BAREFOOT'N 101
Bare-footing like all sports involves risk. always think
safety first, Always wear protective gear & use the proper equipment. Always
check the water first for debris. The contexts of these pages are not the
last word in bare-footing but are the suggestions of the Author only. He or She
who attempts to use these suggestions contained in these pages does so at ones
own risk.
Learning to barefoot
learning is easiest on a boom but can be learned behind the boat. The 3 most
common ways on the boom are Tumble up,
stepping of a ski, and starting off a
Knee-board or Wake-board. Behind the boat the 2 ways of
learning are stepping off a ski, or starting
on a kneeboard or wakeboard If you do not have a boom
starting of a kneeboard or wakeboard is the least painful. First you need a boat that is
fast enough if your boat has a top speed of at least 40 MPH with you and your crew in it,
it should be strong enough. The rope shouldn’t be any shorter than 75 feet, If you are
behind a boat with a rooster tail (Which most inboards have) You want to be starting behind
the rooster tail. When first learning the rooster tail can be your biggest enemy especially when
making your first attempts at crossing the wake. When I’m behind a inboard ( Other than
my 1983 Barefoot Nautique which has no rooster tail) I am 85 feet behind the pylon,
behind my boat and a out-board Barefoot Sanger I ski behind I am 75 feet behind the pylon.
If you are using a out-board or I/O power plant you want to keep the motor trimmed down
as far as you can if you trim it up to raise the bow to put less work on the motor the water
inside the wake will get very hard and will feel like it is trying to blow you feet behind
you causing a face plant.
Body position
The correct body position from the feet up is Toes up, feet shoulder
width apart heals underneath the Knees or slightly in front of them, Knees
bent about 45 degrees Hips underneath or slightly in front of the shoulders,
arms straight, Head up looking forward, (LOOK DOWN GO DOWN).You are pushing
from your hips to the heals of your feet. If you are eating a lot of water
You could be either leaning to far back, not enough boat speed, (If you are
going faster
than 40-MPH than speed is not the problem) or you have your feed pointing
outwards or to far apart causing the water coming off of the balls of your
feet to be spraying out in front of you and up in face.
What is the correct speed
The age old formula is take your weight divide by 10 then add 20.(weight/10+20)
The problem with this formula is it does not take into account the size of your
foot mainly your heal. Although it is a good starting point to what speed, keep
in mind if you weigh 150lbs. with a narrow heal the speed will probably be slow
. I have a tall friend who weighs about 240lbs and he foots about 40MPH, I
weigh about 150lbs and foot at 39 MPH, I go 43 MPH when doing toe holds and one
foot wake crossings. I foot at 41 MPH when going backwards. Although at 39 MPH
I can one foot for short distances on smooth water. If you are starting out or
teaching beginners the boat speed for most adults should be between 35 to
40 MPH. If you are using a boom the speed will be closer to 35 the boom does
not require as much speed as skiing off a line.
Foot'n on rough water and over boat wakes
When you first start barefoot’n rough water & boat wakes are hard to deal with,
the first trick is to know when to hold on and when to let go, At first I suggest you let go
whenever you encounter rough water till you gain a little confidence in your bare-foot’n.
The body position requires that you get your body lower to the water ( Knees bent about
90 degrees or more) Your weight will be a little behind your feet as you encounter rough
water it will be trying to throw your feet behind you, as the water gets rougher you will
want to get your rear end lower to the water. When encountering boat wakes you will need to
go into a three point stance between your rear end and your feet ( A PROPER BAREFOOT
SUIT IS A MUST). While keeping some of your weight on your feet you have to allow them
to skip over the wakes without getting them thrown in the air, your upper body should be
leaning back almost to the point that you are riding on your lower back. ( while watching a
ski show once I noticed the barefoot performer would go onto the small of his back with his
feet off the water when going over boat wakes )
Stepping off a ski
The first thing you need is a ski that is easy to get off of. I have two
different types one has just the front foot heel piece and rear foot toe piece.
(The front toe piece has been removed)This ski is easier to control while in the
water and getting up on. The second ski (I picked up at goodwill years ago It
was a pair of doubles that are wide, long, & flat) I removed the bindings
repainted just the ski and installed non-slip tape on top (There are no bindings
on this ski and it is called a WALK AROUND SKI) .The reason for no front toe
pieces on either ski is when it is time to leave the ski behind, you just have
to pick your foot up instead of walking out of the ski which can throw your
weight forward. (Since there are enough reasons to face plant, we can do without
this one). Have the boat accelerate up to 24 to 28 MPH, bend your knees almost
90 degrees, arms straight, shoulders over the hips or slightly leaning back.
(Do not break at the waist and lean forward). Take your rear foot off the ski,
set it in the water about shoulder width apart, and the heel about even with
the toes, of the foot on the ski. Keep your toes up and maintain your body
position. To apply pressure to your foot you push from your hips to the heal
of the foot in the water. When you are comfortable with the planted foot have
the boat accelerate up to your bare-foot speed.
What is the correct
speed As the boat is speeding up slowly start putting your weight
on the foot in the water. As you get all your weight on the one foot as you
pick the foot up off the ski the ski will be left behind. then slowly set your
foot in the water. If you are stepping out of a binding DO NOT LEAN FOWARD
but you have to allow the foot in the binding to get a little behind you
to leave the ski behind.
Tumbleup on a boom
This can be the most painful ways to learn to barefoot on the boom. You need
a barefoot suit although you can get away with a wetsuit
( IF YOU ONLY HAVE A WETSUIT ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE VEST) In a wetsuit the
potential for pain increases BIG TIME because they are not padded properly.
First I recommend that you attempt this on smooth water. First grab onto the
boom out on the end feet behind you with your back facing up (The basic
position that superman uses when flying). Upon acceleration if you dig your
knees a little bit it will keep you from getting a unwanted shot between the
legs ( Only guys seem to have this problem) when the boat gets to a little
over 20-MPH you want to start an get your feet in front of you. To do this
first roll onto one side then pull in on the boom a little bit and start to
swing yourself around you will have to keep your leading hip up as you come
around if you are trying to come around and are on your hip it will just
plow the water. As your feet swing in front of you, you should be planing on
the lower part of your back your knees should be above your hips . Then rock
forward and slowly put your feet in the water (For adults the boat speed
should be about 35-MPH or a little faster) make sure to keep your toes up and
slowly stand up. If you are having trouble getting your feet around have the
driver accelerate up to about 25-MPH and hold that speed until you spin around
then have the driver finish accelerating up to speed.
Starting off a kneeboard or Wakeboard
This is how I learned. The idea is to be sitting on the board while the
boat accelerates up to speed then stand up slowly onto both feet at the same
time. You want to be seated as far forward on the board as possible and still
be able to take off without burying the tip, legs straight in front of you, feet
about shoulder width apart. As the boat accelerates up to about
20 to 24-MPH edge out of the wake and into the trough next to the wake
(If the board starts to porpoise you have to lean forward and put some weight
on the front of the board if this cannot stop it from proposing have the boat
driver slowly back off the throttle a little bit that should stop the
porposing)Then bend your knees and plant your heals in the water and have the
boat accelerate up to speed slowly start shifting you weight from the board to
your feet. As you are standing up and the weight is on your feet the board will
disappear without any effort from you.
Deep-water start
The starting position is, the ball of one foot is crossed over the top
of the rope the ball of the other foot is crossed over the top of the
other foot toes pointed towards the boat body straight.(In a torpedo position)
Upon acceleration lean your head back , arch your back and put down-ward
pressure on the rope with your feet. When you plain off lean forward at the
waste with your elbows at your side and keep the down-ward pressure on the rope
with your feet this will help keep you straight. (If you rock over to the left
or right use your elbows to keep yourself up right)If you want to get out of
the wake (Which I recommend especially if you have a inboard with a rooster
tail, or I suggest that you use a longer rope that is at least 85 feet long
or longer) as you are accelerating lean left or right using your cheek and
elbow
to edge out of the wake. When you get up to speed slowly take your feet off
the rope bend your knees and slowly plant your feet.(Keep even pressure on both
feet or you will get pulled to one side.) Slowly lean forward and put your
weight on your feet but do not allow your weight to get in front of your
feet and assume your normal body position
Back-wards off a ski
If you have gotten this fare in foot’n hopefully you have a boom. I have a
Barefoot International flip turn ski You will need something similar, which is
a ski with the bindings facing back-wards with no heal pieces. (Just the front
toe & rear toe pieces of the binding being used) The easiest way to start is
to put the ski on and sit out towards the end of the boom facing backwards
grab the boom with both hands as close to your cheeks as possible with the top
of your hands facing backwards and your thumbs rapped over the top Make sure
the tip of the ski is out of the water, keep your head up have the boat
accelerate up to about 22 to 26- MPH. As the boat starts to accelerate slowly
start putting your weight on the ski, as you slowly shift your weight from
the boom to the ski keep the ski underneath you. When you have your weight on
the ski and are completely off of the boom you want to get the boom into the
small of your back, your elbows will be bent a little bit and pointing to the
side. When you are comfortable Bend your knees a little bit and take the foot
out that is closest to the tip of the ski out of the binding bring it out
along side the foot on the ski about shoulder width apart with the toes about
Evan with the ball of the foot on the ski. Bend your toes up and slowly put
your foot in the water (Leave the heal and little bit of the ball of your foot
out of the water) You will be pushing from your knee to the front of your
foot, your knees will be bent a little bit and you will be bent at the waist
a little bit head up looking at the horizon. You need to get the foot firmly
planted on the water, if your foot is skipping on the water you are probably
either pushing it forward or your weight is behind the foot. If your foot is
getting thrown towards the back of the boat you are probably either putting
to much weight on the foot and burying the heal or you have your weight to far
forward. When you have your foot firmly planted on the water and are
comfortable slowly have the driver speed up to your normal barefoot speed as
the boat is slowly accelerating start shifting your weight to the foot that is
on the water. When you have your weight on the foot on the water you slowly
pick up the foot on the ski, the ski will disappear behind you. At this point
you will be backwards foot’n on one foot slowly put the foot in the water and
distribute the weight evenly. You will be pushing from your knees to the front
of your foot, your knees will be bent a little bit, and you will be bent at the
waist a little bit head up looking at the horizon.
OneFoot
The boat speed for one foots needs to be 2 to 6 MPH faster than normal speed. In
your normal bare-footing position get your feet as close as possible and still be
comfortable. Start slowly shifting your weight onto one foot until all the your
weight is on the one foot then pick your other foot up just a few inches. Do
not hold it up to long at first, it is best to make several short one foots in
a pass Than attempting one long attempt and increase the chance of a face plant.
Do not work on just one foot when learning work on both left & right one foots,
as you advance you will be happy you did.
Surface jump & Wake jump
This trick is easy to learn. The secret to success is
learn to jump without using your toes. Practice on dry land just bending your
knees and hips, jump off of just your heals. (All your life you have been using
your toes, using your toes on the water means face-plant) Once you are jumping
off just your heals it is time to hit the water. On the water just bending
your knees and hips bend down then pop up, your feet should leave the water then
cushion your landing using just your knees and hips. To do a wake jump, once you
have your surface jump down pull out away from the wake a little bit, then cut
into the wake and pop up off the top.
Tumbleturn
This is one of the first tricks you should attempt to learn. It is easiest to
learn with the handle attached to the boom but with a little bit more effort
it can be learned behind the boat. If you are behind the boat it is best to
attempt it on either side of the wake in the trough. The first thing to
remember as you are spinning around is the handle is to be kept below your
belly-button. First you want to get low to the water then go down to the small
of your back while you are going either in the CW or CCW spinning rotation.
( Do not just through your body over one shoulder) When your head is pointing
towards the boat the handle should be below your belly-button. In the
direction you are spinning you want to raise the leading hip up and get the
handle to that hip. ( If you are leaned over on that hip it will plow in to
the water ) The last 90 degrees is the hardest if you do not have any momentum
so it is important to keep moving once you have your back on the water.
Neck and teeth holds
These are two very easy tricks to learn. First pull the handle towards you a
little bit, Then reach out with one hand and grab the side of the toehold.
(Grab the side of the toehold with your arms coming from underneath) Once you
have a hold of it grab the other side of the toe-hold with your other hand. To
hold onto it with your teeth bring the mouth piece to your mouth do not try and
bring your mouth to the handle. You want to get the mouth piece far enough in
to grab onto it with your molars.( If you wear dentures or any other type of
hardware in your mouth be prepared to lose it anytime you attempt this trick)
Always let go of the handle slowly. To do a neck hold grab the toe hold part of
the handle same as with the teeth hold and slip the handle over your head and
onto the back of your neck again always slowly let go of the handle.(NOW LETS
THINK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE WE HAVE THE HANDLE AROUND OUR NECK THAT IS
ATTACHED TO A BOAT THAT IS GOING CLOSE TO 40-MPH)
Toe hold
Before trying this bare-footing I suggest that that you practice doing a
toe-hold while on a water ski or trick ski to become used to getting your
foot in the toe hold and riding while hanging on with your foot.
Once you have a good one-foot, straighten your foot in front of you and into the
handle, This position will have you leaning over your one-foot more than when
you are just one foot'n. Your foot will be just in front of the toe hold. Lean
forward a little bit and let the toe-hold go to the foot. (Do not lean back trying
to get the foot to come to the handle)Slowly start transferring the pull of the
handle from your hands to the foot. Once the foot is firmly in the
toe-hold, Slowly take your hands of the rope. As with the one foot, At
first just do short distances till you are comfortable.
