learning to barefoot

Hey
I want to be put in the old school crew. Learned in 1976 when my brother wouldn't pull me slalom. Jean shorts, life vest, Chuck Stearns wood ski, 75' line, no instruction. 5th try I went right down the lake. I remember it like it was yesterday.
As to us old school dudes loosing the pasion, barefooting is why I'm on this site. I bought my 85BFN two years ago to enhance my barefooting and for the endurance racing that my sons, my buddies, and I do. Many of the guys who endurance race are just short of "mid life" like myself, and they are some of the most passionate barefooters I've ever met.
In regards to the "new" gear, I'm all for it. If I had access to booms, BF trainer skis, and the all important barefoot suit when I was young, I would have used them (and i would have learned to go bacerds, which is still my dream). I have all that now and the biggest reason is to allow newbies the safest experience in learning to foot.
I have a very bad form when I foot, I plow instead of glide. But I'm trying to change that. Lane's videos are great teaching tools and many are free. Take it from me, learn the gliding style and don't shy away from the trainer "skis". My wife and her girl friends can even ride those.
Sorry so long, but I like the topic.
Steve

John, looking at that water I'm surprised you guys even skied!

finally had the chance to go out yesterday could not do it water was too choppy even with kneeboard and ski water was choppy i'm planned to go out during this week so i'll try again

Thought I would jump in here to post on my killer footin' weekend. 2 weeks ago I got hammered trying to deep water start off the boom. I could not get stable in the butt glide and would bouce so hard it would pitch me off the rope. Got my feet smashed by the handle, eye socket smashed with water. I was about to say this is too much for me.

I came into the 4th of July weekend full of hope, 4 days of footin' and renewed enthusiasm to Never Say Die!

I started to fixed the problem Thurs. evening. I tried an alternate method to get up on the short rope on the boom: the hydro slide. Got up on my third try. Took a ton of passes working the basics: knees together over the ankles, feet gliding, not toes cranked back, and most important: working the power band. Guys at my lake thought I had been footing all my life by the form!

Friday I took the next step: Did the shortline off the boom. Boom was too high when I got hammered 2 weeks back. The rope had too much angle due to the height and once I started bouncing I could not stop. So I lowered the boom, feet around the rope, took off, arched my back, handle at the zipper, waited til I was out of the water, knees up and together, lightly set the feet in, felt the water (awesome feeling, it is like it is alive!) and pressed up slowly with a slight arch and I was UP! It was awesome. I took many passes like that!

So Saturday AM it was time to "get off the porch and run with the big dogs": Long line, behind the boat. Why not?! Now this is a lot more hectic. Many degrees of freedom, lots going thru my head. Everything was the same getting to the butt glide. No problem. However, I had a real hard time getting outside the wake. Real hard. After an number of tries, I resolved to get up between the wakes. Set the feet in... Rough ride, but I did it! I went about 100 yards, then shut it down. I could not control the spray. The water was rough enough I struggled to get my feet in the right form to control the spray. Next time!

Sunday I stayed on the short rope off the boom and tuned up my glide, three point position and butt glide. I started playing with slight side to side turns, working the angles in anticipation of some one foots.

All of that and I took only 2 big head plants all weekend

All of this from a 45 year old guy who barely tumbled up on the boom in May!

That's my story and I am stickin with it.

Nice go! Your butt did not even touch. Stud. Nice work. Footin' water looked pretty good.

Your boom looks pretty high, eh?

Good job LakeBoy and 75!

I have STILL not had the guts to jump out of the ski's. I can deep water start just fine so I'm content with that. Lakeboy, are you having trouble turning the board or are you just waiting too long... Or, is the boat picking up too much speed. To get you out there without doing a triple lindy over the wake, you will have to get out there before you hit the original roller that is created when the boat takes off. On the wake board you can comfortably go like 15-20 until you get into your three-point. Then the boat can gradually pick up the pace until you are ready to stand your butt up. You'll have to start cutting right after the boat starts pulling you. You will inevitably cut too far out but you can make it back to the good water as you feel comfortable.

behindpropeller wrote: Nice Goggles

Bad eyes...contacts...keeps 'em from washin' away.

Very nice grave jump.

You have had a pretty good couple a weeks...bacerds and gravejumps...nice.

Personally I think the goggles, tinted no less, are way cool.

john

I just wanted to say that all of you guys give great advice. I learned how to Barefoot when I was 14 years old behind my Jet Ski with a KneeBoard and a lot of falls. Now I barefoot when ever I have the chance 12 years later, long line dropping a ski. I am one of the only people I ever see barefooting on my lake. Barefooting is something that I will always love. Thanks for all the great advice.

Jeff

Just got back from a foot session with a crew I hooked up with near Sacramento. These guys are serious footers and really rip it up. A bit intimidating at first, but after the first pass, all was relaxed.

These guys really helped me out and re-focused me on the basics of my butt glide, three point position, glide and post,ure. These guys are not instructors per se, but each one of them takes a pilgrimage to Florida in the winter for instruction from the heavies like Bowers, Scarpa, and Seipel. It shows too in how well they foot.

I benefitted greatly from their experience and really makes the case that going out by yourself with the wife driving (my case) may not further your progress, and may even slow it down by developing bad habits. (again, my situation). Makes me want to take a trip to Florida....

Mark, nicely done! Boom height looks fine. As far as form goes, straighten your arms, bring your shoulders back (stick out your chest) and bring your hips forward.

Mark, one thing I noticed is that when you swing yourself around, you do it so gently that your butt never really gets out in front of you. Thus, when you stand up, your butt stays behind the whole time and you can't confidently stand up straight because of it. When you swing yourself around, try to push your legs and butt ahead of you, so that you're gliding more on the small of your back (not actually but it should feel something like that) before you dip your feet in.
That way when you dip your feet in , you come up in the "chair" position since everything is aligned right- feet, then knees, then torso.

Oh and when I bought the used boom the guy said it was a straight drop boom, I guess he was saying it's a contour boom. When I got it, it turned out to be a quad contour boom. So it drops down and sweeps back. It puts the gunwale pad right on my teak step-pad.

I thought that this might be an issue but in my extremely novice opinion, it doesn't seem to be a problem.

Thanks Alan.

I'm bring all of my stuff to ski and barefoot and I hope to hook up with people up there.

I gotta disagree, Joel. His plant doesnt look too bad to me- if he's able to deep up long line, he's doing something right. His feet are back, knees are bent, and hes standing up slow. If you dont sit up when you plant, youre in trouble- Ive seen people plant with their back on the water- not pretty. The plant is always a little screwy on the boom anyways since you cant tuck it into your hips like you would a handle.

Mark, just work on that glide- arms out, shoulders back, hips forward. Im sure you'll make progress before Lake George, but Ill be bringing all my gear as well.