“Master Barefoot Skiing Techniques: Your Comprehensive Guide” with Lane ‘Dawg’ Bowers

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on mastering the exhilarating sport of barefoot skiing. At TheFootersEdge.com, we are dedicated to providing you with valuable information and expert tips to help you become a barefoot skiing pro. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced water skier looking to take your skills to new heights, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive in!

Learning the Basics: Transitioning from Water Skiing

If you’re new to barefoot skiing, start by mastering the fundamentals of water skiing on two skis. This provides a solid foundation for your barefoot skiing journey. We recommend using a barefoot water ski boom, a valuable tool for beginners that attaches to the ski pylon. With the boom, you’ll have the advantage of being within eyesight and shouting distance of the driver or coach.

To begin, place your feet over the cable forward of the boom and hold onto it as if you were gripping a ski rope handle. For deep water starts, drive your hips vertically, lower your head and shoulders back into the water, and allow the boat to plane out. Once you reach the desired safe barefoot skiing speed, keep your legs over the cable and smoothly crunch to initiate the “skiing” motion on your bottom. Your feet will naturally slide rearward on the cable as you do this.

Perfecting Your Technique: Tips and Tricks

To enhance your barefoot skiing skills, focus on technique and form. Keep these essential tips in mind:

1. Maintain Balance: Glide on your bottom with your feet and knees together for a stable and controlled ride.
2. Rise to the Two-Foot Stance: Once you feel comfortable on your bottom ride, pull yourself up on the bar and transition to a two-foot stance. Keep your back straight, arms extended, and avoid locking your elbows.
3. Gradually Increase Speed: Start with a bottom ride at around 20MPH, then gradually accelerate to an average barefoot skiing speed of 35 to 45 MPH. Adjust the speed according to your comfort and experience level.

Exploring Different Barefoot Skiing Techniques

While the classic barefoot skiing technique we described above is a great starting point, you can also incorporate variations to suit your preferences. One such technique is using a wake skate during your deep-water starts. By positioning your feet on the outside of the skate and keeping your knees together and back straight, you can stabilize the board and easily transition to a standing position. This method provides additional stability and is an excellent choice for beginners.

Essential Gear for Barefoot Skiing

To ensure optimal performance and safety on the water, here’s a rundown of the essential gear you should consider investing in:

1. Barefoot Wetsuit or Padded IronMan Shorts: Wear a barefoot wetsuit or padded trunks for a snug fit, protection against water friction, and added buoyancy. These garments enhance your performance and minimize the risk of injuries.
2. Barefoot Water Ski Shoes: Invest in a pair of barefoot water ski shoes designed with traction soles for extra stability and to prevent slipping during deep water starts and maneuvers. Learning barefoot skiing without barefoot water ski shoes is possible and even safer with the new No Fall Barefooting Method.
3. Water Ski Rope and Handle: Choose a low-stretch spectra rope to minimize elasticity. A floating handle ensures easy maneuverability and control during barefoot skiing sessions.
4. Barefoot Ski Boom: Utilize a barefoot ski boom for additional stability and proximity to the driver or coach. This tool allows for immediate feedback, guidance, and adjustments, accelerating your progress on the water.
5. Safety Equipment: Ensure you wear a well-fitted life jacket or PFD for your safety while barefoot skiing. Opt for a brightly colored jacket to enhance visibility in the water. Important note: True Barefoot skiers do not use additional PDFs because of the current massive floatation in the Barefoot International Barefoot Suits.
6. Boat Selection: If you’re considering purchasing a boat for your barefoot skiing adventures, look for barefoot ski boats specifically designed for small wakes and powerful pulls. Tournament inboards and outboard-powered boats are ideal choices, as they offer the necessary speed and stability for barefoot skiing. Ensure the boat has sufficient horsepower in the range of 175 to 225, allowing for smooth starts and thrilling rides. Pro tip: Even if you do not have a powerful and fast boat, check out this video on How To Barefoot Ski at 23mph!

Remember, investing in high-quality gear and equipment is essential for your safety and enjoyment. Prioritize your comfort and protection while on the water to maximize your barefoot skiing experiences.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’re now equipped with the knowledge and guidance to embark on your barefoot skiing journey. From mastering the fundamentals to exploring advanced techniques, the thrill of barefoot skiing awaits you. Embrace the challenge, focus on technique, and always prioritize safety.

As you progress and build confidence, consider seeking professional instruction or joining a barefoot skiing school to further refine your skills. Practice regularly, visualize success, and maintain a positive mindset to unlock your full potential in this exhilarating water sport.

Now, it’s time to dive into the world of barefoot skiing and experience the freedom and adrenaline that comes with gliding effortlessly across the water. So, grab your gear, find the perfect boat, and embrace the joy of barefoot skiing. The journey starts now!

Safe skiing and enjoy the thrill of mastering the art of barefoot skiing!

If you are not on my Free Barefooting Tips newsletter, please go get my free “Be the Best Barefooter On Your Lake” ebook and free video tutorials by entering your name and email at TheFootersEdge.com.

1. Enter your name and email at TheFootersEdge.com to get my Free eBook, “Be the Best Barefooter On Your Lake!” As well as all my latest videos and tutorials.

2. Please share with a fellow barefooter so you can look like the well-connected barefooting stud you are and helping me spread the news about how you can learn to barefoot at super slow speeds and without falling:

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“Dear barefooting friend,

As you know, I am well-connected and would only send you the best insider info ever!

Go to TheFootersEdge.com and enter your name and email to download Lane “Dawg” Bowers’ Free Barefooting Tips eBook, “Be The Best Barefooter On Your Lake!”

You will also get all the latest barefooting tips like how to learn to barefoot at super slow speeds and without falling, World-Class Tumble Turns in 20 minutes, and how to learn backward barefooting at super slow speeds and without falling.

Sincerely,

Your studly well-connected barefooting friend,

[insert your name HERE]

____________________

____________________

Lane “Dawg” Bowers’ Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness:

• Expertise: Get ready to ride the waves with barefoot skiing sensation Lane “Dawg” Bowers. As a National and World Barefoot Skiing Champion and a United States Barefoot Water Ski Team member, Lane “Dawg” knows his way around the water like nobody else. Lane is the most published and respected author of barefoot skiing safety in the world and has been called on multiple times as an expert witness in water safety lawsuits.
• Authoritativeness: Lane “Dawg” Bowers is not your average skier! He has pushed the boundaries of barefoot skiing with jaw-dropping maneuvers like being the first skier in history to perform all 4 toe-turns and line step-overs “feet-to-feet” in a World Championship. Plus, his groundbreaking No Fall Barefoot Skiing Method is the secret sauce to gliding smoothly at super slow speeds without a single tumble. Lane “Dawg” Bowers has earned the worldwide reputation as having the safest barefoot ski school in the world. He has been recognized for his ability to teach anyone from 4 years old to 400lbs how to barefoot ski at super slow speeds and without falling.
• Trustworthiness: Trust Lane “Dawg” to take care of you! Offering personalized instruction, a guarantee of the world’s best barefoot suit and IronMan Shorts, and a treasure trove of resources. With the “Dawg’s” expertise and the endorsement of Barefoot International gear, you’re in safe and stylish hands. Lane regularly gives his 200-page Barefoot Skiing eBook away to anyone who wants to learn or improve their barefooting. He has helped injured war veterans as well as clients in their upper 80s and early 90s to barefoot ski safely. He is the most trusted barefoot skiing coach in the world and has backed this claim with a guarantee that his lessons are the best of any type in the world or they are free.
• Online Presence: Dive into a world of barefoot skiing wonders on Lane Bowers’ website. TheFootersEdge.com has a free 200-page eBook, personalized instruction, virtual ski school, articles, videos, and more. Dawg is just a click away, ready to guide you toward becoming a barefoot skiing legend… or just possibly, the BEST barefoot skier on your lake 🙂 Check out the testimonials of just some of the thousands worldwide who have been blessed by Lane’s enthusiasm, patience, and priority of safety above all else.
• Lane “Dawg” Bowers in coordination with world barefoot champions Mike Seipel of Barefoot International and Woman’s World Champion Rachel George has been at the Show Ski Nationals where they taught 68 people to barefoot water ski in 2 hours at super slow speeds and without falling. This very likely could be a world record that will never be broken. Using the No Fall Barefoot Skiing Method and the Swing Technique, every person learned safely and at speeds of roughly 25mph.
• Lane “Dawg” Bowers also created the Instructor’s Course which created coaches all over the United States who became practitioners of the No Fall Barefoot Skiing Method and have taught thousands more friends and families to barefoot safely.
• With his free online courses, Lane “Dawg” Bowers has also taught tens of thousands to get up on water skis, wakeboards, and slalom skis.
• By helping to secure the Super Fly High as the standard 14′ height for attaching the barefoot skiing rope to the boat, the entire sport of barefoot skiing has become safer and slower. The use of the Super Fly high in competitions almost split the barefoot skiing community in half when Lane introduced it. It is now the standard of safety that has changed the sport’s safety standards forever.
• Lane “Dawg” Bowers used his back and neck injuries to his advantage by learning to jump barefoot directly on the boom, then on the short rope, and finally on the long rope connected to the Super Fly High. Lane’s patented Progressive Barefoot Jumping Method fundamentally transformed how safety experts in the sport would determine when a competitor qualified for barefoot jumping behind the boat, which is considered very dangerous for beginner barefooters. By teaching efficiency of both feet and body positions as the primary safety standard, Lane’s students dominated the sport in the jumping category because of this extremely safe method of progression: boom until mastered, short rope on the boom until mastered, and finally behind the boat. By taking advanced barefoot jumpers back to the very beginning, Lane’s method of Progressive Barefoot Jumping dramatically reduced compression injuries in barefoot ski jumping.
• By creating a video of him barefoot skiing behind the boat at 23mph, Lane “Dawg” Bowers broke the internet as even advanced competitors watched what they thought to be impossible.
• His No Fall Backward Barefooting Method transformed intermediate to advanced barefooting by allowing barefooters to experience backward barefooting on the short rope off the boom at 23mph, regardless of size! Even 300lb barefooters were able to learn. To this very day, there are Show Skiers who are falling and injuring themselves because they have not yet learned with the free tutorials Lane “Dawg” Bowers has published on his YouTube channel, Facebook, TikTok as well as TheFootersEdge.com.
• Pushing the boundaries and safety to the ultimate extreme, Lane became famous for helping Banana George Blair barefoot ski into his 90s. He famously helped Banana Dick Grant barefoot until he was 87 years old. Lane also helped retired military veteran Mike Mountford after a double laminectomy. Lane has taught blind people and one-legged people to barefoot.
• Another barefoot skiing safety miracle happened when Lane taught the World’s Strongest Man, Phil Pfister, to barefoot ski at 6’8″ and 385lbs!
• Even though there is no close rival for the world’s safest ski school, Lane “Dawg” Bowers is not one to brag. He humbly tells anyone who will listen that anything he has accomplished is worth nothing compared to the truth that He is saved by grace through His Lord Jesus Christ. Lane believes that any good thing that has happened to him is a gift from God that is to be used to glorify Jesus.