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AIR Chair / SKY SKI / FOIL Lessons around DFW ?


WakesetterE

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I've got a 14 y/o who has mastered the airchair basics and wants to learn some jumps and other tricks.

Does anyone know of some one who could teach a few lessons in the Dallas/FtWorth area? We have some DVD's, but it isnt the same....

We have boat/driver/lake and air chair if that makes a differance? Eventual goal is a (controlled) flip on the air chair.

I tried the typical boat shops...lots of wakeboard lessons avalible. I havent been able to find an airchair instructor? :(

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Sorry. Don't know of anyone. Just had to chime in on how much fun our air chair has been. It sure turns a lot of heads, and when it's choppy out if you can handle the boat ride, the air chair is just that. Riding on air.

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Finding a pro who gives organized lessons on the foil is a tough one. The list is short. And I don't know of any in the DFW area. But there are plenty of riders there. I'd suggest you jump on FoilForum.com & ask the same thing. I have no doubt there will be a few of the guys who will step up. They may or may not accept payment. Might be a good way for you to meet some other riders in the area.

And look around there for info on the Texas Fly-in. I haven't been in a few years but they usually have a LOT of riders out on the Brazos near Weatherford during the event.

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Thanks, I'll give it a try. Foil riding is very cool when the water is choppy! Actually between surfing and the airchair the water conditions can be pretty poor and the group can still have a great time. I still remember those early days of 6AM lake runs to get the glassy water. I dont really miss them. Foil riding seems to be very low impact (so far). Its amazing how little drag there is after you are up!

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That looks really cool..I am thinking about purchasing one of those. How hard is it to actually do though? I would like something that everyone on the boat can get on and try successfully but not sure if these are that easy. I have seen some YouTube videos of "begginers or first time" users getting up easily. I was looking for a good used one. I saw that some of them have suspension that helps with your back. I would prefer one with this. What would I be looking at for something like that? I would prefer to make the investment once instead of trying to sell and upgrade. Any particular brand/model?

Thanks guys

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I've got a 14 y/o who has mastered the airchair basics and wants to learn some jumps and other tricks.

Does anyone know of some one who could teach a few lessons in the Dallas/FtWorth area? We have some DVD's, but it isnt the same....

We have boat/driver/lake and air chair if that makes a differance? Eventual goal is a (controlled) flip on the air chair.

I tried the typical boat shops...lots of wakeboard lessons avalible. I havent been able to find an airchair instructor? :(

Yeah- check our foilforum.com to find some local riders.... Lots of rider around Texas... I'm sure they'll have him flipping in no time.

That looks really cool..I am thinking about purchasing one of those. How hard is it to actually do though? I would like something that everyone on the boat can get on and try successfully but not sure if these are that easy. I have seen some YouTube videos of "begginers or first time" users getting up easily. I was looking for a good used one. I saw that some of them have suspension that helps with your back. I would prefer one with this. What would I be looking at for something like that? I would prefer to make the investment once instead of trying to sell and upgrade. Any particular brand/model?

Thanks guys

Sky Ski is the way to go. The Sky Ski "Pro" is a good entry level ski. You may be able to find some used ones on the foiforum. That's a good place to look for used gear. Used gear normally goes pretty high on ebay- people buying there don't know about the foilforum.

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That looks really cool..I am thinking about purchasing one of those. How hard is it to actually do though? I would like something that everyone on the boat can get on and try successfully but not sure if these are that easy. I have seen some YouTube videos of "begginers or first time" users getting up easily. I

was looking for a good used one. I saw that some of them have suspension that helps with your back. I would prefer one with this. What would I be looking at for something like that? I would prefer to make the investment once instead of trying to sell and upgrade. Any particular brand/model?

Thanks guys

#2 on everything Charlie said. Plus it's worth noting that SkySki is located in Redding & frequently has riders on Shasta throughout the summer. Just like anything else, it helps a lot to get in front of people who are better than you. Just seeing & hearing what they do/don't do will help a ton.

It's not really the kind of thing that "everyone on the boat can get on and try successfully". In my experience getting up & flying is a finesse thing. So big, powerful slalom skiers suck at it (at least at first), but little 10 yr old girls get up & ride right away. I think because they pay attention to the coaching & don't go pushing on their feet a lot (which is a for sure faceplant). We have some tricks we do to help speed that process up quite a bit, ie; adding training wheels to the ski so it's easier to balance, adding a piece of rope or zip tie to the t-bar to introduce a bit of drag which keeps the foil from flying right away.

I will say that once your up & riding, the learning curve is faster than most other disciplines on the water. First inverts are not unusual in the first or second year. Those big powerful slalom skiers can often hit a back flip or back roll way before the 10 yr old girl....... once he can get it up. :rofl:

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Foil Forum is your source. I'm on my 3rd ski now and finally have it right..at least for me anyway. Bought a used Sky Ski and rode it for about 7 months, then Bill above helped me with an upgrade to a Sky Ski B-39 with a suspension seat. Rode it for a little over a year and I sold it while I was deployed. Then I started building a new ski from multiple sources. Board came from Air Chair; Seat tower and T bar (strut) came from Sky Ski; Front and rear wings came from Xtreme Wings; bindings came from a friend in Washington who builds them. My skills still need work, but this Ski rides great. With some help from Bill and a few others I landed my first invert about 3 months after I started trying them. At 44 years old my knees really like the Sky Ski over the wakeboard!

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I've got a 14 y/o who has mastered the airchair basics and wants to learn some jumps and other tricks.

Does anyone know of some one who could teach a few lessons in the Dallas/FtWorth area? We have some DVD's, but it isnt the same....

We have boat/driver/lake and air chair if that makes a differance? Eventual goal is a (controlled) flip on the air chair.

I tried the typical boat shops...lots of wakeboard lessons avalible. I havent been able to find an airchair instructor? :(

Defiantly going to keep an eye on this topic! Is your son available to teach a 30 yr old the basics?? I have always wanted to get into it but would like to try it before investing $2k on a board. I keep my Wakesetter at Joe Pool Lake and always available to learn!

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It is one of the harder things to learn. Balance is key, as you will bob around in the water before you get up. Keep your weight over and a little back, rope needs to closer to your chest with a bend in your elbows. Once up keep looking forward and not down. Just be patient, cause once up, it is almost magical. You can go as slow as 5mph for smaller people. We chaired at about 15-25 mph for some serious air, and my much younger compadre could do a flip!!.

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I find it interesting that several have mentioned low impact. I tried a little Ollie...and ended up on my face. I did not think that was low impact at the time, even with the helmet.

Getting up was easy for me, did it on my first attempt. What was strange was a guy we were with who is a triathlete (REAL Ironman) was unable to get up at all. It really is all about technique, not strength.

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One trick we've figured out for getting new riders up is to widen the board or add "training wheels" or outriggers. This way the board planes sooner at slower speeds. A 180 lb guy can get up at like 7 or 8 mph.

This is a shot of a buddy of mine we got up last summer. He's a total computer geek, unathletic, uncoordinated, no way he would have gotten up this easily (we tried). With the outriggers he was up & concentrating on learning to fly the foil within minutes. Their made out of a pair of old combo skis. I keep them stashed in the boat for whatever occasion their needed, and I can install them on almost any SkySki or AirChair in about 10 minutes.

trainingwheels2.jpg

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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I definitely say that it can be a low impact sport. You can learn to fly and taxi the foil at very slow speeds - this keeps the falls low impact. for example, I have landed flips at 10 mph and I am 220lbs. I think some people wake surf faster than you are able to fly the foil....? That being said, it really all depends on the boat speed. As with any water sport, once you get more comfortable and start increasing the speed, the chances of taking a hard crash increase exponentially. This risk increases once again as you start throwing different tricks. I will tell you this - The risk is well worth the reward!

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I find it interesting that several have mentioned low impact. I tried a little Ollie...and ended up on my face. I did not think that was low impact at the time, even with the helmet.

Getting up was easy for me, did it on my first attempt. What was strange was a guy we were with who is a triathlete (REAL Ironman) was unable to get up at all. It really is all about technique, not strength.

Low impact refers to generally low impact landings from way up there!!!

Compared to wakeboarding, where everyone is wrecking theirs knees and ankles from the horribly hard landings that come with going huge, you can go huge on your Sky Ski, and proper landings are generally soft. But, even falling is something you learn to do "properly" over time.... Yes, face plants will happen as you learn because you're not ready for them. Once you get good at riding, you'll know when you're going down, and can tuck and prepare for impact so you're landing flat on your chest....

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I am at the point of riding comfortably on the foil and nothing beyond that. The thing I find most notable about a foil versus wake boarding or slalom is how the slightest shifts in body position affect the foil. Once you are up on the foil though it is a pretty cool feeling, the only noise you hear is the wind, no water noise.

Edited by LS-One
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Well, I see there is a lot of intrest in foiling out there. I always thought the $1500 buy in price was the real limiter to the sport. With $90,000 boats these days, maybe not so much. But 20 years ago the air chairs were still expensive.

I was amazed after getting up i could ride with only two fingers, the drag was so slight. I've taught maybe 10 people the basics of riding, and thats all we know at this point. We are looking for lessons ourselfs. The girls pick it up faster than the boys, I think because they listen better while the boys plan to muscle through it. Its all in doing it the right way, and with no one around to teach us, we apparently tried all the wrong ways before we got it right! My 14 y/o daughter was foiling circles around the 15 y/o boys until they realized it was about ballance not strenght.(to get up)

WE seldom take the air chair out with beginners as we average about 10 tries a kid before they get up. We are better at instructing now, so it may be less. The surf board is the easyiest thing we can teach fast. Most kids think foiling is the coolest, however.

I think for me the air chair is the future at the lake for me. While I can slalom, and surf, the air chair is one of those things you can ride all day and not be exhausted. (i'm 49) We go about 16 mph, so the falls are very soft. We havent been able to jump, flip, or anything fancy yet. But it is a lot of fun, and you feel very high when rididng at the top of that foil. Also, rough water doesnt affect the foil. So when the wind is up, you can still have fun, making more use of the lake time.

I see an oppertunity for some skilled air chair rider to offer lessons to we beginners!

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I started out wakeboarding but, once I bought an air chair and subsequently a sky ski, I prefer to foil and almost do not bring a wakeboard with me.

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I see an oppertunity for some skilled air chair rider to offer lessons to we beginners!

I welcome the chance to show what we can do & teach others to do it.... whether that be just how to get up & fly, how to do any number of tricks & inverts, or even advice on your first foil purchase.

We will be at the NW Wow at Banks Lake this July. Feel free to come up & introduce yourself & ask about lessons or whatever.

Just one of many shots to give you some idea of what is possible...... even for a 46 yr old. Gives us a chance to show up the young guys.

Bill0710.jpg

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Hehe, thanks Jim. I'm sure you have experienced that same thrill of nailing your trick as you cruise by a boat full of others. I taught 2 guys their first inverts last summer & the thrill is almost as good. Everyone in the boat gets wound up at that point.

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I'm about 5 hours from Dallas and no expert, but you're more than welcome to head over to Little Rock and ride with me. I've only ridden a wakeboard 2 or 3 times since I started foiling about 2 1/2 years ago....and I've got a boat ready to go!

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16 to 22 mph and no wake enhancement = a pretty economical sport for a towboat. :)

I agree on this. But just like other disciplines, speed it up or weight the boat & things get really fun.

Of course you have to pay to play too. Not just in gas. But the crashes at higher speeds or from up higher start to suck.

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16 to 22 mph and no wake enhancement = a pretty economical sport for a towboat. :)

Yeah- But what you don't spend in gas, you'll spend on a hydrofoil....

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Yeah- But what you don't spend in gas, you'll spend on a hydrofoil....

Trust me I get that part, been lurking at used one's.

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