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Julius
Boros
Professional
Golfer
"Poise.
Concentration. No indecision. No wasted motion. No strong-arm tactics.
Only an easy, fluid motion. That's the secret of my game."
This
is a great quote for what we are about to launch into.and actually.for
all the skills in barefooting. I have received a number of requests
for an article on learning to start forwards without the use of
a ski or kneeboard; the forwards deep water start.
Many
years ago this was considered and incredible stunt, but with the
technology I will impart unto you, you can confidently acquire this
skill. You will be proud to be able to walk down to the boat without
carrying a ski!
Let
me start by covering equipment. The very best scenario which will
make this easy, fun, and safe will be for you to have a pair of
padded shorts designed especially for barefooting, a properly fitted
barefoot wetsuit, a 5 foot handle, two foot extension for that handle,
a boom, and a good driver. If you do not have this gear, and you
can afford to get it, visit our Pro
Shop online at (http:www.thefootersedge.com/equipment) or call
us directly at 877 685-6270 (863 268-0111 out of country).
By the way, did you know that we guarantee that you will barefoot better in our wetsuit or your money back? Check out why we guarantee it!
Why
the padded shorts? I have found that there is a much better success
rate for my students when they use the padded shorts because they
glide more effortlessly across the water which makes them comfortable
and more able to concentrate on the three point position( I will
explain in a couple of paragraphs). These will also be a must when
you do your tumble turns or long-line starts.
Why
the 2 foot extension? I like to keep the boom quite high for this
and find that the extra length allows the boat driver to go slower
speeds (i.e. safer) without making the skier wobbly from the high
pull of the boom. I like to have the boom set to where the end of
the boom is at the top of the skiers head when in a standing position.
The
handle should be a barefoot "slalom" handle which has no toe strap
or teeth strap on it. This handle is better to use for this start
than the toe-hold handle because its width between the handle and
the yoke is narrower and stays more out of the way of the skiers
knees when taking the feet off of the rope and planting them on
the water!
This
start can be broken down into three separate stages; "planing-off,"
the "three point position," and "standing up."
Tip:
If you have a dry suit
that can be worn over your
barefoot suit, you will be at an advantage.
After
hooking up the handle, the best way to learn the first step is to
float your whole body to the top of the water holding the handle
into your hip bone. Do not move it higher or lower throughout this
first step. Then, cross the arch of one of your feet over the rope
keeping your entire body at the surface of the water, and keep your
knees completely straight. Cross the second foot's arch over the
first foot without hooking your heel over the rope or your foot
as this could cause injury to the ankle if the rope pops out of
your hand on some of your first attempts.
As
the boat gets ready to accelerate, keep your entire body floating
until the boat takes off. As the boat first accelerates, straighten
out your entire body keeping your knees very straight, pushing your
hips higher than your head, and keeping the handle next to your
hips. You will need to hold this position for only three seconds
before sitting onto your tail bone. You will find it helpful to
take a deep breath BEFORE the boat takes off.
After
the three seconds, sit directly onto your tail bone without stopping
to rest on your back. Make sure you have kept the handle in with
your knuckles pressed into your hips.
TIP:
If you do not like the feeling of hundreds of gallons of water rushing
towards your face, keep your knees straight and tightly together.
If you really enjoy a major face washing, simply bend your knees
and separate them slightly. This will allow a tremendous sinus blast
that will keep on giving you lake water in small amounts the rest
of the day and most of the night. This is usually when some people
will decide to leverage their barefoot gear for a wakeboard! ("we
never said it was easy.we just said it was kool!")
Seriously,
if you are one of those people who are prone to sinus problems,
you will be happy to learn that Duct Tape or a water proof band
aid works wonders when used to cover a nose that is pinched into
the closed position.
Once
you are able to sit forward and ride in this position with your
feet still on the rope and the handle tucked properly, you will
be ready for the next stage.the Three Point Position!
For
the purposes of this article, you will be well advised NEVER NEVER
NEVER separate your knees this entire time.even in the standing
position!!!
The
Three Point Position (TPP) is simply skiing on your butt and feet
at the same time. How is this possible (you ask me)? It is achieved
by having your feet wide with your calves squeezed into your hamstrings,
your knees completely touching, and your ankles flexed upwards so
that the front of your foot is as high as possible ( see tip below).
The handle should be out in front of your knees with your arms relaxed
and your grip relaxed. Allow the boat to pull your upper body forward
until your gut or chest (which ever sticks out the furthest) is
compressed into your knees. This is the most difficult part so practice
it on land until you have it perfect and then you will know you
have it perfect on the water when there is almost no spray in your
face and you can ride comfortably with your eyes open!
In
all your barefooting, it is best not to crank your toes up. Simply
concentrate on keeping the front edge of your foot as high as possible.
This should make your shin muscles burn after awhile. This foot
position is only possible if your ankles are behind your knees (i.e.
"GLIDE")
To
go from stage one to stage two, make sure that when your feet come
off the rope you change from pointing your toes to flexing your
ankles (above tip). Make sure you establish some balance on your
tail bone so that your feet do not crash into the water before you
want them to. The handle will need to go up and over your knees
so that you can keep your knees together. As you are bringing your
feet back towards your butt, lift your knees into your chest as
the handle is going above and in front of them. The feet should
not touch the water until they are wide, flexed, and next to your
butt. You will find it very helpful to start sitting forward as
you make this transition. Make sure not to let the handle out until
your feet are almost all the way in position. This transition should
be slow and methodical. If you have difficulty getting your feet
into position without bouncing, catching, or causing too much spray,
try this with shoe skis (Dawg
Paws are the best).
The
biggest mistake you can do here is to stand up as soon as your feet
touch the water. Most people do this because they want to get the
spray out of their face, but this is a safety hazard and should
be avoided at all costs! The biggest help you could give to your
barefoot career at this stage is to perfect the TPP until you can
ride around the lake comfortably and relaxed.
Driving
tip: Medium acceleration to not more than 25 for any skier under
200 lbs. Just under 30 for lager folks. Why not more speed? Most
larger folks come equipped with ultra helpful added surface area
in the derrière department! This makes this start actually easier
for them on the long-line also!
Do not be tempted to jam the speed when their feet get on
the water. You are not helping them by this. Keep the speed down
until the skier becomes 'poised' and comfortable. Let them learn
to relax in the position until they have released unnecessary tension
in their body!
After
you are the king of the TPP, lift your rib cage up, arch you back,
squeeze your feet together and stand up without using your arms.
If you get spray off of your feet when you are standing, you are
probably pushing your ankles forward and thus getting out of your
glide. Again. If you like this constant precipitation in your face,
dig in on your heels, pull in on your arms with all your might,
and assume the "Weekend at Burnies"
position until your boom cables brake or you run out of air!
As
soon as the boat driver sees you starting to stand, he should accelerate
carefully to your barefoot speed (weight divided by ten.add 15 mph)
with the boom at the top of the skiers head!
Email
me and let me know how you do!
Also,
please do me a huge favor and refer someone to my newsletter. I
work really hard on these articles and I need your help to help
the sport we love so much grow! Just cut and paste the following
into an email to your friends!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi (Insert
their name here)
Do you subscribe
to Lane "Dawg" Bowers Free Barefoot Tips Newsletter?
I do, and I
think it's great because....(insert your own reasons here)
Subscriptions
are FREE and you get a copy of Lane's 200-page
"Be the
Best Barefooter on Your Lake" Ebook with 80 articles covering
everything from The Easiest Way to Learn to Barefoot Water Ski to
Learning to Backwards Barefoot to Jumping Inverted...
Just go to
http://www.thefootersedge.com
and you can get all the details.
Talk to you
soon!
(Your Name
Here)
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Thanks for
helping out! I appreciate it...
I am available
to personally help you achieve your skiing goals by calling 1-877-685-6270
or visit our website @ www.thefootersedge.com.
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