Mike Seipel's Corner

Dear Barefoot Central,

I don't have an expensive barefoot boat to ski behind.  As a matter of fact, my dad's boat will barely reach 40 mph after taking several minutes to get up-to-speed.  I've tried several times to get up deepwater behind the boat, but can't hold my breath long enough.  Some people have told me that footers used to start on kneeboards or wakeboards first, then stand up once the boat is up to speed.  I've tried that as well, but my driver & I just can't figure it out.  Can you describe how this is done.

It is easier to teach people to barefoot off of a wakeboard than it is off of a kneeboard.  Take the bindings off of the wakeboard, and leave the fin on the back of it.  I tell them to sit on the wake board, and when ready, tell the driver ok.  When the boat takes off, they should lean back enough to keep the tip of the board and their feet out of the water.   The boat driver should accelerate slowly, up to about 15 MPH.  At this time, the person should move outside the wake on the board by leaning whichever way they want to go.  If they get stuck trying to go out one side of the wake, they should switch directions by leaning the opposite way and use the momentum generated to go out the other side of the wake, and get into the curl of the wake, which is just outside the wake, but so close to the wake that one side of the board and one foot is banking up against the wake. This is where the water is smooth and you will be able to track in a straight line.
 
Next, place your feet on the water so that your feet are half way in the water and half way up out of the water.  Keep your feet as flat on the water as possible with your toes as close to the water as you can without feeling like they are going to catch. the flatter the better but your feet should still feel like half of both feet are up in the air with the water hitting in the arches of your feet.  Relax, especially, your legs and feet, and your toes and ankles. You will have some spray in your face at this time.  If you turn your knees and toes in towards each other, it will limit the spray. The person who learns to relax their legs, feet, toes, and ankles with their feet flatter on the water without feeling like their toes are going to catch, is the person who gets better at this than the other person.
 
The boat driver should remain at 15 MPH while the skier is doing all this. When the skier knows he has learned to do this good, he should nod his head and the boat driver should then accelerate up to the person's barefoot speed. A skier's barefoot speed in MPH is figured by dividing the skier's weight by 10 and adding 20. For example, if the person's weight is 150, divide 150 by 10, get 15, add 20, and get 35 MPH.
 
As the boat driver accelerates up to their barefoot speed, the skier should relax, and let the board slide out from underneath them slowly on its own, and stand up. They should stay relaxed, keeping their feet as flat on the water as they can, and still feel like half of both feet are going to stay in the air.
 
After they stand up, they should bring their feet closer together, than shoulder width apart. Then see how far you can go and how relaxed you can get. The farther you go, and the more relaxed you get, the faster you will perfect it. Remember, for beginners; learn only in very calm water.

Good Luck,

Mike Seipel

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