CLOSE
Sign up to get news on contests, pro events, new products and special offers.
WATERSKI MagazineBar none, this is one of the most difficult tricks in all of barefooting. In fact, there are only a few guys who even put it in their trick runs in competition. It is, however, one of the most fascinating to watch. When done in textbook form, the stabilizing foot never leaves the water. That kind of technician's approach can also take a mental toll on the footer. The expectations are high, but so are the rewards. Here's how I do it.
I get set up with my knee slightly bent, hands relaxed and parallel in front of my chest (Photo 1). The next step is to extend my bent knee and start my rotation (Photo 2).
By extending my bent knee, I can up-weight and glide around on my surface foot. Just the right amount of up-weighting enables me to slide from back to front without my foot ever leaving the water (Photos 3 and 4). To finish the move, I come around and let my body weight return to my foot, where it is directed to my heel (Photos 5 and 6). A clean trick: I've made it around to the front toe (Photo 7).
The back-to-front toe is one of Brett Sands' favorite tricks. He is an Australian champion who trained with WaterSki contributor Roger Crocker before last year's Barefoot World Championships.
