learning to barefoot

Jllogan wrote: What prevents you from bouncing he like started to at around 3:40?

Bent at the waist too soon, I believe. Have to arch your back hard, drive your shoulder blades into the water, head back till the boat reaches sufficient speed that riding on your butt alone can be supported.

Also, there is just fine tuning your position, which comes with tries and experience. All of a sudden the bouncing goes away and its never a problem again.

Andy and all:

Here is a re-posting of this video of David Small with new music. I guess YouTube does not care for the Beastie Boys...

Nice. You will like those and learn a lot using them. Good when the water is chippy, debris, or feet are sore. Otherwise a must-have training tool!

LakeBoy wrote: That is a good video, Andy. He took right to the short rope. The bouncing is a function of being a rookie. Combination of speed and balance. One day, it just goes away.

I forgot about the bouncing, but it is funny when I was just starting last year, I remember that being so difficult, and you guys all said the same thing. Now I only bounce off of waves, it just suddenly stopped. I am sure if you go back and look at my videos, you will see lots of bounce in the beginning. Too funny, see these guys really know what they are talking about, HA!

Not sure if I have put this one up here but this is some of the younger set that I foot with if I can get them off the wakeskate and wakeboards.
Flosi has a unique way of footin. Be sure to catch some of his other vids for the butt grab, and weird music selections set to footin strangely.

not all the music is like this one, I promise.

Simple as keeping your knees together. when your knees come apart it changes the angle of your foot on the water and you get more spray in between your feet, keep them together and the spray goes to the outsides of your feet. Same applies when in the three point or butt glide, knees apart spray in face, knees together greately reduces the spray in your face.

LakeBoy wrote: Steve is right on the knees, but also your foot the way it glides over the water will affect the spray. If you are "heel heavy" or "plowing" as they say, you will get a lot of spray.

Consistent with the above, but not expressly stated, make sure your knees are bent (often referred to as the 'sitting in the chair' position) This will serve to level your foot as Roy is suggesting. When you are tired, there is a tendancy (at least for me) to straightne out your body and legs and lean away from the boat which leads to heel digging and more spray.

Ok, finally I have some video to share... Again, quality is not the best, but at least my daughter captured something, have to explain to her that you don't have to use the full zoom as its more important to have something in the frame. Also, when I dropped down for my FIRST TUMBLE TURN my daughter thought I was quitting, so we lost a few frames on the tumble turn. Anyway here it is!



my critique: Got a little crazy on the tumble turn, everything seems to be flying, have to admit its a little crazy tumbling out away from the boat on the long line.

Also what is going on at my start, I am pulling my arms in something fierce, any idea why? I know I have to do something to stop that. I am guessing its bad form.

Anyway let me know what you think!

I had a nice break out day on Saturday, made some nice progress on my front one-foot wake slalom, and these:

First Front to Backs

Here is a summary video of other Saturday footin' fun:

Good Day of Footin'

All told, I am stoked where I am at right now in my footin'. A lot of things are happening, a lot of things within reach! Could not do it without the experienced footers I go out with like Andy, Willie and others. Coaching from David Small hasn't hurt either.

By comparison, this is the first video I ever posted on YouTube. I may not have posted it on this forum. This was posted August 28, 2008. Not even 3 years ago.

First Video Ever

Progress, progress, progress...let's go do some footin'!

That is some awesome footin Roy! Your first long line tumble popped up when I looked at your first video Ever. Interesting I bet I know exactly what was going through your mind before you threw it down. HA! And yes, next time out, I am going to try some wake crosses and if my nerves will take it maybe attempt a one foot.

Andy, I really have to get out and ski with you, if you thought that was rolly water - HA that is as close to glass as we see... But your right it was on a very big lake, early in the AM, but already the water was starting to move. Sure was fun though. I also agree, its always good to get up.

Man I love this stuff. We need to post a warning somewhere on this thread about how addicting it is!

Do you need to wear a cup when attempting that???

yes you definitely need a cup.

Ok, got out last night. Unbelievable conditions, plus the lake we ski at now have removed all the no wake restrictions. Unfortunately no video

So despite the great conditions it was a pretty rough night. First set: Nice up, skied the first straight, just getting the feel, little ripple on the water, approaching the first corner and I can see its all glass, cool! But wait, my feet are getting hot, then I hit the glass (not even a ripple) oh man now they are on fire, gotta get off the feet, so I sit down and have to dump off because of the whip in the corner. Ugghhh!

Second Set: Ok, same set up, a little "crazy legs" on the start but up we go, now Roy you'll be happy about this, I go for a wake cross, hmm that felt pretty good, so I throw three more in before we get to the corner. The last one was pretty close to the corner, but I make it to the outside and into the curl. I hit that glass and BAM my feet are burning again - Ok, I am gutting this one out, except that I catch a toe and down I go... Somehow I hit the water with my Right tricep, which resulted in a temporary numbing of my right arm, ouch that hurt!

Third Set: Ok, so now I have two set in that both ended with burning feet. If you remember, the guys I ski with wear socks, and after two trips down the lake that ended with flaming feet, these guys are riding me endlessly. So I cave to the peer pressure and don a pair of socks Up on the feet, throw a couple of wake crosses in, socks feel a little weird, but not that different from the bare feet and here comes that crazy glass, now I mean there is not even a bubble on this water. I hit that corner with the glass, getting ready for the burn, but now it doesn't come, ski around the corner and back in the straight, hmm maybe there really is something to this sock thing. Anyway, start to sit down for a tumble and somehow catch my right knee - that will throw you (and it does) and actually doesn't exactly feel the best either... Sometimes you just have a rough night and that was the case yesterday.

So why do the feet burn so incredibly bad when the water is extremely calm? What can you do to make that stop? I didn't experience that last year - but man it was like standing on hot red coals. Any thoughts?

skutsch wrote: So why do the feet burn so incredibly bad when the water is extremely calm?

When its super flat, the water is consistently hitting your instep on one very narrow line, hence that line captures all the pressure and the water cuts like a knife. When there is a little bit of a ripple, the contact point moves around on your foot spreading out the impact. Don't know if there is a way around it. Toughen up your feet with time? Its too bad, because you are limited when the conditions are the most ideal.