Barefooting with the Lake Guys

Loon Update: How the Majestic Aquatic Birds Are Faring This Year

By Mark Okrant

Many U.S. states are home to special species of wildlife. The Dakotas have bison herds and Florida offers aggregations of manatees. Here in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, the Common Loon is what residents and visitors want to see and hear. Much like their human counterparts, 2020 has been a challenging year for the loon population.

Display of a loon

Common loons are one of five loon species; others are the red-throated, Pacific, Arctic, and yellow-billed types. A common loon has a rounded black head, black bill, thick black neck with white-striped collar, long and flat body, and black-and-white plumage in a checkerboard pattern. Male loons are 25 percent larger than females, although their coloring is identical.

Central New Hampshire is situated at the southern end of the common loon’s geographic range. For this reason, climate change has a very real impact on their well-being. Loons are migratory. They winter on the ocean, then arrive at the area’s inland lakes during the spring when ice-out has occurred, in time for breeding season to begin. Once here, they dive in search of an abundance of fish. Depending upon a season’s weather, loons will remain until late fall or early winter before returning to the ocean. Loon pairs have exhibited a tendency to return to the same breeding lake each year. They will mate with the same partner unless one of them dies or is otherwise displaced.  

In 1975, the Moultonborough-based Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) was created to address a growing concern about a declining loon population and the impact of human activities upon them. It became the central mission of the LPC to preserve loons and their habitat by monitoring, conducting field research, designing and implementing a management protocol, and educating the public. 

During a typical season, the LPC uses an extensive network of dedicated members and volunteers to monitor 330-350 lakes; however, this season, they monitored an amazing 375 lakes. Why go through all this effort? Loons serve much the same purpose as a canary in a coal mine—if their population is suffering, it is an early indication that the welfare of the environment is under threat.

Each year, the LPC team undertakes a census of the loon population. While a count of all adult loons is attempted, the best indicators are numbers of loon pairs and chicks. Overseeing this ambitious initiative is Harry Vogel, senior biologist and director of the LPC. For the past 22 years, Vogel, his staff, and volunteers have spent many waking hours attempting to ensure the health and productivity of the adult and chick loon population is restored and maintained.

Asked to appraise the present season, Vogel described it as a “mixed year” and one of the most challenging ones in recent memory. This season, people in the field counted 320 loon pairs (and perhaps a few more). If this number holds after the census is finalized, it will represent a two percent increase in the number of pairs compared to 2019. Vogel indicated it is easiest to count loon pairs as they are territorial, as opposed to single loons that are scattered throughout the waterways within the region.  

Vogel cited one of the key parameters of reproductive success: “We need 0.48 chicks per adult pair per year to maintain the loon population.” That is a figure the LPC has achieved during six of the last 10 years. This year’s figure—0.47 chicks—fell just short of the LPC’s goal. While Vogel did not mask his disappointment, he remains proud of the fact that their 10-year average remains over 0.48. 

So, what were some of the causes and effects of this “mixed year”? There certainly have been many positives. Approximately 33 percent of chicks hatched in the region this year came from the multitude of loon hatching nests, or floating platforms, built and distributed by the LPC. Nesting loons face a number of challenges during their 28-day incubation period. Among these, the most serious is human-induced water level changes. Fluctuations in the lakes can cause eggs to be washed away or become unreachable by parent loons. On the other hand, the nests built by the LPC continue to float regardless of changes in water conditions. Therefore, the loon hatching nests are an excellent alternative to traditional nesting sites that are under continuous threat from recreational water use, shoreline development, or scavenging wildlife. 

Another success story was protection provided in the form of ropes and signage. It is estimated that more than 100 nesting loon pairs were protected from approaching humans, thereby remaining with their eggs, and later, with their hatchlings. 

Other achievements include informing dam owners and operators about the loon nesting season. In each case, those people complied with the LPC’s request to maintain water level stability. Additionally, the LPC had a successful season of banding loons, and took blood samples in an effort to identify genetics and disease. Finally, hidden cameras were placed in strategic locations where potential threats exist.

Among challenges faced by the LPC, several were a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a very difficult year to find enough private boaters to transport field biologists to sites. Paradoxically, another factor has been the presence of a surprising number of recreation boaters on the lakes. With other forms of recreation temporarily absent, boating activity appears to be at an all-time high this summer. As a consequence, uninformed boaters present a constant threat to nesting and swimming loons. Vogel discussed a phenomenon called wakeboard boating. Wakeboard boats are designed to create a large, specially shaped wake that cause water skis or tubes to jump from side to side so aerial tricks can be performed. Unfortunately, when the wake hits the shoreline, it can cause erosion and wash away natural loon nests.  

The LPC is fighting an ongoing battle against lead sinkers and lead-headed jigs. These antiquated forms of fishing tackle have a deadly effect upon loons and other forms of wildlife. Already this year, the state has lost three loons to this toxin. Owing to the LPC and other environmental organizations, lead sinkers and lead-headed jigs have been banned for sale and use within the state. Moreover, its lead tackle buy-back program in cooperation with fishing tackle retailers is being effective. Fishermen who are interested in exchanging their lead equipment should go to www.loonsafe.org; a $10.00 voucher will be provided to participants.

If you’re fortunate enough to hear the haunting wail of a loon, the memory of that sound will never leave you. Owing to enormous effort by the Loon Preservation Committee, the struggle to maintain and expand common loon populations continues. To meet its future challenges, the LPC is raising funds to build a new conference, library and office space, to expand lab space, to create a collaborative living/work area, and to provide more room for storage. A capital drive entitled the Campaign for the Future has raised $1.75 million toward its target of $2 million.

For more information or to contribute to the Campaign for the Future, contact Harry Vogel at hvogel@loon.org, or call 603-476-5666.

Barefooting with the Lake Guys

Barefooting with the Lake Guys

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

They’re just two “lake guys” as they call themselves. They like being out on the water and find it best out there in the early morning. Very early as a matter of fact. 

When Jeff Luby and his friend Charlie grab their gear and head out in a boat, it is still dark. By the time the sun is rising over the mountains, you will find them skimming the surface of the glass-like, calm water, pursuing a sport both enjoy. It isn’t boating or tubing or jet skiing or even water skiing. Instead, it is barefoot skiing that Jeff and Charlie are passionate about; it is an amazing sight to see the skilled bare footers skimming over the surface of the water using their bare feet versus water skis.

While many people have heard of barefoot skiing and a few people have actually seen others do it, not many have tried it. It is a skill learned over time, and safety is a must. But for those who do it, the emotional and physical rewards are many.

Jeff, who resides with his family on a Lake Winnipesaukee island each summer, and Charlie, who summers in the Lakes Region, had both barefoot skied in the past. However, they now pursue the sport with a dedication and passion that sets them apart from novice barefooters.

Both got started in the sport in their younger years - Jeff at around age 13 and Charlie in his 30s when he was part of a water ski club in Massachusetts (the Long Pond Water Ski Club). “I was self-taught,” Jeff recalls. “I did it from a knee board, with no boom. These days, people use a boom for all types of water sports. I had done water skiing and grew up on Lake Winnipesaukee. My parents weren’t really into wake sports, but I had a neighbor who took me out on the lake.

“I had seen others barefoot skiing and I decided I wanted to try it. I was knee boarding and I managed to flip around and sit, and then I just stood up and went about 100 yards by barefooting. I didn’t really have access to a boat then, but I was just happy to try it.”

Jeff says that while he water skied as a kid, he just wasn’t as interested in it, but he loved the lake and boating. Fishing was a big pastime when he was a teenager. Although he was avidly into fishing, he did water skiing at times and he explains, “My brother and I were active members of the Abenaki Water Ski Club (in Wolfeboro) for years. We did shows in Wolfeboro Bay and Alton Bay back when I was a kid. I didn't do any barefooting in the shows but often I was used for pyramids. Charlie was asked to barefoot for the Abenaki Water Ski Club shows occasionally when the club didn't have a barefooter who felt skilled enough to handle the always-rough water on show days. It was always rough (water) on show days from all the boats that used to gather and boats running around in preparation for the show. Charlie would gladly do it and always managed to put on a show, even in the most extreme conditions. He and I never met during those times but we know all the same people and skied with them as well, but never at the same time apparently.”

After living elsewhere, Jeff moved back to the Lakes Region and it was an important turning point in his life. “I was a Dad by that time, somewhat overweight and not feeling as great physically. My doctor suggested I lose some weight, so I started going to a gym in Wolfeboro. I made some gym friends, and that is where I met Charlie.”

Joining the gym was serendipitous and the start of a great friendship. “We both love the lake, and we got talking about barefoot water skiing,” says Jeff. Both men knew it was a sport they wanted to try again, but it would require someone to drive the boat and to take turns while each barefooted. And also important, both would need to be willing to get up very early in the morning to get out on the lake before a lot of boats were out there making waves. (Barefooting is best done on calm waters with few or no other boats on the lake.)

“We go out early for a few hours every day in the summer. It is our time to do something we both love. We take turns driving the boat and barefooting. Charlie is an accomplished barefooter,” Jeff says with admiration.

He mentions the many moves Charlie can do while barefooting, and the practice and skill it takes. He also laughs as he says Charlie is so into the sport that he would barefoot when the ice went out and keep going till the lake ices over the in late fall/winter. (Indeed, Charlie says he once went barefooting on Christmas day!)

The two men barefoot ski all over the lake, such as in the Broads, and sometimes they go all the way to Alton. “You start to become an expert at knowing where you are out on the lake by watching the trees and the shoreline, and the water and wind. As far as weather conditions, barefooting can be done on rough water, but it is a lot less enjoyable because it is too bouncy. But Charlie can barefoot in water that most people can’t even waterski in.”

It should be said that Charlie is in his 60s and Jeff also not in his first youth. At a time when many people would think a sedate walk around the neighborhood was a good workout, these “lake guys” are staying fit and having a great time doing so while barefooting.

Jeff adds that barefooting is a great “old man’s sport” but that is probably downplaying the skill they each have for the sport. (Although it is a low impact sport, if not properly trained, one can get injured.)

And what about the feet of a barefoot skier? One would assume that bare feet versus water skis, would get beat up on any given run. “The feet take time to toughen up,” explains Jeff. “As I got stronger, I felt it less. It is a process. When I barefoot ski, I don’t notice any foot pain until the next day. But soon it doesn’t bother me at all.” (Charlie says, with a shrug, that he rarely notices any foot pain from barefooting.)

The equipment needed to barefoot is important. Jeff says he and Charlie both have Malibu Flight Craft boats that create a small wake. The powerful boats go over 60 mph but are good for barefooting. A tower on the boat is needed as well, with an upward angle to help pull the skier out of the water. The handle for the barefooter to hold should be wider for grabbing. A barefoot line is another piece of equipment that is important, and Jeff says the line is typically longer than a water ski line. 

Boat safety is vital, as both men stress. Anyone wanting to barefoot should understand what happens with a barefoot boom. You should be aware that you do not need to go really fast when driving the boat. Barefooting depends on your shoe size and weight. You should also be patient and willing to learn in a series of steps. It is a progression and it is best to learn with the help of an experienced instructor. “And you should relax and have fun!” Jeff adds.

Charlie, with the greater barefooting experience, instructed Jeff how to drive the boat. The boom makes it fairly easy to start barefooting. The steps are learning how to sit and stand up and eventually being ready for deep-ups. Learning to tumble by spinning and maneuvering is a process as well. 

“Some summers are better than others,” Jeff says. “This summer has been really great and we have been out barefooting a lot. We are out there about two hours, from around 5:30 to 7:30 am. We fall into a routine of warm ups and then we take turns each barefooting about three to four mile runs.”

Jeff loves the sport and isn’t shy in saying that while his mind says he can do more involved tricks, he knows he must be sensible. “I can safely barefoot at around 37 mph. I enjoy lower speed tricks. Charlie can do more than I can, such as barefooting backwards.”

Indeed, Charlie has experience as a barefoot skier, and he loves to be out on the lake. There is admittedly a bit of the daredevil in him, and his wife says with a laugh when asked if his water pastimes worry her, “I gave up on him a long time ago!”

Charlie has been boating since he was 14 years old. In his 30s, he was a member of the Long Pond Water Ski Club, and got interested in barefooting when it was in its infancy. Others in the club were interested as well, and they got together and hired a professional water skier – Mike Seipel – to teach them to barefoot. Mike was “the man” when it came to the sport back then, according to Charlie. “He now runs Barefoot International, a provider of barefoot skiing equipment. And Mike also was World Champion in the 1980s.”

Charlie kept up with barefooting and tried to find someone else who might be as interested in it. “No one was doing it,” he recalls. “It is more fun when you barefoot with someone else who likes it too.”

Thus, meeting Jeff was advantageous, and allowed both men to pursue the sport with someone else who understood and enjoyed it. And someone who was willing to get up as the sun was rising to barefoot!
“We go wherever the water is calm, such as the Alton Bay area and Winter Harbor. Barefooting for six miles is the longest I have gone,” Charlie says. While six miles may not seem like much when driving it in a car, it is an amazingly long way to ski on your bare feet.

What does the future hold for the “lake guys”? Both are interested in helping with adaptive barefooting. Charlie has a friend who is involved in UNH’s Northeast Passage program. According to www.nepassage.org, “The mission of Northeast Passage is to empower people living with disabling conditions, both visible and invisible, to define, pursue and achieve whole life health, community engagement and fulfillment through the purposeful use of sports and recreation; to develop and promote best practices in the fields of Therapeutic Recreation and Adaptive Sports.” 

Imagine barefooting as an adaptive sport for the handicapped or a Wounded Warrior. If taught correctly by experts like Charlie and Jeff, barefooting could be a viable option and a confidence builder for anyone.

Jeff and Charlie would also love to share their knowledge and skill at barefooting with others. They feel it is important that anyone wishing to learn the sport do so safely. Says Charlie, “Just trying to step out of your water skis and barefoot is the old way of doing it and it is difficult.” There are indeed better, safer ways to learn, and Jeff and Charlie are willing to share their skill with others. If interested, you can contact Jeff for more information.

Because Charlie is a die-hard barefoot skier, you just might see him celebrating Christmas day with a run across the lake should the conditions be right. Jeff admits he is not as dedicated as to barefoot on a cold early spring or winter’s day before the ice is in or out, but he applauds Charlie’s passion for barefooting. (Jeff pursues other sports in the winter, and is an avid Alpine skier and an Alpine Patroller with the National Ski Patrol. He also works as an Outdoor Emergency Care instructor and enjoys ice hockey as well.)

Charlie, who would rather be barefooting than doing just about anything, sums it up when asked what his future might hold, “I just plan to keep doing this till I die!”

For information on barefoot skiing, contact Jeff Luby at 603-515-6178 or visit Jeff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/lubycrewmx. (There are some amazing photos of Charlie and Jeff barefooting on the page and it is worth checking out.)