How to Water Ski Hands-Free

Water skiing is a sport that takes a great deal of skill and determination. Slalom skiers use only one ski, so they can ski without using their hands. Water skiing with free hands is a stunt and considered dangerous. Do not attempt this technique unless you feel confident in your slalom skiing abilities. Furthermore, understand that water skiing one-handed carries a high risk of injury.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Ask a skilled driver and attentive spotter to join you on the boat.
2. Start by slalom skiing a couple loops around the lake or about a mile on a river. Get comfortable with your balance by taking your back foot (the right foot for most people) out of the boot and running it over the water as you ski. Concentrate on maintaining a solid core of strength and balance in your front leg (the left leg for most people).
3. Wait for the smoothest water before you begin moving into the hands-free formation. Your driver will steer the boat toward the best water, but you can also look beyond the boat to anticipate the timing. This trick should not be done on large lakes with white caps (such as the Great Lakes or Lake LBJ in Texas) or in oceans. The ideal water should be as smooth as glass.
4. Move into the formation by removing your foot from the back boot and raising it toward the ski rope. Keep all of your balance on your front leg. Guide the ski rope down to meet your rising foot.
5. Place you leg inside the triangle of the ski rope. Ski ropes are tied in a knot at the top near the handle bar; the resulting shape is a triangle, or sometimes a square. Balancing with your front leg in the ski, the calf of your back leg should be on the front of the ski rope handle bar. You will feel instant pressure on your leg, as all of the boat's force will be pulling on your calf. Do not put your heel in the rope instead of your calf. Your lower leg is not strong enough to support the pull of the boat. Use your hands to keep the ski rope steady while you position your leg. Your front leg should balance your entire body, while your back leg should be holding the ski rope.
6. Keep the leg inside the ski rope at a 90-degree angle with the knee pointed toward the boat and the toe pointed toward the water. When you feel strong enough, let go of the ski rope with your hands. Raise them up and straighten them out to form a "T" with your body. Having your hands spread out will help maintain your balance.

Tips & Warnings

• Build your leg muscles before attempting to water ski hands-free. If you are out of shape or have recently pulled a leg muscle, wait until you are stronger.
• Don't attempt to perform this trick more than 10-15 seconds. It is an enormous strain on your leg muscles, and you will lose strength rapidly.
• The spotter must never take his eyes off the skier. A driver needs to know the instant their skier has fallen to prevent dragging them and risking neck injury.