How to Barefoot Ski

Barefoot skiing is a difficult sport, but if you've done other water sports before like wakeboarding or water skiing, you may want to try going barefoot. The best way to start is with a boom attached to the boat, but with or without a boom, you'll want to use a wakeboard to get started.

Things You'll Need

  • Neoprene barefoot suit for flotation
  • Speedboat
  • Tow rope and boom (optional)
  • Wakeboard or shoe skis
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wear a neoprene barefoot wet suit instead of a life jacket for flotation and comfort. Life jackets can be bulky and inhibit motion at high speeds, but barefoot wet suits are designed to provide slimmer flotation and be more maneuverable at barefoot speeds.

    • 2

      Tow behind the boat or ease yourself out onto the water using a boom. Sit on the wakeboard and prepare yourself to get off the wakeboard by pulling your knees up to your chest and setting your feet on the sides of the board.

    • 3

      Stand up only when the boat reaches your barefoot speed, and have a spotter notify you when you are able to stand. Your barefoot speed is your weight divided by 10, plus 20, so for a 150-pound person, the barefoot speed should be about 25 mph. Be aware that barefoot skiing requires faster speeds than water skiing.

    • 4

      Leave the board behind as you stand up. Lean back and keep your knees bent to stay standing on the water. Have a spotter keep an eye on the board so that you don't lose it or run over it.

    • 5

      Replace the wakeboard with padded shorts as you progress and get better at barefoot skiing. Most barefoot skiers use padded shorts for easy starting, but also for extra comfort on tricks and falls.

    • 6

      Use shoe skis instead of a sitting on a wakeboard to start if you want to practice on smaller skis first instead of trying barefoot right away. Shoe skis are a little bit longer and wider than the foot, but much smaller than water skis.

    • 7

      Signal when you start to lose your balance or anticipate a fall so that your driver can slow down. Because the speed of barefoot skiing is faster than for water skiing, falls can be more sudden and more painful if unexpected.