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Chuck,
Enjoyed your article on shoe skis, and just wanted to add my
two cents. I've used every ski out there in trying to learn one foot wakes
and surface turns, and my opinions are similar to yours with some caveats.
First just a note for the ladies: Size always
matters. In this case, smaller is better. The Dawg Paws can now be
ordered in small sizes to fit women's and children's feet. I own a pair of
men's size 6, which just fit my size 8 feet. I like these much better than
my original paw's (men's size 11). My feet don't slide around in them, and
they are smaller in size than a pair of cut down Scarpa skis. This gives a
more realistic transition to barefooting than going from the larger skis to my
feet. I started using them for wakes, and I agree with you, they are the
best ski on the market for learning one foot wakes. They are also very
durable and don't break easily.
One ski you didn't mention was a modification of the Scarpa
ski. The ski can be ordered larger for beginners, or cut down (several of
us have cut down our own using a band saw) to a size that is comparable or
smaller than the Dawg Paws. Most of my friends use these and are extremely
pleased with them. I like them for turns as much as the dawg paws, and
they have the advantage of being very easy to take on and off - especially nice
when you want to mix up shoes with feet. Another advantage of the Scarpa
and Seipel ski's is that they dry quickly. This is important for you
morning skiers who are loathe to leaving damp equipment in the trunk of your car
while you go to work.
With respect to Seipel's skis, Joel Brookshire talked me into
using them for learning turns. You mentioned that they can be used at slow
speeds. For women, this can be very helpful. We tend to not have the
upper body strength that men do. Therefore I had trouble transitioning
from the shoes to my feet on the front to back due in large part to the big
difference in pull on my arms. The very slow speed allowed on the Seipel
skis provided drag, giving an arm pull similar to the feet.
I always enjoy objective reviews of the equipment.
Thanks for providing such a great forum for discussion.
Andrea Eggert
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