Mike Seipel's Corner

What is the best method for teaching a first timer how to barefoot?

The best way to teach a first timer to barefoot is in the Easyfooter because it’s easier than learning to ski on skis so you don’t need any experience and it is incredibly fun. The reason the Easyfooter works so well is because you don’t need near the strength to learn in the Easyfooter as you need to learn any other way. Another reason is you cannot fall while in the Easyfooter. So if you make a mistake, you can correct yourself without the worry of falling and hurting yourself. It allows you can concentrate on position and technique instead of falling.

Using the Easyfooter will enable new footer to become a better barefooter because they get a positive fun experience their first time footing instead of bumps and bruises. By learning the proper position and gaining confidence early, new barefooters will find that learning new tricks come much easier.

I take all new footers through the following phases when I teach them to barefoot:

Phase 1: Stay on the Easyfooter until you can ski along in the proper form without your toes catching. Most people will teach you that the proper form is the same form you have when sitting in a chair with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, your back straight, and your arms straight holding on the boom. I don't agree with that.  I teach my students to stand as tall as possible.  That's as tall as you can without feeling that your toes are going to catch.  And your arms will be slightly bent while in the Easy Footer.

Phase 2: Learning to foot holding the Boom

Hold directly on the boom laying on your stomach like Superman. When the boat takes off, turn over onto one side and pull your feet out in front of you. This will require more strength than the Easyfooter. Keep your knees together and bent when you pull them to the front. Put your feet into the water the same way as you did on the Easyfooter and stand as tall as you can without feeling your toes are going to catch. When you are comfortable enough to ride in the perfect barefoot position without falling, you are then ready to move on to Phase 3.

Phase 3: Learning How to Fall

Before going much further, you will need to learn how to fall. This may sound crazy at first, but by learning how to fall properly will save you from getting seriously injurred. You can do this by first letting go while you are footing on the boom and then bend over and lean forward as much as you can. Tuck you head straight down. Don’t bend your knees. This will make you fall forward. It will be scary the first time, but when you do it right, you will flip straight head over heels without going sideways over one shoulder and the water till only hit on the back of your head and shoulders. By tucking your head forward, you avoid the possibility of hitting on the top or side of your head or face.

Once you can fall correctly, you are ready for the short rope off the boom and then the long rope. I teach students to fall because sometimes falls happen so fast there is only a split second to react. By practicing to fall enough, you will get to the point where you automatically fall in the correct position as a natural reflex reaction. Though falling is not the preferred end to our barefooting run, it happens to everyone. You never know when you make hit an unexpected wave, loose your concentration, or get too tired to hold proper position. It is better to prepare yourself for what a fall feels like than to wait for the unexpected.

Phase 4: The Short Rope (5ft Handle off the Boom)

This phase involves learning how to do a deepwater start and tumble turns using the 5ft handle attached to the end of the boom. Before attempting this, you must prepare yourself with the proper equipment. Get yourself a pair of IRON Man shorts with double thick padding and put them on under an IRONMAN Full Wrap Double thick padded barefoot suit.   All this extra padding will come in handy when you are learning to ride on your butt before standing up on your feet. Thin shorts equal deep bruises in areas you’ve never had bruises before.

One thing that is unique about the way I teach new students is that I teach people to immediately stand all the way up as soon as they put there feet in the water until they learn and perfect barefooting in perfect  position, and then I teach them a good three point position.  This is because it is harder to do a three point then it is to barefoot, and learning a three point comes easyer to them after they can barefoot good.

Phase 5: Deepwater Long Line

It is a bad misconception to bend your knees a lot and barefoot a chair position.   I teach all my students to stand tall and keep their toes and ankles relaxed.   Relax and stand up as much as you can putting your toes as close to the water as you can without feeling line your toes could catch.  Keep your legs, ankles, and toes relaxed.  If you stand up too much our put your toes to close to the water, they will catch.  The skiers who learn to relax and stand up more while they ski with their toes closer to the water without feeling they are going to catch will find that they improve faster and feel more relaxed on the water.

A few more things to think about are:
1.  Keep your feet close together.  They should be within shoulder width apart.  Your feet should be pushed out in front of your knees 4 to 6 inches, but again keep your toes as close to the water as you can without feeling like they are going to catch.
2. When you are barefooting, stand tall and also stay broke at the waist (or in other words, bent at the waist) so your shoulders stay straight up from your hips.
3. Don't pull in on your arms.  Leave your arms relaxed so they pull straight.
4. Don't ever lean back
5. Don't ever dig your heels in
6. Don't ever curl your toes up.  Just leave your ankles and toes relaxed so your toes come straight off the front of your foot.

Question #2:

I have a 5 year old child that I would like to get interested in the sport. My wife thinks he’s too young to start skiing. Can you give me some general guidelines to follow regarding teaching my children and guiding them in the right directions so they have the best opportunities to excel in the sport. Basically, what are the does and don’ts of raising a world class footer?

You can learn to barefoot at any age in the Easyfooter, safely as long as you have the desire. You cannot and shouldn’t make a child do it if they don’t want to. I was having trouble trying to get my 3 year old daughter to try it but one day when I brought her out with some of her friends that were her age, they were all begging to go first. So I recommend bringing a group of 3 or 4 friends the same age out together in the boat to learn together. It is easier to learn to barefoot using the Easyfooter that it is to learn to skon on skis, and it’s incredibly fun for youngsters.

It is very important that youngsters have a positive experience when learning how to barefoot. This is why I use the Easyfooter so much. It requires less strength and keeps them from falling. If their toes catch, instead of falling, you will swing back and forth allowing you to lift your feet up and try again. This method shows children that this sport can be very fun. I used this method when I taught Malory Bacon to barefoot nearly 3 years ago. She is now the National Jr. Girls Champion for the whole United States.

Above all else, you must remember that children want to play and have fun. I had so much fun skiing and footing when I grew up. I did it so much because I was having so much fun at it. My parents never pushed me to do it. They just made the boat and gas available whenever I wanted to do it. I remember them recommending that I don’t ski as much and concentrate more on my studies and going to college. But the more I did it, the better I became. I became the best on my lake, then in the state, then in the Midwest Region, and then in the US Nationals and ultimately the Worlds. All along, my parents were there to support me in my efforts.

So be there for your kids, keep it fun, and do your best not to push them into something they either don’t want to do or feel they are not ready to do. Once they are hooked on the sport, you’ll have to do your best to hold on, because they will take you places you’ve never been before.

Above all else, make sure you visit my ski school for lessons as much as you can. Most champion barefooters you know today learned from me at some point in their careers. The current Women’s World Barefoot Champion (Nadine DeVillers) has learned exclusively from me.

There are a lot of misconceptions and bad information going around right now in videos, magazines, etc… You can easily get confused as to which techniques are the right techniques. You can also develop a lot of bad habits if you learn using some of these improper techniques. I teach using the safest and most proven techniques that I have developed from years of training experience.

Thanks,

Mike Seipel

Visit Mike Seipel's web site at www.barefootinternational.com