I drove my wife nuts this weekend reviewing your 2 hour video many times and in slow mo. ...The tapes great.
Questions:
Wake crossing: For 2-foot wake crossing, can you be more specific on what the feet are doing. Do
you (turn them and keep them flat) or (turn them and tilt away from the boat similar to a slalom ski).
When cutting, is the foot that's further away from the boat slightly ahead or behind the other foot. My
guess is feet should be slightly tilted and the foot further from the boat should be slightly ahead of
the other foot with most of the pressure on the front foot like doing a 1 foot cross.
Dion, Mike J. [MJDion@cvs.com]"
Bill, if you are one of the many people waiting for help on crossing the wake forwards, then you are
in luck. I am about to help you "open a can of front slalom whoop-#@$$!"
We all love skiing and love to see a huge wall of water, but doesn't it get you pumped to think you
could create a wall of spray that would make Andy Maples' look like a picket fence! And better yet,
instead of using a six-foot ski, you can do it with your own signature-series bulletproof bare feet! I get
fired-up just thinking about it.
If you are wondering why WaterSki Magazine isn't answering your questions with monthly barefoot
tips, then fret not. I am going to do it in more depth than they ever would...and it is FREE!!!! "Things
that make you go...Hmm..." (C&C Music Factory?)
Well I am going to outline two approaches. The first approach is for the educated risk taker. This is
for the person who likes to be aggressive only after applying a little wax-on wax-off to the preparation
phase.
The second approach is for the skier who prefers a good concussion to an intellectual read! Many of
you will take this road...and enjoy the beating!
Approach number one (A personal and patented Lane "Dawg" guaranteed path to The Nirvana
Slalom Land!)
Stage #1 Learn all one foots and toe-holds until you can be like Tigger the Tiger in the positions on
the boom, the long-line, and on both sides of the wake. Required reading for this approach: Ankles
and Angles, Tigger the Tiger Bouncy Trouncy Skiing
Stage #2 Learn two-foot and one-foot Cut-Aways (See video-
http://www.thefootersedge.com/video_ad.htm
Stage #3 Learn to cross the wake on two-feet and one-feet on Puppy Paws
Stage #4 Andy Maple gives you a call to ask you (as a professional courtesy) not to show-up at the
Tour Stop as your signature-series feet are stealing his thunder! Stick sales plummet. Buoys
become passé. He holds your trophy...you work the crowd.
Approach number two. No time for waxing. Take a good hard look at those bubbles. Think about
what Rambo would do if he were you. Pull...push...simply WILL your way across that wake. Swallow
the fear and do it again increasing the boat speed! That has got to help, right!?
Practice crossing the wake religiously using the following two principles;
Principle #1 WEIGHT TRANSFER-sure would be nice to be able to do a one-foot!
Principal #2 EDGING
To transfer the weight you need to think of my patented Clock Theory of weight transfer! Picture your
feet in the center of a clock and the back of your head over six-o-clock. If you want to go to your left,
you need to transfer 90 percent of your weight to your right foot! To do this, move the back of your
head (your upper body should follow!) over 4-o-clock. This is easy if your feet are close together.
Practice this weight transfer separately until you are fluid in transferring your weight from your right
foot to your left foot while moving your head and body from 4-o-clock to 8-o-clock. Keep your feet
parallel as you do this!
So far you are just swaying from side to side. To get some actual S-curves happening, you need to
learn to EDGE or CARVE!
In a normal front gliding position (Ultra Mega Glide), you have the water all the way up to the ball of
your foot, but not ON the ball of your foot. The foot is facing directly parallel with the boat. When
edging, we transfer the weight to the inside edge of your foot in the same way that a slalom skier
sets his edge on his ski. The water line on the foot can now actually move up onto the ball of your
big toe in an extremely aggressive edge!
But how does this happen without catching a toe? It is possible only when two critical things
happen;
#1 You push hard enough on your foot so that it is out in front of your knee! What???? Abandon the
Ultra Mega Glide? Yes, but ONLY in front slalom! This is the ONLY time where the glide you have
worked so hard on should be altered so that the water line can get on the edge of your foot!
#2 The "pinky toe edge" is out of the water (to just over half way down your foot) because of the aggressive angle your foot has taken! Your foot is now at least 45 degrees off towards the direction you want to go!
The more aggressively you work your weight transfer and your edging, the closer you will be to
crossing on one foot. Your leading foot should be very light and pointed in the direction you want to
go. Keep your feet close together so that weight transfer and edging are easier to achieve when you
want to change direction.
On your very first crossing on your feet, edge away from the wake at least 5-10 feet, change
directions with the proper weight transfer and edge change, and the edge with constant resistance
until you are at least 5-10 feet out the other side. After you have done this for a couple of passes, try
to establish a slow and steady rhythm with smooth and carving turns! |
