Footholds: to do or not to do, that is the question.

makejetskiinggreatagain

makejetskiinggreatagain

Brandon
My 650sx is my extra ski. I ride it occasionally, but most days its just there to get ridden by newbies and friends. My other ski is a superjet without footholds. I want to do footholds on my SJ soon and I was thinking that if I do footholds on my ski, i might want to do them on the 650sx first for practice since i have never installed them before. Good idea, or is it just a waste of money? I'll be doing the eric malone footholds on my SJ. Is there a cheaper foothold for the 650sx or should i just do the same hold on both skis?
 
makejetskiinggreatagain

makejetskiinggreatagain

Brandon
I guess one of my other concerns is that if i put holds on the 650, everyone who rides it will need to wear shoes to avoid catching a toe on the edge of the hold and ripping it off. is that common or just a freak thing that happens once in a while. would you be concerned about it? My wife also rides it so she is mainly the one i am concerned about. No one besides me rides with shoes.
 
Little_Franny

Little_Franny

Location
Cape May Court House, NJ
I've ridden plenty of skis with holds barefoot and had no problems, we are not talking about fully enclosed holds like mine, i could see how if you kicked in to these holds you could miss and get it between the toes. besides if your friends are riding your ski its their problem :)foot.jpg
 
Roseand

Roseand

Ready to RIP
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
Footholds are pretty easy to installl.. You don't really need practice. Cut, fit, epoxy on the back, screw them in, wait for the epoxy to cure, then lay glass over the seams, and then some glass between the holds in the tray for some reinforcement. Footholds were my first time working with fiberglass, and it wasn't bad at all. Much much easier than defoaming, reinforcing, and all the prep work it takes to rework a tray.
Are you set on the EME holds? Have you seen them & tried them out in person? They look to be about as duckfooted of a stance as you can get, and I know a lot of people mod them due to how uncomfortable they are on your ankle. Cheapest set of holds is at about 65$, which are the traditional ones that don't have much room for padding, etc. If you're looking for a cheaper decent hold, Toby sells a set that has room for thick padding for 75$.

And yeah, don't worry about catching a toe barefoot. Not a big deal unless you're trying to kick in hard barefoot, but you're an idiot if you try to do that without shoes. It's not like footholds have jagged edges for you to get caught on.
 
FlightPlanDan

FlightPlanDan

Don'tTrustAfartAfter50
Location
Crescent Beach, FL
In reality..
Footholds are only an asset to an experienced rider.
Newbs, God bless 'em, won't know the difference. Turning and standing up will be their main concern.
Put the holds in the ski that you intend to use.
Plenty of install advise is available here..
It can be a bit of a project if you do it right. But, it opens up a different window of riding.
 
Roseand

Roseand

Ready to RIP
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Wisconsin
Depends on your definition of experienced. I rode a ski without footholds about ten times before I installed them. I was a newb when I got them, and they advanced my riding like crazy after that. The extra tray space is awesome, and i always have at least one foot in the holds at all times, even if my toes are just pointed sideways in one. That extra grip is awesome for turning too.

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FlightPlanDan

FlightPlanDan

Don'tTrustAfartAfter50
Location
Crescent Beach, FL
Roseand said:
Depends on your definition of experienced. I rode a ski without footholds about ten times before I installed them. I was a newb when I got them, and they advanced my riding like crazy after that. The extra tray space is awesome, and i always have at least one foot in the holds at all times, even if my toes are just pointed sideways in one. That extra grip is awesome for turning too.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I'm glad that worked out for you.
I still believe that the "need" for footholds only becomes an issue when the rider is ready to progress.
Perhaps you were ready relatively quickly.

Footholds enable the rider to manipulate the ski in ways that the novice rider is not ready for.
I agree with your comments with regard to tray space and handling.
But, operating the craft, as built, has it's pro's as well.
Learning to ride.

Lots of riders are disappointed after multiple modifications. Only to find out that they forgot that they needed to learn how to ride first.
 
Roseand

Roseand

Ready to RIP
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
FlightPlanDan said:
I'm glad that worked out for you.
I still believe that the "need" for footholds only becomes an issue when the rider is ready to progress.
Perhaps you were ready relatively quickly.

Footholds enable the rider to manipulate the ski in ways that the novice rider is not ready for.
I agree with your comments with regard to tray space and handling.
But, operating the craft, as built, has it's pro's as well.
Learning to ride.

Lots of riders are disappointed after multiple modifications. Only to find out that they forgot that they needed to learn how to ride first.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is true. Some people are able to do a lot with just the tray, and also with lifters later on. Footholds aren't necessary until you really start pushing yourself and getting inverted, etc.
My case was kind of different. I started out with my ski a little before the season ended, so I only had around 10 or so rides on it. I already had the basics down, and could turn decent, etc. During the winter, I was bored, and didn't have much to do so I decided to get rid of my stock turf, and ended up installing footholds. They were a luxury at first, and definitely helpful when it came to advancing my riding, but towards the end of the season they were necessary for throwing around the ski and attempting to get inverted like I was. I'm sure lifters could have helped advanced my riding a lot too.
I agree with you about operating a ski stock is a good idea for sure! And the last thing you said is very true..I've got my ski chopped apart and defoamed and I'm tempted to shorten it while I'm in there, but this will be my upcoming second full season, and I've still got a lot to learn on a stock length hull.
 
FlightPlanDan

FlightPlanDan

Don'tTrustAfartAfter50
Location
Crescent Beach, FL
Don't let my comments hold you back. Those comments were directed toward the newbs that would be riding your extra ski.

I just can't see the logic in modifying a ski for practice. For riders that may never ride again.
Those are the folks that need to ride the stock boat....learn to ride....then decide.

Most enjoy the first time experience .... and call you crazy behind your back. lol.
 
makejetskiinggreatagain

makejetskiinggreatagain

Brandon
FlightPlanDan said:
Don't let my comments hold you back. Those comments were directed toward the newbs that would be riding your extra ski.
Click to expand...
ha ha ya I got that. I appreciate the advice and might actually throw some lifter wedges on the 650 just for the few times I ride it, as suggested by vumad. Looking forward to getting some holds on the SJ but some personal issues have come up that have put any mods on the backburner for now.... Hopefully by summer ill be back to spending any extra cash on ski's or jet ski related trips ;)
 
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