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Kristin
Keith St. Onge teaches you to recline and let go for a stylish finish.
Laying back in a recliner is surely one of those universal positions we all know and probably love. So it should be little trouble to stick what I like to call the “Lazy Boy” position. (Granted, the remote control is in the shape of a ski handle and your abdominals will be screaming for mercy.) This position is used right before standing up from a deepwater start, or when sitting down from the traditional barefooting stance, and is the first step to finishing a stellar run with a long-distance butt slide. Here are a few steps to ensure you finish safely and with some flair.
1. Find your sweet spot: The Lazy Boy position requires balancing on your tailbone. This is known as the “sweet spot” on the barefoot suit and provides optimal glide with little resistance. For more stability, make small movements of the handle in and away from your abdomen.
2. Do the squeeze: Your knees and ankles should be squeezed together in the reclining position while keeping your eyes up toward the end of the run before you think about letting go.
3. Time it out: The number-one key to letting go gracefully has everything to do with timing. While coming to the end of the run, it’s wise to let the boat decelerate first. This way, you’re able to slide away from the boat and not get left in the spray, where you’ll come to a screeching halt.
4. Inform the driver: It’s extremely important that the boat driver is aware of your dismount for safety reasons. If on the boom, it’s crucial that the driver steers opposite of your dismount to avoid swerving into the boat at full speed. For propulsion into the long butt slide, use the whip of the boom provided by the boat turn.
5. Keeping balance: Lastly, to scream across the water with distance, you must balance on your sweet spot, keep your knees and ankles together, crunch your abdominals and drag your fingertips in the water as if steering a sled down a snowy hill.
