learning to barefoot

25 mph? Really?

How much do you weigh? I'm 180 and I think I would sink at 25. I feel like I'm sinking at 36.

The final boat speed obviously was not 25 mph, I think he is talking about the speed at which he tumbles around which looked just fine.

I am with Hollywood, the final speed was much faster than 25. At 190 pounds I can foot at 30mph but am eating a ton of water.

Lake Boy,

A few easy tips for the tumble up..

First- as you start accelerating, make sure you arms are completely straight. This is why your tumble is so slow. the handle is in at your chest not allowing you to gain any momentum once you want to to get to the front.

So start on your stomach with your arms completely straight, now roll to your back with them straight and in one smooth motion crank the handle into your (right or left hip) its your preference. Starting with your arms out will allow you to gain the necessary momentum to get to the front. The key things are keeping your leading edge (hip) up while you are spinning.

in addition you want to keep your legs together and straight except for a slight bend in the knee. This will allow you to keep your body and abs tighter which will also assist in your tumble to the front. You have your legs apart and set your feet in while you are in the birthing posistion.. The only thing that saved you was that you set them in softly.

I would suggest sweeping your feet back by your hips with your knees slightly together, but the key is when your feet hit the water you have to let the handle out over your knees.

Your tumbles looks decent, one thing that will help is to not let the handle leave your wetsuit. This will make you spin easier and once you let the handle out even a little bit it changes the spot on your butt and back where your spin, thus causing more drag. Padded shorts are a must... the optimum spot is at the top of the crack of you butt, this will allow for the perfect tumble.

Hope this helps, if I get out another time, I will try and post a vid.

Ryan

Nice Mark

Different view then seeing it from my eyes. Still need to work on my stuff but thats what Lake George is for. FUN.............

I did not mean to throw you guys off on the speed. When I said 25 MPH, that was my speed as I "tumbled up" I set my feet at 32-34, then my guy takes me to 37-38.

I actually worked the tumble-up over the weekend. The key ws drawing the rope directly and quickly to my hip as soon as I roll over. I was on my back too long which made it harder. I did not get video.

LakeBoy wrote: Tumble Up Long Line

Time on the water makes a huge difference. Getting out with experienced footers really makes a difference, too. I hooked up with 3 separate groups of local footers dialing into a website called BarefootCentral.com.

I have gone out with these guys 4 times and learned a lot. One thing I have picked up is "driving" is a major part of the deal. A good driver knows what speeds you need to plane, butt glide, plant and ski.

I'll go out with these guys and rip some sweet runs, then I will go out on our lake with my wife driving, and it feels like I digressed a month. She does what I tell her, but I don't always know how to make an adjustment.

Now get out there and Rip a Set!

I can't imagine learning to foot and having a new driver at the same time. I am having enough trouble teaching my wife and I already know how to foot. I got tired of fighting with her so now she just shoves it down and backs off somewhere around 40 mph. I usually get up this way and she is happy we aren't fighting. At least I still get to foot.

So I made it up on the handle from the boom.

I tried a tumble up. The arm holes on the jump suit I'm using are too big and I didn't like the spray bruise I was getting;

I then was able to get up doing a deep type start. I know my form sux and my arms need to be straighter. I was up for a while and then went down pretty hard. What should I be working on next?



Oh, Phil was with us too and he made it up on the handle too, ran out of batteries on the camera though so no vid.

He thought I was hurt. It was a bell ringer and I probably went down 10 feet under the surface, lol. He does normally idle down before coming around.

I do need to work on getting my hips forward. I have the same issue when I'm on my ski. I think it might be my back issues. I have two herniated discs in my lower back.

I like being able to go back and forth from the handle to the boom to work out form issues.

Barracuda Chick has it nailed. You gotta ditch the death grip on the handle. Relaxt the arms, let out the handle.

As far as the face plant: if you water your face, it may grow back!!! LOL.

Nice job Mark! Sweet water too, where is that?

That's two mentions of handle to hip for the tumble start. After you roll onto your back, pull the handle into your belly buttom BEFORE doing anything. You need to get the handle down "in between" your hips before you start spinning. It is unnecessarily difficult to pull the handle in and spin at the same time.

Shoulders over your hips over your feet, practice this stance on dryland or in the boat with the handle on the pylon.

Barracuda Chick wrote: Be careful because if you position shoulders over your hip and hips over your feet you will be standing to straight and slightly forward which will lead to a face plant.

You can still bend your ankles and knees in this position with an angled \ safe stance.

We are saying the same thing. If your feet are in front of your hips and your hips are in front of your shoulders you can still draw a straight line betwen the 3 points, and I'm not saying that line is supposed to be vertical.