“I believe there is a price tag on everything worthwhile, but it is seldom a monetary one. The price more often is one of dedication, deprivation, extra effort, loneliness. Each person decides whether he or she wants to pay the price. If you do, you achieve beyond other people.”
Jim Mc Kay- Sports Broadcaster
“Lane,
My name is Clint Bosch. I’m 17 years old. reading your newsletter alot. ive been barefooting for a few years now. Whats great is my friends dad just got a 2000 malibu sunsetter lxi. boom, skylon,wedge and all so that is great. I learned to barefoot probably the hard way. Long line with a kneeboard and my cousins trying to teach me. Im working on toe holds. ive been doing the ankles angles stuff and can
easily ride with my foot in the toe hold. i havent
felt confident enough to let go of the handle yet
though. Any advice on that would be appreciated.”
I can’t believe it!!! One of my biggest speeches has been unsung thus far. I will be happy to answer your question. Let me first let you know that the front toehold is a great trick that not only looks cool but also is fun to perform. It is also a favorite for getting cool pictures! I can remember my first toe-hold and I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep that night! It is also note worthy that I believe front and back toe-holds to be the foundations upon which all great skiers are made! Anyone who has ever shared his or her personal barefoot dreams with me has had this very speech. I believe that it is way more important to have your toeholds in order than it is to concentrate on surface turns. Many people make this mistake, but not you. You know better! Learning and perfecting your front and back toe-holds and then taking them to the long-line where you perfect your balance on both sides of the wake puts you in an elite class of skier. With these skills, slalom, tricks (and especially turns), and even jumping are begging for you to realize your potential. It is this insistence on these basics that has helped me to help so many other skiers around the world to learn how to ski smart and to enjoy barefooting with the confidence of knowing that they possess the basics necessary to learn any and everything they are willing to pay the price for. So let me get to it!
You all know by now how I am going to approach this. If you are really serious about making this process easier on yourself, you need to not only have good Posture but also good Glide. And if you really like perfection, you will hold yourself to the standard of the Ultra Mega Glide from News from THE EDGE #14!
Most of the people I teach find it strenuous to reach their foot into the strap because of the increased resistance of their plowing heel. The most difficult part of this for most people is getting to where they can ride with their foot into the strap without losing their glide or balance (News from The Edge #3-Ankles and Angles). The good news for Clint (the dude who wrote me this request) is that this is not the problem. But let’s first get back to where we start. I recommend learning the one-foots and toeholds on dry land and then on the shoe-skis (we recommend Puppy Paws) with careful attention to Posture and Glide! The real concern is that you will lose great position as you become concerned with picking your foot up.
What I am surprised that I have not been asked is the following; “If I hold my shoulders back with my chest expanded as you suggest, how do I get forward over my foot?” This is a great question because it tells me that the skier has really taken their one-foot form seriously and has kept the pull in the hips by keeping their shoulders further back than their but! Having done this, how do you transition into the toehold position?
There are two reasons people have trouble with this transition. Assuming that the Ultra-Mega Glide stays consistent, people tend to lose their Angle as their foot rises toward the strap! The easiest way to solve this is to think of raising your foot with the foot turned inward so that the toes are turned to the inside with the heel turned towards the outside! If you practice this on dry land, you will see that this will keep your body angled toward the foot in the water. Remember we want to position your body so that your weight is on top of the foot in the water. If you keep your shoulders and hips parallel to the water it puts weight over the foot that you are trying to lift towards the strap (and thus counterproductive)! Does this make sense?
Well then, if we have the above problems solved, this leads us to the problem of not feeling like you can let go safely after you have your foot in the strap! This can be accomplished safely by doing three things;
#1 make sure you have a soft and bent knee (News from THE EDGE #17-Tigger the Tiger)
#2 transition from a FULL grip to a FINGER-TIP grip within the first two seconds of having your foot in the strap
#3 transition from the shoulders behind the butt to the shoulders in front of the butt. This is best accomplished by crunching your abdominals so that you bring the bottom of your ribs towards the top of the hip bone.without losing the rest of your position!!!
At this point the pressure should be off your hands and securely on your foot in the strap (Make sure that your foot is deep into the strap instead of just on your toes)! It is now critical that you release your hands forward holding everything else quietly in position. The quieter your body stays, the easier it will be to ride in a balanced position!
I am a big believer in listening to your body and mind. If you do not feel safe, go through the above notes carefully on dry land and Puppy Paws until you feel secure in your method! Do not do a “Hail Mary” to get into the toehold position! This will yield “eye-peelage” followed by “Advil-poppage!”
If you do what I have outlined, your miracle will be awaiting you! Get your camera ready and start planning for the Santa Claus suit post card you will circulating to you close friends on Christmas! I sure hope you send me one!
Email me with your progress! I am expecting a miracle for you!
Do you have questions about training with Lane “Dawg” Bowers? Go to www.barefootanswers.com and you will find the answers! Find out if you can get into a private group lesson with Lane “Dawg”. If you are an absolute first timer, think you are too slow of a learner, or are not good enough for a lesson with Lane, then you are exactly the kind of person we want to help achieve a miracle!
Also, please help me out and forward this to as many footers or even potential footers as you can. This will help to make this newsletter a BIG success! We want everyone to have a GREAT chance to achieve his or her own miracles!
I am available to personally help you achieve your skiing goals by calling 1-877-685-6270 Or visit our website @ www.thefootersedge.com. Feel free to email me personally with any requests that you have and I will try to make time to help you achieve your true potential!
Barefooting Longer Distances -10X Your Best Run If you have ever wanted to just see how far you can barefoot without stopping, but were surprised that you could not go for a really long run, then it time to 10X your barest barefoot run by learning my free tips on barefooting longer distances. “The undertaking …
“To persevere, trusting in what you hope for, is courage.” -Euripides “What a new face courage puts on everything!” -Ralph Waldo Emerson “Resources,” 1876 All new instructional videos not on my two hour instructional video! https://thefootersedge.com/membervideopage/index.htm New barefoot blanket in my Pro Shop https://thefootersedge.com/equipment/index.html “Lane, I have one request. I have water allergies that make front …
Foster Major League Outfielder “The key to life is twofold. One needs to believe in his heart and confess with his mouth. Along the same lines, one needs to have balance in his life. He should strive to become strong spiritually, mentally, and physically. Also, remember that success is finding a need and filling it. …
Front Toe-holds
“I believe there is a price tag on everything worthwhile, but it is seldom a monetary one. The price more often is one of dedication, deprivation, extra effort, loneliness. Each person decides whether he or she wants to pay the price. If you do, you achieve beyond other people.”
Jim Mc Kay- Sports Broadcaster
“Lane,
My name is Clint Bosch. I’m 17 years old. reading your newsletter alot. ive been barefooting for a few years now. Whats great is my friends dad just got a 2000 malibu sunsetter lxi. boom, skylon,wedge and all so that is great. I learned to barefoot probably the hard way. Long line with a kneeboard and my cousins trying to teach me. Im working on toe holds. ive been doing the ankles angles stuff and can
easily ride with my foot in the toe hold. i havent
felt confident enough to let go of the handle yet
though. Any advice on that would be appreciated.”
I can’t believe it!!! One of my biggest speeches has been unsung thus far. I will be happy to answer your question. Let me first let you know that the front toehold is a great trick that not only looks cool but also is fun to perform. It is also a favorite for getting cool pictures! I can remember my first toe-hold and I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep that night! It is also note worthy that I believe front and back toe-holds to be the foundations upon which all great skiers are made! Anyone who has ever shared his or her personal barefoot dreams with me has had this very speech. I believe that it is way more important to have your toeholds in order than it is to concentrate on surface turns. Many people make this mistake, but not you. You know better! Learning and perfecting your front and back toe-holds and then taking them to the long-line where you perfect your balance on both sides of the wake puts you in an elite class of skier. With these skills, slalom, tricks (and especially turns), and even jumping are begging for you to realize your potential. It is this insistence on these basics that has helped me to help so many other skiers around the world to learn how to ski smart and to enjoy barefooting with the confidence of knowing that they possess the basics necessary to learn any and everything they are willing to pay the price for. So let me get to it!
You all know by now how I am going to approach this. If you are really serious about making this process easier on yourself, you need to not only have good Posture but also good Glide. And if you really like perfection, you will hold yourself to the standard of the Ultra Mega Glide from News from THE EDGE #14!
Most of the people I teach find it strenuous to reach their foot into the strap because of the increased resistance of their plowing heel. The most difficult part of this for most people is getting to where they can ride with their foot into the strap without losing their glide or balance (News from The Edge #3-Ankles and Angles). The good news for Clint (the dude who wrote me this request) is that this is not the problem. But let’s first get back to where we start. I recommend learning the one-foots and toeholds on dry land and then on the shoe-skis (we recommend Puppy Paws) with careful attention to Posture and Glide! The real concern is that you will lose great position as you become concerned with picking your foot up.
What I am surprised that I have not been asked is the following; “If I hold my shoulders back with my chest expanded as you suggest, how do I get forward over my foot?” This is a great question because it tells me that the skier has really taken their one-foot form seriously and has kept the pull in the hips by keeping their shoulders further back than their but! Having done this, how do you transition into the toehold position?
There are two reasons people have trouble with this transition. Assuming that the Ultra-Mega Glide stays consistent, people tend to lose their Angle as their foot rises toward the strap! The easiest way to solve this is to think of raising your foot with the foot turned inward so that the toes are turned to the inside with the heel turned towards the outside! If you practice this on dry land, you will see that this will keep your body angled toward the foot in the water. Remember we want to position your body so that your weight is on top of the foot in the water. If you keep your shoulders and hips parallel to the water it puts weight over the foot that you are trying to lift towards the strap (and thus counterproductive)! Does this make sense?
Well then, if we have the above problems solved, this leads us to the problem of not feeling like you can let go safely after you have your foot in the strap! This can be accomplished safely by doing three things;
#1 make sure you have a soft and bent knee (News from THE EDGE #17-Tigger the Tiger)
#2 transition from a FULL grip to a FINGER-TIP grip within the first two seconds of having your foot in the strap
#3 transition from the shoulders behind the butt to the shoulders in front of the butt. This is best accomplished by crunching your abdominals so that you bring the bottom of your ribs towards the top of the hip bone.without losing the rest of your position!!!
At this point the pressure should be off your hands and securely on your foot in the strap (Make sure that your foot is deep into the strap instead of just on your toes)! It is now critical that you release your hands forward holding everything else quietly in position. The quieter your body stays, the easier it will be to ride in a balanced position!
I am a big believer in listening to your body and mind. If you do not feel safe, go through the above notes carefully on dry land and Puppy Paws until you feel secure in your method! Do not do a “Hail Mary” to get into the toehold position! This will yield “eye-peelage” followed by “Advil-poppage!”
If you do what I have outlined, your miracle will be awaiting you! Get your camera ready and start planning for the Santa Claus suit post card you will circulating to you close friends on Christmas! I sure hope you send me one!
Email me with your progress! I am expecting a miracle for you!
Do you have questions about training with Lane “Dawg” Bowers? Go to www.barefootanswers.com and you will find the answers! Find out if you can get into a private group lesson with Lane “Dawg”. If you are an absolute first timer, think you are too slow of a learner, or are not good enough for a lesson with Lane, then you are exactly the kind of person we want to help achieve a miracle!
Also, please help me out and forward this to as many footers or even potential footers as you can. This will help to make this newsletter a BIG success! We want everyone to have a GREAT chance to achieve his or her own miracles!
I am available to personally help you achieve your skiing goals by calling 1-877-685-6270 Or visit our website @ www.thefootersedge.com. Feel free to email me personally with any requests that you have and I will try to make time to help you achieve your true potential!
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“To persevere, trusting in what you hope for, is courage.” -Euripides “What a new face courage puts on everything!” -Ralph Waldo Emerson “Resources,” 1876 All new instructional videos not on my two hour instructional video! https://thefootersedge.com/membervideopage/index.htm New barefoot blanket in my Pro Shop https://thefootersedge.com/equipment/index.html “Lane, I have one request. I have water allergies that make front …
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