Call Toll-Free Anytime
Successful Barefoot Skiing Turns
Begin with Good Positioning!
No matter how many times I help people perform One-Foot barefoot skiing turns, I can almost bank on the fact that the skier thinks their starting position is great, but I’ll be spending the majority of the lesson correcting that position; same goes for their Back One-Foot position.
Without going into the quintessential basics of Posture, Glide and The Power Band, I will go over what I believe to be the Keys to Success.
Which is an Easier Barefooting Skiing Turn –
the Two-Foot or the One-Foot?
Contrary to Two-Foot turns, the One-Foot Front-to-Back is easier to perform than the One-Foot Back-to-Front, so that’s the approach we’re going to take.
The good news is, One-Foot turns are technically easier to maneuver than Two-Foot turns, as there is less motion in the set-ups; the bad news – or challenge?! – is that the boat speed must be faster, as the total surface area on the water will be less.
The Keys to a Successful Barefoot Skiing Turn
Once proper positioning has been established – and I cannot stress enough how this will most likely the area that needs the most correction – the keys to executing a successful clock turn will be:
- The Position of the Handle
- Maintaining a Quiet Upper-Body (see News From THE EDGE, issue 15)
- The Squeeze (see News From THE EDGE, issue 6)
It’s ALL in the Barefoot Skiing Turn
When performing a Front-to-Back barefoot skiing turn, you must make a slow turn from your hips. The biggest temptation will be to turn with your head and hands. If you want a great One-Foot turn, then you need to keep your head and upper-body quiet while allowing the turn to come from the hips! To do this, make sure your shoulders and head stay further back than your hips at all times while in the front position.
Tips for Making the Perfect Barefoot Skiing Turn
One of the best ways to get the feeling of turning with your hips is to hold a medium-size Gatorade bottle between your legs, as high up as possible, then learn how to turn without dropping the bottle. (This is much easier if you practice it on Puppy Paws or Foot Skis first.)
When you are comfortable with the turn, try perfecting it by making sure the one foot you have in the air remains stationary, and that you can rotate it without swinging from side to side.
Next in the Barefoot Skiing Turns – the Clock Theory of Turns, Parts I through III, we’re going to cover Part III; How to Perform the Lane Dawg Bowers Clock Turn and The 5 Keys to the Back-to-Front . . . stay tuned!
Part II
