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1.
What is a Butt Glide?
2. What is a 3-point position?
3. How should I look when I stand-up?
4. How should I have my driver accelerate?
5. Any special equipment tips?
6. Should I learn using shoe-skis?
7. What are puppy paws?
8. Is all this on your video?
1.
What is a Butt Glide?
The
Butt Glide position is where you are seated on the
water while balancing on your butt. It can be with
your feet on or off the rope, but not with your
feet on the water. To learn a great butt glide,
you must have good equipment. I recommend Barefoot
International's Iron Man wetsuit and shorts
which are available in my Pro
Shop by clicking here!
Click
here to read the entire article!
Click
HERE
to see a free video of Butt Glide!
By
far the safest way to teach a beginner is to put
them in a swing such as a barefoot slalom handle
or even better yet,
The Easy Footer (877 685-6270). The Easy Footer
allows the skier the ultimate in safety as long
as some guidelines are followed that are not included
in the video that Mike Seiple ships with it.
#1
Boom Height: with the skier in the handle (sitting
like they are on a swing with the handle on their
tail-bone), the skier's butt should be about an
inch off the water while the boat is at a stand
still. If it is not, adjust your boom height accordingly.
#2
Driving: The driver is responsible for the safety
of the skier! As long as the skier knows not to
take their hands off of the boom, the driver becomes
the one responsible for the skiers safety. If the
skier ever catches a toe or looses footing the driver
must respond immediately by turning the boat in
a direction away from the boom so the skier is lifted
out of the water long enough to get back into their
posture and glide. The driver may then lower the
skier back into the driver using a gentle turn towards
the skier until their feet are safely back in the
water. A slightly arced boat path is very helpful
for getting the boom height right where it is most
helpful to the skier.
The
worst case scenario is that the skier catches their
toe, their feet get swept behind them, and the inattentive
driver does not rectify the problem quickly enough
by lifting the skier out of the water before the
skier gets pulled into the boom. This is especially
critical with smaller skiers such as children.
#3
Passengers: Many times passengers think they are
helping me out by moving closer to the skier to
put the boom lower. This in turn puts more weight
on the skiers feet and not so much on the handle
that they are sitting on. While this is a good idea
in time and with attentive driving, warn the passengers
to only help in a coordinated effort to keep the
skier safe. The driver calls the shots and should
ask for assistance when the boom should be lowered
or raised. One thing that I ask of passengers is
never to move quickly as this can cause too sudden
of a change in the boom height for the skier. Also,
I like at least one experienced passenger to carefully
watch the skier with me so that if they fall, the
passenger then immediately moves away from the boom
in order to raise it along with my driving away
from the skier to get them quickly out of a bad
situation.
#4
Before first attempts: Always go over correct
Posture and Glide so that the skier knows what
the end position is to look like. Using the instructional
video and dry-land practice, carefully go over a
perfect Butt Glide and Three-point Position. It
is critical that the skier has perfected this on
dry-land before attempting it in the swing.
The
best way to practice the butt glide is to hold a
small Gatorade bottle between the legs as high above
the knee as possible. This will keep the skier from
opening the knees. Then have the skier extend the
legs and lean back a bit until they are balanced
on their butt without the use of a handle. Keep
the feet and knees no more than six inches off the
land (water). This balance point is the key to a
great butt glide. This will take some abdominal
strength so it is not a bad idea to get the sit-up
program in gear. While in the Butt Glide position,
practice keeping the handle next to the hips with
the knuckles on the skiers' legs.
To
practice the Three-point Position
on dry-land, go from handle tucked in to
the handle up and out to the top of the knees while
sitting forward, raising the knees and bring the
heels wide and close to the outside of the hips. If this is done properly, the skier should
never lose the bottle between the legs.
Once
these steps have been practiced to perfection on
land, have the skier sit in the swing and practice
the Butt Glide and the Three-point Position in the
handle BEFORE taking off.
When
you feel the skiers confidence is good, have the
skier lean back to a Butt Glide position holding
their feet out of the water until you have accelerated
enough to get the skier out of the chine spray (from
the side of the boat). This speed should not exceed
20-25 mph for adults and 10-15 for small children.
(Many times if I think the child is nervous, or
if I am really concerned to gain some extra confidence
between the skier and I, I simply put the boom high
enough to allow the skier to assume a good position
while the boat is at an idle. While doing this their
should be a constant stream of praise and reinforcement
while attending to good position and making sure
the skier keeps the water line right below the ball
of the foot consistently.) Then have the skier lift
their knees without losing the bottle so that they
can bring their heels back to their butt in a wide
stance. Make
sure the skiers' ankles are fully flexed to keep
the ball of the foot from pushing through.
After
the skier is comfortable in the Three-point Position,
and not before, have the skier squeeze their feet
closer and stand to a good position as practiced
on dry land.
Tips:
#1
Major dry-land practice
#2
Be alert with the driving so that at any given moment
you can lift the skier out of the water if they
catch a toe.
#3
Constantly monitor the attitude of the skier reassuring
them that they can stop at any time if they are
uncomfortable or nervous. Do not push the skier
at this stage! This is simply a confidence outing
and the skiers good state of mind (happiness), and
most importantly their safety, is quintessential.
#4
Slower is almost always better than faster, when
it comes to boat speeds!
#5
A carefully planned outing that has nothing but
good vibes is the key to keeping the skier interested
in barefooting. Most barefooters are very tough
and they try to force toughness on family members
and friends who do not appreciate it or do not respond
well to it. Remember, it is always better to end
the set one pass too early than one pass too late.
I know I have been successful when the skier does
not want to stop. This is a good thing!
#6
Make sure you have a great boom because this puts
a tremendous amount of pressure on the boom. The
safest boom out there is available for FREE
Shipping for my members at our equipment page.
Good
luck to you in either learning or teaching someone
else to barefoot in this manner which I believe
to be the safest when the proper homework is done!
Let
me know how you do!! Email
me your success stories!
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2. What is a Three-point
Position?
The
best way is to simply show you on my instructional
video, but the next best way is to simply teach
you by reading the article below!
Click
here to read the entire article!
See
my newest instructional video, “Great Six Pack and
3-Point Exercise,” at my all new Virtual
Ski School!
I
have witnessed the power of dry land practice so
many times now that I more passionate than ever
to
help you experience your own special miracle! If
you
have ever wanted to;
1.
learn to barefoot water ski
2. improve on bad form
3. revamp your glide for better one foots
4. just learn a new abs workout to improve your
six pack (don’t worry if yours is a one pack),
then
this article is for you!
The
following exercise will turn you into a barefooting
machine by tapping into the power of proper dry-land
practice. First, I am going to show you how to properly
practice the foot position for the Ultra Mega Glide
(http://www.thefootersedge.com/traumacenter/info/ne14.htm)
Next
I will show you how to practice the butt glide and
3-point position without a rope, and finally the
butt glide
and 3-point position WITH a rope.
The
bonus is that I am going to show you how to set-up
a
great dry land practice apparatus (pictures and
video are
on my Virtual
Ski School at
http://www.thefootersedge.com/newskischool/index.htm)
to realistically prepare you for the water! And
the best part is,
if you follow my advice, you will learn all this
without ever
getting hurt! What a huge benefit!
------------------Point
and Flex!!!!!---------------------------
I
want you to practice the following exercise where
ever
you are right now! Point your tows and hold for
several
seconds. Next, flex your ankles WITHOUT lifting
your
toes. I have the pictures
you can see to make sure you are
doing it right near the bottom of my Positions’
page
http://www.thefootersedge.com/positions.htm
It
is critical that you perfect this flexed position
because
the following exercises will build on this foundation.
Make sure to practice this exercise frequently so
that
your muscle memory will be there perfectly when
you
get on the water.
“point….hold…..flex….hold….
point….hold…..
flex….hold… point….hold…..flex….hold…”
If
this bores you…get over it! It has been approved
by
the Department of Redundancy Department.
Butt
Glide 3-Point NO ROPE
Sit
on the floor with your feet out in front of you.
Place
your hands about one foot behind you and wider than
shoulder width apart. Lean back with your upper
body
about 45 degrees from vertical.
Keeping
your legs completely straight with your knees
together and toes pointed, raise your legs until
your
knees are the same height as your shoulders. Let’s
call this the “V Sit Position” because your body
resembles the letter “V.”
Now
add your point and flex exercise while holding your
“V” position! Can you feel your ‘flab-dominals’
working?
We are just getting started. Once you have the perfect
flex,
bring your heels wide and back to your butt at about
the
same width or just wider than your butt
WITHOUT SEPERATING YOUR KNEES …
WITHOUT LOWERING YOUR KNEES!
The
key here is to keep your knees quiet (no movement).
If
you have down this properly;
1.
your knees are about shoulder height,
2. your knees are together
3. your ankles are flexed
4. your ankles are as close to your butt as possible
5. your heel is the only part of your foot on the
water
6. your toes are not lifted, but the ball of your
foot
is off of the surface you are on
Practice
this over and over again until it is perfect, smooth,
and effortless! This will be a great abs workout
as well
as turn you into a three-point machine!
Now
let’s add another challenging element…
-----Butt
Glide 3-Point Position WITH the Rope--------------
I
have found a great way to simulate the realistic
pull
of the boat that works much more dynamically than
a
handle on a door knob!
To
make your own, all you need is;
1.
a
wakes handle
(which is easier to use than a trick handle because
it
does not get in the way of your knees as easily)
2.
a pulley
3.
a bucket
4.
about 10 feet of rope
Fill
your bucket with enough water to give you a
little resistance. I filled it all the way up with
water for
me, but only about a third of the way full for my
wife Cindy who is 98 pounds (and
featured on this video).
Connect
them all together and scoot back on the floor
so that you are keeping the bucket about half way
off
the floor the entire time.
Adjust
the height of the pulley and the rope so you can
easily get into the “V Sit Position” and keep your
feet on the rope and your knees the same height
as
your shoulders.
Pull the wakes handle into your hip so that the
rubber
of the handle is touching your hip bone while keeping
your knuckles on your legs!
Your
feet should be pointed with your toes overlapped
on the rope. Your knees should be straight WITHOUT
knee bend. Your knees are squeezed together.
Next
take your feet off the rope without lowering your
knees or feet.
“Point…hold…FLEX…hold…Heels
to your butt!”
This
needs to be done in the exact same manner as
described above!
The
only difference is the handle! There are two positions
for the handle;
1.
IN to your hip
2. OUT on your knee caps
The
key here is to accomplish this without ever opening
your knees or lowering your knees! The handle goes
from the IN position to the OUT position as your
knees remain constant!
When
do you move the handle from IN to OUT?
As
soon as your heels make it to your butt, move
the handle to your knee caps.
For
women and children, I find it helpful to keep the
handle to the IN position until the feet are settled
on the
water.
For
big dudes, I find the handle should come out sooner
as long as the “V Sit Position” can be maintained!
The
final stage is to prepare your 3-point position
for
final check mode before standing!
After
your handle is on your knees and you feel relaxed
and stable…
1.
Shoulder Roll-roll your shoulders to the back so
that
they are behind your chest with your shoulder blades
pinched together.
2.
Meat Hook! Lift your rib cage in an upward motion
so you look all “Bowed-up!”
With
this mastered, you may take to the water with more
confidence and preparation than I ever had when
I was
learning. While others rip their heads off, you
will foot
with the quiet confidence of a Jedi Warrior
(Star Wars reference)!
You
can get a 7 Day FREE Trial Membership of My Virtual
Ski School only by clicking on the link below.
http://www.thefootersedge.com/newskischool/7daytrial.htm
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3.
What should I look like when I stand-up?
If
you are like me, you learn better by seeing things
done correctly. You can see a free sample video
of this position from my instructional
video by clicking
here!
You
can also check out my positions
page here.
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4.
How should I have my driver accelerate when getting
up?
Driving
is a real art, but it can also be learned by an
alert driver. For the average size person, the driver
should accelerate to around 25mph until the skier
has nailed the three-point position. Once
the majority of the spray has cleared, the driver
can accelerate to the ideal barefoot speed. In general,
if the skier looks unsafe or out of control, slowly
decelerate to reduce the impact of the fall or to
allow them to get back into a safe three-point position.
For
more driving information, see my instructional
video and Virtual
Ski School or submit another question below
and I will post it here!
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5.
Any equipment tips?
I
believe that the very basics for barefooting are
as follows;
#1
The best
barefoot wetsuit you can afford. I believe
the best wetsuit on the market is Barefoot International's
Iron Man wetsuit. I personally wear this suit and
guarantee it to be at least 30% more protection
than any other suit. It is an enormous advantage.
You can see these suits and receive the best pricing
anywhere along with free shipping by clicking here!
#2
I also believe that you MUST use padded shorts and
that the best shorts out there are the Iron
Man shorts. I unconditionally guarantee
these shorts to be the best shorts of any kind in
bare foot water skiing.
I
highly recommend getting the best boom on the market
since this also is a major safety issue. The Barefoot
International boom and Fligh High extended pylon
are the best out there. I also guarantee these to
be the best out there.
Although
I do not normally start barefooters out on shoe
skis, it is critical to learning the more advanced
tricks and are an absolute must for the serious
barefooter. The Dawg
Paws are the best shoe skis on the planet
and I also have a less expensive shoe ski which
you can see by visiting our Pro
Shop.
If
you have specific questions about any equipment,
please submit them on the form below and I will
post the answers here!
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6.
Should I learn using Puppy
Paws (shoe skis)?
No!
I believe in learning on your feet first unless
you are in water that has debris. There is nothing
like feeling the rush of the water underneath your
feet!
I
do believe that shoe skis such as my Puppy
Paws are critical to the success of mastering
your form, but I do not believe it should be your
first experience.
If
you cannot get the three-point position on the short
rope, then it would be wise to consider getting
a pair of Puppy
Paws!
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7.What
are Puppy Paws?
Puppy
Paws are a type of shoe-skis I designed with Dennis
Wasnea of Dawg Paws. They are made in Canada and
are sold only in my Pro
Shop.
They are designed to help you learn barefooting
with safety in mind. The flexible bottom simulates
your barefoot while adding extra surface area that
makes learning much easier!
You
can see them HERE.
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8.
Is this all on your video?
This
and much more is available on my two hour instructional
video. I am so confident that you will love my video
that I guarantee it to be the best video instructional
video of any type you have ever seen or it is free!
Email
me with your progress. I am expecting a miracle
for you!
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