learning to barefoot

Got it. Yeah, thanks on that. Not everybody at 45 year's old (47 in Sept.) decides to take up footing with a passion. I am so hooked on it. I try to get out 1 midweek day, and ski the weekend and my ski club.

How old are your kids?

I recommend BTW the Lane Bower's Instructional video. 40 or 50 bucks. It has everything from beginner to advanced plus speeds for the driver, driving tips, equipment, boom heights. Worth it...

Hey, Mark Mel, you were saying you didn't have anyone to shoot some video? Check this out. I went out to my ski club with my friend Craig and my 2 kids. The place was deserted, nobody to shoot video. I put the camera in the hands of my kids, 7 and 5, and this is what we got. Not perfect, but considering I made them sit and not move around, and this is the first time they EVER had a camera in their hands, I thought it came out good:

Kid Videographers

some pics of my last footing with kristof!!!thanks man for killing my anxiety while my boat its under tlc!!!





first attemps on one foot

OK...so here are some tips on the one foots:
Don't look down! look straight ahead where you are going...look down go down

Next pick the foot up and over the foot you are skiing on..pick it up in front, lifting at your hip mostly, don't pull it back behind like your picture shows.

do them on the boom over and over picking up and putting down each foot...work harder on whichever is more difficult for you...don't just do the "easy" one...thats called your "basic" the other is called the "reverse" (which is your weaker "side") work that weaker side til both are strong and smooth then go to the 5ft rope or wrap the 5ft up a few times to 3 feet or 2 feet....then after you can do them there let it out to 5ft...do them til they are both easy then go longline.

keep up the good work!

I was at a physical agility test last saturday and the instructor was telling how to get through the 99 yard obstacle course...he says keep you head up look where you are going not down at the ground...look down go down....

I did very well since that has been pounded into my head for years

it also came in handy for the 500 yard dash when my legs turned to rubber at the last 25 yards, thought I would eat pavement but just kept eyes on the finish line...made it. haven't run that far at speed in who knows how long.

alot of the things learned in barefooting can carry over to other areas of your life

Roy
Great video. Must be hard footing in such rough water.
I noticed the neck brace. Not a bad idea. I wish I would have had one on two weeks ago when I missed a two ski bomber. My neck still hurts. It's hard getting old (46) and still doing this stuff.   Here's a grainy video of a bomber I did this past Sunday.
Kristoff, this is a very easy start method you should learn.

Jbear calls this a "Grave Jump"

Tullfooter,

Thanks for the props. Yeah the water was nice. That's pretty normal late evening at the ski club, which is in the Sierra foothill, northeast of Sacramento.

The neckbrace IS the way to go. I really made it a priority while learing to go backwards. The backward falls whiplash you and you can get real sore without one. The forward falls can be just plain dangerous, so now I use it all the time. Doesn't look the best for style, but also at 46 I want to foot for a long time.

Mine is a Ron Scarpa brace. The one I just got (as a gift from a footer friend) is a barefoot central neckbrace: BFC Neckbrace It is not cheap, but it is a better fit for me, and it has a tab which extands down and tuck in to your suit which makes it real stable. Also the black blends better and you don't look like you just got discharged from the hospital..LOL

I have also heard the grave start called the "bomb out". I think the tumble up start is easier though, plus you don't have to go back and get the slats.

I've never gone backwards, but I've always wanted to. I screwed up my shoulder about eight years ago, doing a barefoot pyramid, so I figured staying frontwards was the safer bet.
I was being facetious when I said the bomber was an easy start method, it's not (I think Wood will agree with me). We do dock flyers, beach sliders, and deep ups in the show, but I'm the one stuck with doing the bomber. I think the team feels that I've lived a long and fruitful life, the younger guys have so much more life to live. We have the video of my crash two weeks ago; it's one of my best. I'll get a copy and post it soon.
I think bombers should be prefaced by the "don't try this at home kids" phrase.

heres a nice little video, hot narrator, and WHAT IS WRONG With peter flecks feet? I would not let that in my boat...no way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TtSr7euSzM&feature=related

GS
That back bomber is one of the coolest moves I've ever seen. That takes stones to leave two skis bacerds.
We do our two-one pyramid at about 43mph. When I dislocated my shoulder, I made the mistake of stepping without enough speed. Friends of ours down in Warsaw, IN are doing a three-two-one three high BFP. The kid on the top must have a screw loose.

If they have a 200 lb topper, sure!

the claim being made on the barefoot pyramid is 51mph on a 3-2 pyramid...I said 51 is overkill, he said "speed is your friend". I think they need to check the speedos against gps...somebody/thing is not telling the truth...43 to maybe 45 should be plenty to do 3-2...no I've never done it. I have barefooted at 64mph though.

I do one of the barefoot pyramids in our show. I have small feet....size 9. I like 42-43, last week we did it at 40, perfect water though. 2 years ago at nationals our driver "slowed it down for us" due to rough water.... popped my shoulder out on that crash. Now I wear the jump sling for our BF pyramids.

Tim

Ill find out what they run the 3-2-1BFP at in a week.

Tim

tullfooter wrote: Kristoff, this is a very easy start method you should learn.

Suuuure Tull!! I think a neck brace aint gonna cut it no mo if I try that right now...