a “day out on the lake”, but a moment to pause the grief, laugh, and make new memories that we can look back on as a family and smile. I will be forever grateful to all of you. I also wanted to let you know J (13-Year-Old) passed out right away when we got the car. He woke up halfway home and would not stop talking about how much fun he had and has since asked me more than 8 times when he can go back on the lake with you all again! I told him he should've expressed that a little more in front of you all! Lol but, it really made my heart so happy to see him smiling and talking all about today. He has been really struggling. His sister was his best friend, and they had such a special connection. He has not been the same since. I’m just so thankful for today and for you all! - Kari”
While our hearts break for this family, we are grateful to be a small part of their healing, because at the end of the day, it’s not just the service member who serves, it’s the whole family. And we’re here to honor them all.
PHASE 5: Do you have any idea how many new people you’ve taught to get up on a surf board?
Barefoot Wakes: We have literally taught hundreds of people to wakesurf. Probably somewhere around 500-600 by now (we should have started keeping a tally years ago!). Sharing the excitement of wakesurfing and spreading love for the sport is hands-down our favorite thing to do, second only to actually surfing ourselves. Our blended families have each bonded on the boat, and we’ve seen firsthand the joy and connection that come from learning a new activity together and helping each other succeed. Our hope is to keep adding new converts to our surfing cult … I mean, culture.
PHASE 5: We’re sure plenty goes into it so run us through a typical session with Barefoot Wakes!
Barefoot Wakes: We start by getting ready for an unforgettable day on the water! Pack the cooler and grab all our gear. Barefoot Wakes provides everything you need from towels to surf instructors. A typical session lasts 4 to 5 hours and includes 2 surf instructors, boat captain, boat host, surfboards, lifejackets, snacks and more. We meet our military families at the dock, where things kick off with introductions, a quick safety briefing, lifejacket fit check and dry land training to cover the basics of wakesurfing before we even hit the lake. After meeting the crew and snapping a few family photos, we head out for individual surf lessons tailored to each skill level. Our instructors will even hop in the water for extra support if needed, and so far, we’re proud to say we have a 100% success rate: everyone we’ve taught has been able to stand up on a surfboard! Throughout the day, our dedicated boat host captures photos and videos of each family member, and everyone together, to help preserve the memories. Between surfers, we break out snacks and drinks from the selections families make on our “Pack the Cooler” welcome forms. Midway through the session, we usually take a break to float, relax, enjoy some refreshments, cool down and catch our breath before getting back on the boards. When everyone is happily worn out, we head back to the dock and either share a family-style meal at the house or visit one of our amazing partner restaurants for some of the best food on the lake. Before the end of the day, each family receives a care package stocked with lake day essentials: sunscreen, lip balm, insulated mugs, drink cups, dry bags, Barefoot Wakes shirts, and a batch of homemade cookies for the ride home. We do our best to send out a highlight reel of photos the same day and follow up with a full gallery of pictures and videos a few days later, because every great lake day deserves to be remembered.
PHASE 5: Thank you for talking with us, we appreciate the support, and we’re stoked on what you’re doing! Is there anything else you’d like to share here?
Barefoot WakesIf you know a military family who could use a little time to reconnect, heal, or just have some plain old fun on the water, send them our way. We love meeting new families, and nothing makes us happier than watching people walk away from a session with big smiles, tired muscles, and full hearts.
And while we don’t do this for the recognition, Barefoot Wakes runs entirely on volunteer power and the generosity of those who believe in what we do. So, if someone reading this wants to help us keep the wake rolling, whether by donating, sponsoring a family, or sharing our story, we’re always grateful.
Barefoot Wakes is all about honoring the people who serve, including the ones who hold it all together at home. If we can give families even one day to feel seen, appreciated, and reconnected, then we’ve done our job.
You can learn more, donate, or nominate a military family at barefootwakes.org
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