barefoot?

[mwe-maxxowner]

I wanna learn to barefoot ski. Any tips?

 

[Lake Lizzard]

Re: barefoot?

Find someone with a barefoot boom to help your learn. I would imagine that YouTube would have a bunch of videos on this as well. With a barefoot boom you will learn quicker, progress faster, and do it all with a lot less pain. One more thing - get out early in the day and find some calm water. Have fun and enjoy the foot massage!

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: barefoot?

^2nd. It's best to find a boat with a boom. It's going to take a boat capable of running ~40mph for adult males including the drag from the skier, so many smaller runabouts won't cut it.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: barefoot?

If possible, find someone who has barefoot skied themselves to pull you. Its as much on the driver as it is the skier.

To me the easiest way (without a boom) is a kneeboard and a jet ski.

Get up slowly on the kneeboard, straddling the sucker with your feet in front. Give the spotter the hit it sign, and have them get to 35-40 asap. Put your feet in the water once they start speeding up in a seated position and as the ski speeds up you will life off the kneeboard and be a footing.

Get some neoprene shorts first, though!

Have fun!

 

[skibrain]

Re: barefoot?

Self taught step off from slalom 38 yrs ago at age 13. First Tried and mastered deep water long line start last summer so it is fun to try new things. Boom definitely if available. Coaching yes. Mixed opinions on easiest start: step-off ski while hanging onto boom, or front drag and tumble up from boom (BF wetsuit highly recommended)

stuff here to look at:
hubpages.com/hub/Barefoot-Skiing-Speeds

 

[nola mike]

Re: barefoot?

I wouldn't recommend the kneeboard approach. Tried barefooting last summer with my BIL for the first time.
1. Kneeboards are not made to go 40 mph with you straddling them. Hard enough to focus on not killing yourself just by riding the kneeboard.
2. There's a LOT of spray at 40 mph on a kneeboard.

BIL admitted that he never actually got up using the kneeboard, and he used a boom. I damn near killed him, didn't know he had a boom that we could have been using. Maybe this summer.

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: barefoot?

X100 on using the boom. All of the barefoot schools use them for a reason. I won't even consider teaching someone without one. It's foolish IMO. Can it be done other ways? Sure...but at what price? Why not use newer technology that makes it safer, easier, and more enjoyable?

If you don't know anyone with a tournament ski boat and a boom, go to Barefoot Central and use the Locate a Footer page. http://www.barefootcentral.info/locatea.htm

Drill down to get to the state you are in and email a couple of the folks. Some of the addresses are old there, so it may take a couple of tries to get ahold of someone.

If you are anywhere near MN, I'd be glad to give you some lessons. I've taught many people to barefoot.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: barefoot?

I used a boom once at ski school. I already could deep water start and just had a 4 cylinder IO. Sure its cake with a boom, but don't let that stop you if you don't have one. People were barefooting long before the invention of a boom.

I just got a Delta Magazine (Delta Mississippi, not the airlines) issue and it has a segment on a lake in Grenville MS. The old timers were barefooting in the 70s behind Glastron's with outboards, two at a time!

The hardest part about footing off a kneeboard is getting up with your feet in front. Once up there is no spay from the kneeboard what so ever. Your feet are in the water, that is what is causing the spray. Spay is part of footing. Just put your feet in the water once they person starts accelerating. When the boat is up to sufficient speed, the kneeboard will not even be an afterthought.

The problem with stepping off a ski, in my opinion, unless you are a really light person is the ski position is much more upright than the sitting on the kneeboard position. When you step off the ski, you really need to bend the knee of the foot on the ski to match the proper position for footing once you get the other foot in the water. But, then again, people have been doing it this way for years, so if you prefer it over the kneeboard, go for it.

Again, consider a sea doo. A sea doo wake edition will get to 38-40 mph in a few seconds.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: barefoot?

Here, these make it look easy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14idE9uGgbk

he did it with a traditional feet in the back start, then swung them around. Not sure my 40+ body will do that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex4LgWZj2nQ

This is how I always did it, getting up with feet in front of the kneeboard.

I was thinking I would try my wakeskate the next time I do it.

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: barefoot?

sickwilly, I agree people have been barefooting long before the invention of a boom, but like I said, why do it the hard way? People got and do get seriously hurt trying the old school ways and without proper instruction.

I personally prefer the step off over the kneeboard. A step off is basically like doing a one foot (skiing on one foot). Shift your hips and the handle over the foot you plan to ski on and practice riding that for a while. When you can gently pick up the ski with all of your weight on the footing foot, you are ready to SLOWLY kick off the ski. Most people fall when they put the second foot into the water because they plant it in the water too quickly and too firmly, pushing it through the surface of the water. Remember, you're already doing a one foot, so SLOWLY set the other foot onto the water and shift your weight back to centered along with the handle. Remember to make the ski binding as loose as possible, removing the heel cup if possible.

Barefooting is not about brute strength. It's all technique.

Again, I highly recommend a boom and an instructor/driver that knows what their doing. Many people have been seriously injured trying on their own. I really think thats a big reason why people DON'T barefoot... too many hard falls either by experience or by witness. A boom and instructor will make your success a LOT faster with fewer falls. If you went to a professional barefoot ski school, you would learn more in one day than you would likely learn in an entire summer on your own.

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: barefoot?

Nice links sickwilly! I think its easier outside the wake...prop turbulence sucks!

Here's a great step off video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-I3lMJsXTg

 

[skistud]

Re: barefoot?

Find someone with a barefoot boom to help your learn. I would imagine that YouTube would have a bunch of videos on this as well. With a barefoot boom you will learn quicker, progress faster, and do it all with a lot less pain. One more thing - get out early in the day and find some calm water. Have fun and enjoy the foot massage!

Lake Lizzard has it right on.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: barefoot?

I know nobody with a boom. Mine and my fathers boats are fast enough, but I don't know if I wanna do 40 and wipe out lol. I usually board at 25 and that can hurt. I do think it'd be nice to get out there with no board to keep up with though.

 

[electricjohn]

Re: barefoot?

Practice rapidly curling into a ball with your arms protecting your head and neck. Thats what we did before there were barefoot booms, ski instructors, or boats with any power (circa mid 60's). Seriously though, look for a ski instructor with the proper equipment. It will be money well spent, save you a lot of pain, and prevent you from picking up bad technique or habits. Getting the proper fundamentals down from the start is key.

 

[woody66912]

Re: barefoot?

Been footing for 25 years.

learned by step-off
sliding beaches
deep starts
flying docks
running docks
flip starts off dock
even layed on the bottom of a 6 1/2' jump and got pulled over the top. In the ski show of course.
Good luck on this on, once you get it it's great feeling. The part I never like was every once and awhile I would use my eye lids for brakes.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: barefoot?

I know nobody with a boom. Mine and my fathers boats are fast enough, but I don't know if I wanna do 40 and wipe out lol. I usually board at 25 and that can hurt. I do think it'd be nice to get out there with no board to keep up with though.

A 20 MPH crash when you catch the leading edge of the wakeboard hurts way worse than a 40 MPH crash on barefeet, based on my personal expereince.

 

[Sea-Donkey]

Re: barefoot?

Try it beside a Wetbike first:

How to:

Pearl River ride 2012 number 1 - YouTube

How not to:

Wetbike barefooting on the Pearl River with an ending face plant - YouTube

 

[brianbo]

Re: barefoot?

I wanna learn to barefoot ski. Any tips?

Prepare for a few hard falls (usually faceplants). I learned by getting up on a slalom ski with the front binding as loose as I could make it. Back foot comes out and gets comfortable in the water. Knees bent and leaning slightly back. Get balanced and then smoothly step out of the ski and place your other foot on top of the water. Don't jam it down. Nice and smooth. Stay balanced with knees bent and slight lean backwards. Depending on your weight you'll need at least 35-40 mph. Your feet will burn a bit if you go a long ways (we used to sand the bottom of old Chuck Taylor Converse tennis shoes smooth and wear those. Falls forward are fast and hard. I'd wear neoprene to help protect your jewels. It takes some practice but it is a total rush once you get it. Good luck!

 

[kahuna123]

Re: barefoot?

Find someone with a boom and save yourself some hurt. If not a wakeboard start is your best option. You need at least 35mph. I learned 42 years ago. Yea I learned stepping out as we used to call it. It works but you better spend more than a minute or two putting weight on that foot thats not in the ski

 

[moosehead]

Re: barefoot?

Speed is your friend. If a boom is not available, stepping off a loosely fit slalom ski onto the outside angle of the wake is next best technique. Deep waters are for pros and nuts. Wetsuit will keep you from getting an enema.

If falling: Don't open your mouth, Don't turn your head to the side, don't put your hands out in front of you. Otherwise, your cheek will blow up like a balloon, you'll swallow a ton of water, blow an eardrum, and give yourself a black eye.

Notwithstanding the above, it's a blast.