learning to barefoot

Ok. Jumping in (falling in?). I have been slowly collecting a boom, a suit, getting the bigger boat back in service, and getting up a little nerve. I have read about a third of this thread and watched a lot of the videos.

I tried for the first time yesterday. I spent the whole day Saturday the morning Sunday fixing a fallen section of sea wall next to the lake (at least the lake if full with all the rain) so I did not get out until after lunch. It was a pretty day yesterday so there were a couple of boats out on our tiny lake and it was breezy. Poor conditions, but I was anxious.

With my wife driving (she will be learning with me) I put on my $20 thirty-year-old barefoot suit and started off the boom with the "slalom" combo ski. I tried putting one foot down with one foot on the combo ski both right foot forward and left foot forward. I actually ended up sitting on the ski a couple of times with one foot out in a sloppy approximation of a 3 point position, feeling what it must be like to catch a toe on that one foot, fell in a turn, and realized pretty quickly it was too rough.

I waited until the sun was going down, no one on the lake, no wind, and flat water. Same drill, running about 36 mph (I am 172 pounds) I managed to have both feet on the water for about 3 seconds. Of course, I had that "I am actully doing this" moment and promptly fell, but not too hard. By that time, the sun was really going down, some guy in a bass boat blows by, and I decided, enough falling for one day. Probably too dark for video or photos, and no one to run the camera anyway.

I plan to try again after work today (not looking forward to day light savings time ).

Lake Boy is right. The driver makes a huge difference when your skill level is low. Earlier this season I couldn't long line. I now can and can get up under just about any conditions unless the chop is wicked.

I learned on the boom in the super man position and rolling around on my hip to my but. Some prefer to hang from the boom with feet on the boom cable.

When you are at butt gliding the biggest thing I learned that help is don't get to anxious to put your feet in the water. Take your time get in the correct position. It also helps in the early stages of butt gilding to go a few mph slower than your actual desired foot speed when you plant which lessens the blow when you put your feet in because in the beginning you don't know how to react to the load as well as when you have some seat time.

Your natural reaction to sticking your feet in the water will be to straight leg and pull your arms in which is exactly what makes you fall. Bent knees hips up and arms straight.

Another helpful hint when on the boom as you pendulum under the boom and speed increases let your arms go up which will make the boom be higher off the water and depending on the boat reduce the spray.

If at all possible get someone who knows what they are doing. The only reason I can deep water start is because I made some friends who know what to tell you.

Roy,

I have read many of your posts with interest, and I congratulate you on your remarkable progress and dedication to the sport. I turn 45 in a few days, and have just started to learn to ski, so you give me hope; Banana George started at 45 too . I appreciate your advice; I will take as much as I can, though know there will be compromises as I learn. I have been looking for experienced footers close by. In fact, I have been trying to get together this summer with Larry Hineline (75 Tique), who helped me figure out deep water slalom ski starts last summer (my first move forward since I learned to ski on two skis and drop one when I was about 10 years old), but I haven't found anyone closer than that yet. If I wait for experienced footers and drivers, I will probably never try because coordinating around work and family obligations will be tough for years to come. I was not planning to put the short rope on the boom until I worked directly on the boom for a while.

Zach,

Thanks for the tips. I am going out again tonight, so I will forget the ski and work on getting some butt time in.

Nice Kapla,

Firstly pardon if i'm being capt obvious! that high boom is fun but beware having the handle come off the small of your back like that, both on the start and riding. A normal boom height or long line will object when the handle comes off the body high like that. The action is to try to bend the handle over your azz on the start.
Additionally, the back to front will be easier when the handle is already close to the body.

Wayne; I can't echo what Zach and Roy have said loud enough. Like Zach said, lose that slalom ski and work on the tumble up, you will know you are having success when you can actually feel the boom rise and your driver (wife) no longer has to fight the pull/drag on the boom with steering input - a GREAT feeling by the way.

Now admittedly, it may be the youngster talking in me, as I started this barefooting adventure 3 years ago at the ripe ol age of 42, but in addition to what Roy said, about cup, neckbrace and suit, I would emphasize that the quality of your equipment is almost as important as the everything else. I know its expensive, but if you invest (and it is an investment) in an Eagle, KSO or Barefoot International suit you are going to be much happier. The same is true with a good pair of shorts (BFI or Eagle). I have skied some old 20+ years Eagle, BFI and some newer Vortex suits and difference in glide and protection with the new BFI and Eagle suits is actually pretty amazing. All of this means that you will have more success, an easier time learning and less bumps and bruises and you continue this journey.

Lastly, as Roy said, find some guys to ski with, suck any and all of their experience that you can, listen to them and take video. Post that video here and you'll get tons of help. Consider professional help. I went the route of finding an instructor (do your research on those too) one because my daughter wanted to learn and I wanted to make the learning as safe as possible, and two because I am a little bit impatient and after trying as a kid/teenager (years and years ago, using said step off method) I knew there had to be a better way. It is definitely an expensive sport, but if you can scrape together $200 to spend a day with an instructor you will literally learn more and make more accomplishments in that day then you would in a whole season trying on your own. Plus instructors usually have sites that have perfect or near perfect water. I can't tell you how envious I am of Roy, Andy and Seb they seem to have access to unlimited flat water. Plan a family vacation to FL to see the mouse and then sneak away for a day to one of the schools just south of their. The barefoot community is a very small group, hook up with some of the pros on facebook and then you can see when they are going to be in your area (I know David Small, Ben Groen and others are always on the road offering clinics).

Like Roy said, EXTREMELY addicting, its a rush every single time I stand up and ski, even when I am doing nothing more then riding the boom or back out behind the boat. Have fun and Go For it!

Thanks again for the words of advice and encouragement. I teach in a very technical discipline so I understand the value of good instruction and equipment vs. the dangers of learning bad habits. I am going to be near Winterhaven over the last weekend in September, but I don't think I'll have enough time to arrange a side trip. It sure would be nice to find some footers in the Raleigh Durham area; the closest willing teacher I know is Larry who is about 2 hours away, and we have both been pretty busy, so not a lot of luck getting together this summer.

backfoot100 wrote: Geez Wayne, Winter Haven the last weekend of Sept. and you can't arrange for a side trip? Granted the boys at WBC are really good at what they do and you can learn a ton from them, or you could always come over to my place, we'll get the Barefooter wet and then have a couple cold ones after, maybe even dinner...but I know you're just so busy...too bad. You gotta let me know your schedule. It would be really cool to try and meet you even if you don't wanna be social.

Now a few hours with a friend, I can probably arrange, a day at WBC (money and time), not so much. We are actually planning to stop in Daytona on Friday on the way down to see one of my best friends from school. Then we are planning to stay in the Orlando area Saturday and Sunday, probably driving back Monday, but have talked about splitting the drive over Monday and Tuesday.

backfoot100 wrote: I'll PM you. Very cool if we can arrange for aget together. I'd be very happy to take you out and attenmpt to learn something.

That's an offer you shouldn't turn down. Eddie's the man.

Back Deep attempts today. Practicing riding on my chest and taking one foot off of the rope at a time and placing it on the water. Switch foot and repeat. It went well. When I took both feet off at the same time, the lack of stability gave trouble. I was able to ride the plant for several seconds, but I lacked the stability to go much more. Also, when both feet come off of the rope, the pull changes. No longer the upward pull on my lower body.   At that point, are you supposed to push down with the chest? Kind of didn't know how to stabilize the ride at that point. Gotta give mega kudos to my driver, John (footfungus). His first time pulling a back deep. He took the direction incredibly well. It only took some very minor fine tuning after the first pull for him to dial it into what I felt was the perfect acceleration and speed while I worked on the plant.

Swatkinz wrote: Back Deep attempts today. Practicing riding on my chest and taking one foot off of the rope at a time and placing it on the water....

Steve, that is fricking awesome you are working on the back deep! Andy and I were talking about this one. It is never too soon to work on the back deep. Forwards skiing has nothing to do with backwards skiing.

That said i can offer my experience. I know WBC teaches the one foot on, one foot off technique. I did not learn that way. I might have helped. But it is a "baby step" aimed at getting you comfortable taking your foot off the rope. It might be good to move past it because I have never seen David Small have anyone do it more than one or two lengths of the lake. The plane out is super important not only for now but forever. It will have everything to do with whether you can back deep behind the boat. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, just want you to know it is important (my plane out sucks, and it hurts me). The back deep is super mental. You need to go through your mental checklist EVERY time, or you wont make it. Your mental checklist outline is PLANE...PLANT...SKI.

OK, the PLANE. First thought, "long arms, shoulders rolled down." Like you are trying to break the handle over your lower back. Second thought, "I need to be a log, a board, stiff as a corpse." Engage the core (tighten stomach muscles), tighten the butt muscles so there is no bend or looseness at the waist. Third thought: "Look out the back!" So important, I cannot emphasise it enough. So important. This action will reinforce your stiffness, but set the gyroscope for balance, even pull on the rope and even pressure on both feet. Learn to ride this position across the lake if you can. Some bouncing will be normal. But stay stiff. Andy says to ride this position on the cup. Going back to your post, you no not put pressure on your chest here.

Now the PLANT: after a successful plane of 3 seconds, turn you feet outward, spread your legs slightly and set your ANKLES with feet turned out gently on the water. First thought: "Am I sliding on the water, feet turned out? Is my core still engaged, with tight stomach muscles? And am I still looking out the back?" If you get flexible in the middle, engage the core. Your driver should know that after a few seconds of sliding on the water it is time to give some speed. The next steps are a timing thing more than anything else, something you need to workout for youself. As the the speed engages, lift your groin off the water by pooching your ass up, and the weight will shift to your still sliding feet, and your chest. This is the beginning of the 3 point. As speed increases, resist the tempatation to let your feet get spread really wide by the water. You can pull a muscle like I did and really wide feet make it hard to get up. Kapla, sorry, your feet are way too wide in the picture above. As speed increases, start turning your feet down to get more "bite" on the water. Again you should be able to ride this across the lake at 15-25 MPH.

This is probably enough for now, I could take more about "riding it away." i put a few thoughts in your mind. I was to to "push down on the chin and chest" to ski it away. or "bend at the waist, fold like lawn furniture." Somehow those words never resonated with me. I could visualize them but never put them into action. Consider this: 1. You have to bend at the middle, yes. 2. Your chin or thereabouts needs to be the last thing to come off the water, yes. 3. The boat pull will pluck you off the water. All true. The dealmaker for me was a tip given by the legendary Don Mixon Jr.: " as speed increases, and your feet are turning down, arch your lower back, like during sex when you pull out." Little pull out, little pressure on the chest, little bend, little pull out, little pressure on the chest, little bend...All this timed with incresed boat speed plucked off the water, bent, headdown, eyes out the back.

OK. Try this stuff. Develop a consistent mental routine that you add to, modify as you learn, but consistently apply. And remember, "the backward skier has no idea where he is going, but knows where he has been" -Willie Farrell.

You must wear a cup too because you are going to plane on it

Stick with a back step off then

Roy, Andy, thanks for the tips. The backward challenge really has me energized. I'm hoping to at least be able to ride the plant by the end of the season. The comments about the cup being a necessity are very understandable now. Won't leave home without it from now on.

dwouncmd wrote: Still bruised from spending so much time on my rear end this past Monday, so I made a "strategic" decision to try stepping off a ski while on the boom, and I made it. The water was much less rough, and I stayed up nice and steady until my feet got to hot to go on. I decided to take a run on the ski, and then called it a night. I will try again tomorrow, maybe a hanging start from the boom.

Wayne, when I decided to test the footing waters again 3 years ago, it seemed logical to me to go for a gently used "cheap" barefoot suit. I found one online that was top of the line 20 years ago for 40 or 50 bucks. (It is a BI) It even came with the shorts. Well, I used it and it beat the s>>>> out of me. My hips and a$$ would be bruised literally every time I skied. (I was working on tumble up on the boom, tumbles on the short rope,deeps on the boom, etc.)

Well, my wife surprised me with a new BI suit and iron shorts for xmas this past year. (I thought the bruises made me look tough, but apparently she didn't think so.) The new suit has made a world of difference for me. I can see why more advanced footers would prefer not to have the most padded suit and shorts available, but for perpetual beginners like me, I like having the extra protection. Never a bruise since, it glides for miles, tumbles are like spinning on grease, etc.

Bottom line. IMO it's worth the money to get yourself a good suit and other equipment that will provide a safer, more comfortable experience.   Roy and Andy preach this in their posts. I resisted this, at first, but no more.

My $.02. BTW, Where in NC are you? I travel NC occasionally and would love to hook up if we could make it work.

Johnny's first LLBD. The only thing modern about this run is the use of a FlyHigh, though he's been working on the low pole too. No cup, old rope, even older suit.


Frontwards no barefoot suit whatsoever.


skutsch made some progress on his LLBDs that evening as well, and thanks for taking the videos.