SUCCESS!

[VinRLX]

Tried a long-line (75'), front-deep, BF start today. Had limited time to see what I could do, but what a rush. First time was not good--rope came tight, arched back, promptly rolled to my stomach and did a submarine. Fortunately, I let go before I hit the bottom of the lake and felt the handle hit my foot on the way past. It was then that I wondered which way was up and hoped my suit would take me there.

Next attempt held my balance and got on top of the water, to the butt-glide position. As I was trying to ascertain my situation I felt an odd pull and let go before I got stuffed. Turns out the wife was trying to avoid a collision course with a monstrous dead cat fish, so as not to slice/dice and send it up my a$$.

Third attempt was fairly easy--got right up and into position. Now, here I am "gliding" along with the prop wash telling me who's in charge. Taking spray to the face all the while, I was trying to keep my legs together. Can't see a thing, can't seem to cheek out, and setting a foot down to help send me out/steer feels disastrous.

It was a living hell. Can't wait to try again tomorrow.

[jvianco]

At least it sounds like you had fun!!!

[1footer]

Dont be so concerned with getting into the curl, you can stand up anywhere behind the boat.

But what you can do is when you first start pull with the opposite arm....you want to go right pull with your left and vise versa.That should get you going in the right direction, Also put more pressure on the rope with your leg....same thing...left leg will take you right.

Too keep the spray down while riding on your butt lean your upper body forward very slightly and keep your thighs together. When you get up to speed gently lay your feet on the water and let your arms out straight. Remeber keep your knees bent, arms out,and look at the trees.

Knees.....trees..... freeze...

Hopefully your using a good Barefoot suit and padded shorts, these will make your life a little more enjoyable while riding on your butt.

Good luck and congrats on your first trys. Its addictive, I was a slalom junkie until I got turned on to footin.

I remember my first front deep, very similar to yours

now if you wanna talk fun.....learning the back deep long line was an experience !

Later

John

Edited June 29, 2005 by 1footer

[jgouveia3]

jack,

add 5 more feet to the rope. also, i find that i like starting slightly to one side of the boat or the other (I'm a port guy), so when the wife "hits it" I either naturally completely cross, or cheek out and stay right in the curl (if its really flat right outside the wake, i stay right there.

[LakeOneSkier]

It was a living hell. Can't wait to try again tomorrow. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome to barefooting! It will beat the crap out of ya but you'll always come back for more.

[edwin]

any chance for a couple pictures or a short video? :D

good luck

[billb]

I always moved to the curl of the wake before standing up. I always thought it was too easy to catch a toe in the chop behind the boat to stand up there. Also, I used to steer by simply leaning (slowly) to whichever side I wanted to go - sort of like using your butt cheeks like two skis. The water was smooth and dependable in the curl, so I preferred it there.

Best of luck to you.

[87Skier]

If you continue having trouble cheeking out (which I recomend doing) the easiest way I have found is to use one leg to steer with sort of like a rudder. Let me explain, rather than leaving both feet on the rope and trying to lean to one side (rarely works for me), if you want to cheek out to the right then leave your left foot on the rope and take your right foot off (this is all occuring as soon as you situp and start riding on your butt). Then point your right leg in the direction you want to go and your entire right thigh becomes a rudder. You don't need to lean very hard and you will be outside the wake in a flash. I can easily jump the wake on my way out with this procedure. This works in either direction. If you get stuck behind the boat the driver needs to slow down until you get out.

[VinRLX]

Man, good advice guys, THANKS! Definitely have a few things to try next time out. I didn't try longline today, but did get a few passes off the boom w/short rope. . .

I am PSYCHED! I did a tumble-turn today on my first attempt. I've done side-slides before, or wipers as Bowers calls them, but never tried to spin 360. It worked! I did a few more after that, including standing up in-between spins. What a freaking rush. Of course, my wife and our ski partner (female, not that there's anything wrong with that) are chatting in the boat between runs and are like, oh, yeah, that was kind of neat.

The morning gets better: My (3 yr. old) son wants to swim a bit. . .then comes over to the handle off the boom. He reaches up, gets one hand on, then the other and leans back pulling his feet out of the water. We ended up starting the boat and bumping gear a few times while he did this. Ok, Daddy's turn again. But somewhere in the excitement I lost the nose-plug attached to my zipper with 40-pound test, braided, ice-line (sinus problems, you know). . .

Time to try the tumble-up start--no choice cause I can't take the water up my schnoz. First attempt I get to the butt-glide and start laughing like an idiot! Did it the first time and once or twice after that. Chicks in the boat have no idea how cool this is. Good thing I don't have to impress them!

No pics or vid of these events, unfortunately. But will have to take some SOON!

[HRemington]

Jack, maybe you need to explain to the chicks in the boat what a rare opportunity they have to see a true stud "cheeking out"...maybe they'd pay closer attention.

Congrats on the fast progress...just remember, you're already ahead of Banana George's pace at the same age, so keep it up. Let's see...what fruit could we name you after, hmmm? How 'bout Papaya Jack? No, let's see, mango? kiwi? What color do you look good in, maybe start there? Apple Jack kinda has a ring to it...how do you look in red?

[VinRLX]

Not that great in red, but thanks for the thought, Hank! I'll have to explain the "cheeking out" thing to them tomorrow AM--I'm hoping for mirrored-glass and will have the video cam in the boat.

Not that I look good in yellow, but how about Pineapple Jack? Not that I'm looking to compete with the Head Banana or anything--there's just something about a fruit with that much girth.

Edited June 30, 2005 by VinRLX

[HRemington]

that banana fetish of yours may be due to shortcomings not confessed in your signature line...

[VinRLX]

LOL

Banana banter banished, it's good to hear your (nit)wit and wisdom.

You'd be proud of me on the nose clip thing, Hank. I took a page from Doug's book and was sure I had TWO spares before the season even started. Though I wasn't anal enough to keep one of them in the boat, which surprised the chicks.

[88Skier]

I wish you were on my lake. Sounds like it'd be worth being out there just to watch. Anybody see the short story in WSM this month about the guy that lost his big toe barefooting?

[jgouveia3]

well jack, since the boat is blue, it might have to be something like BlueBerry Jack (and that could explain the size of the things at the other end of the short rope?? )

[VinRLX]

Hey, there, John. Take it easy, will ya? I expect Hank to give me a load of crap, but not you. Actually, BlueBerry could describe the mark on my shoulder (from hitting the water during a missed tumble turn). And the way it feels sitting here, I may have more of the same on my posterior.

88- I saw that article. OUCH.

[jgouveia3]

i figured i would just try to beat hank to the punch, all in jest, of course

definetly blueberry describes the way i felt when learning, especially since i learned in the days when you either started by dropping a ski, or from a kneeboard, and just go as fast as he$$...

[tvano]

bf is a rush; faceplants are the price you pay to improve.

welcome to the black n blue butt bunch.

[Tom Sawyer]

Depending on the skier, I sometimes will turn the wheel to give the skier a VERY gradual turn to aid them in getting to the curl.

Be cautious with this approach...escpecially when doing it behind a bigger boat such as a VLX. At 40 mph it doesn't take much of a turn of the wheel to create all kinds of whip for the skier.

[WakeGirl]

Hey Jack,

Gave it my first attempt on the boom last night & was able to slide on my butt as long as I wanted. My first 2 attempts were on my belly & tried to get turned around, but couldn't quite get to the correct position. The last one I started with my feet on the cables, success! When I planted & stood up I stayed there just long enough to get the feel....then, whomp I'm down on my stomach. I didn't make the mistake of letting go though, that would have hurt. Anyway, just the 3 attempts that I made at it was more exhausting than everything else that I did that day combined. Still, I was up just long enough to think, "this is waaaay cool". I can't wait until I'm not too fatigued & the water is good enough to try it again.

[VinRLX]

Anyway, just the 3 attempts that I made at it was more exhausting than everything else that I did that day combined.  Still, I was up just long enough to think, "this is waaaay cool".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Congrats! I tried the belly start, directly on the boom, two summers ago and couldn't do it. IIRC, that was before I stood up off a kneeboard and definitely before the front-deep w/short rope. Also, the wife didn't know how to drive for it at the time, either, and it's always nice to blame the driver.

Next time out, try the front-deep w/short rope. Moderate throttle (not too slow, you'll drag) and five bucks says you butt-glide! Stand up or don't. I guarantee just getting to here will make you a happy camper.

WHERE'S THE VIDEO THAT WE WERE PROMISED???

[WakeGirl]

No person in the boat to take the video, just the hubby & kids. Maybe at Oroville. So how do you do the front deep with the 5' handle?

[VinRLX]

Boat goes to gear to pull the line tight, put the heel or toes of one foot on top of the line and hit it. Arch back, wait to be planed, then take foot off rope and butt-glide with legs together, heels above the water. Gotta keep the handle at your waist through the entire process.

You can do it, I know it to be true.

[WakeGirl]

Ah, I see now. I think I'll get a little more practiced at just staying up on the boom before attempting that. The thing is, Joe gave me a bunch of things to remember to do when I get up - knees together, feet angled in together, blah blah blah. All of it went out the window, I felt like there was no room in my head for anything but the battle that I was having with the water. The more I do it, the more I think that room will open up for thinking about other things, where my feet are & such.

[VinRLX]

thinking about other things, where my feet are & such. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't look down, girl!

Tracie, do the DW start as something separate. Coming up and doing the butt-glide is an accomplishment in itself. It's not as difficult as it looks/sounds.