Teaching Barefooters

I just wanted to let you folks know of what I think to be a great way to teach barefooting. I started barefooting in 1968 and learned the hard way. Since then I have taught a LOT of people (makes me feel old just thinking about it), so I guess I know a little about what I am talking about.

Last week I taught both of my kids (son, Sean 8 and daughter, Kristin 12) the 'boom' basics, ie feel of water and body position. This week, they start on a bridle off the boom and by the end of next week, they'll be doing it long line. Guess how proud I am!

The steps

First, find a boom. It's been said thousands of times before but it bears repea ting, "The boom is the best way to learn barefooting" (a lot of other things too!)

Second, find a wakeboard. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but trust me, the wakeboard really makes the learning EASY and fun!

Third, have the student hold on to the boom and sit on the wakeboard with their butt resting against the back binding. They should rest just their toes on the tip of the board (or even place them underneath the tip of the board. They should lean back a little bit to keep the tip up.

Fourth, when the student is in position the driver should go 'in-gear' to ensure the student has control of the board. When he or she is in good position the driver should increase speed just fast enough to get the board on plane (10-12mph). Students will have a tendency at this point to let their butt get behind them which will cause the tip to dig. Make sure they lean back.

Fifth, after the boat is on plane, have the student, with knees bent, place their heels in the water, and maintain PROPER BODY POSITION (see below).

Sixth, at that point, the driver should relatively slowly (not too slow or too fast) increase speed to the barefoot learning speed (weight/10 + 20).

Somewhere around 3-5 mph below the final speed, the board will slide out from underneath the student and they will be 'boom footin'. It'll usually take them about 2 to 5 seconds before they realize they are actually doing it!

TIPS

Body position is everything!!!
Feet should be in front of knees.
Knees should be in front of butt and bent close to 90 degrees.
Butt should be in front of shoulders.
Shoulders should be directly below head.
Head should be straight and looking directly at the water line of the shore ahead, not at the amazing toes that are on top of the water (common problem for newbie's).

Arms should be slightly bent with elbows in. You may find that when you tell a person to do this, the natural tendency is for them to bend forward at the waist to bend their arms. This is NOT good. Instead of telling them to bend their arms, tell them to bring their hips closer to their elbows. This will keep their body position correct. Knees should be bent close to 90 degrees. You are going to find that as a student gets tired, their legs get stiffer and straighter. Straight legs make for hard falls, a lot of spray, and poor body position.

Short sessions are the best approach. As soon as you see a student begin to fatigue, you end the session. It'll keep the falls to a minimum, the body position good, and the learning fun.

Why the wakeboard?

I have tried teaching with a lot of other methods (kneeboard, skis, disk, nothing, etc.) and have found the wakeboard the best so far. Hardest problem with the kneeboard is its buoyancy (maybe the new thin ones don't have as big a problem). It seems by the time the students gets feet forward on the kneeboard, they're too tired to maintain good body position. Learning with nothing (ie hanging on to the boom or sliding around on the butt, back, or stomach is also tiring.

About the boom

The boom is a great learning tool. It allows the student to 'cheat' because they have something solid to hang on to. You'll find that they can put a surprising amount of weight on it. But it's just that, a learning tool! The worst thing that you can do is to keep using the boom. Most footers don't consider (and AWSA agrees, at least they used to) someone able to barefoot until they can 'foot for one minute on a standard length line. Keeping someone on the boom too long is a disservice to the student, and IMHO, a disservice to the sport. The student will become dependant on using the boom rather than their body position to handle the water.

I've seen dozens of 'footers' that could ride all day long on a boom or bridle attached to the boom, but as soon as they get on a long line, they're good for about 5 seconds.

Once the student can maintain good, no, perfect body position on the boom, they should be moved to a bridle attached to the boom. Once they can maintain the same good body position on the bridle, they should move immediately to the long line.

The end of the ride.

Boom, bridle, or long line, at the end of the ride, make sure the student leans back. Face plants ruin the whole experience.

Remember--As long as your feet are in front of you, everything's fine.

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|Kris D. Williams                           |

|Instructor/Developer:Mobile Education-IBM Education & Training |

|Co-Owner:InComm - Sensible Solutions for the Road Warrior      |

|My opinions are my own (really!)                               |

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