Switching to RTP after 22 years double booted: health issue

[slow]

The only reason I would want to do an RTP is to do a jumpstart and I would really put my hamstring or risk.

[fu_man]

@UWSkier I used to have issues with heel sliding around on the wet foam foot bed of the RTP. Then I saw a video of Andy Mapple talking about his setup. He used stair tread anti slip on his RTP. I tried it years ago and haven't had a problem since.

[UWSkier]

@fu_man interesting. Might give that a go.

[BobF]

I replaced the rubber footbed in my rtp w/grip tape. Love it. I bought enough to do many times, but it has lasted several seasons with no wear.

Got it on Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0755WLVT2

[A_B]

I go back and forth between the HRTP and a Vapor boot, depending on what ski I am riding. I really don't feel much difference between them, not like when I tried a standard RTP. I put way too much weight on my front foot and actually felt like I was sliding on the top of the wakes. Didn't ski well at all. The problem I see for you is dragging a foot with the HRTP, as I start with both feet in. I thought about building up some small sidewalls behind a standard RTP so my heel didn't move side to side. I need it going up and down and wear my boot loose to allow this to happen as well.

@Rw3 can you post a pic of your mod on the HRTP? the only thing I don't like about the HRTP is my foot lifts out of it in a fall or sometimes if I stuff a deepwater start, and I have to get on the platform to put it back on. I am just not flexible enough to get it done in the water any more.

I ski equally bad in boot or HRTP, so no diference to me... :)

[o2bnMaine]

@A_B I think I saw a pro with a rubber strap they slip behind their read heel. I'm assuming one could get up with one foot out and then slip it behind the heel after getting situated. That is a lot to do before the green buoys pass the boat, though!

[BraceMaker]

@o2bnMaine basically you can assume there are no pros on the circuit that get up one foot out and pull on a rubber heel strap. Treat a RTP like a rear boot those guys are wiggling their foot up into the strap as deep as possible and doing a two foot in start.

[Vernon Reeve]

People that tear their hamstring are probably not keeping their front knee bent. It should have the same feeling as stepping up onto the second step in a stair case. When you step onto the second step of a stair case, your front knee is bent and all of your weight is forward over your front knee as you step up, otherwise you'd fall backwards. Same goes for getting up on one ski with one foot out.When people tear their hamstring, they are usually pushing away from the boat, so their front leg is straight, and their body is bent forward so they are basically touch their toes as they are getting up. But since they can't touch their toes while flexing their hamstring, it tears it. Same thing could happen with both feet in, btw. But if your front knee is bent, your hamstring is not getting stretched, and it will be much harder to tear it.

[VONMAN]

Four decades ago I started with a front boot and a kicker. The boats when first started were not that powerful so dragging a foot was the way to go. Seven years down the road and everyone was running double boots. Ten years pass and now I'm back on a front boot and a kicker, but the difference is I'm still doing two foot deep up starts. Never went back to double boots, still using a kicker and two foot starts to this day.I think by starting out with a kicker and dragging a foot I got the understanding that the front foot was the control foot. I seen so many skier's who started on double boots try to make the transition to a kicker struggle or just give up and go back to double boots. My question is, we all know we can ski on our front foot. But have you ever seen anyone try to control a ski with just their rear foot? Or do a deep up using just the back foot? No to both. But I have seen many double boot skier's over using the back booted foot. That's why I'll hear when they try a kicker, "My foot won't stay in", "This feels so weird". And it should because they are using the rear foot to much. It's not their fault, the rear boot gives them a false sense of security and as long as you can understand the bad things that come with it. I'm not saying double boots are bad, there are a lot of Great double boot skier's. Just don't let the rear foot be the dominant one.And if you are having problems with your deep water starts (like I use to) just put your hands touching in the center of your ski handle baseball grip style and you pop right up. No going to one side our another, haven't missed a start since.