Sent: September 1, 2000 9:43 AM

Randy McEachen wrote "Good Morning.

Suggestions, I have been footing off the boom for about two months and am very comfortable one footing right and left and can jump out of the water and land them. I continually practice going from side to side and riding on my back. I went to the rope on the boom this weekend and made it up first time. I have been there three times since. I am considering going to long line soon. I am 6'4" 245 and would like to know what suggestions you have.

What differences am I going to expect. Thank you. "

Well there, my barefooting compadre, if you are in a similar situation to Randy, I have some good news for you! I never tell a person that behind the boat is more difficult than on the boom because it simply is not true if you have the good form that I have been teaching everyone in this newsletter. This would more specifically be; a good Three Point Position, a good Butt Glide, and of course Posture and Glide (if this sounds foreign to you, order the best barefoot instructional video in the world ).

The good news is that if your career as a Jockey was shot down because you weigh more than 89 pounds, then you will find barefooting behind the boat more cop esthetic!

I find that most people find skiing behind the boat actually easier than on the boom especially if they are tall or heavier than 200lbs. This is because the five foot rope on a boom tends to penalize bigger dudes or dudettes because they are actually longer than the rope and thus uncomfortable on some level whether they realize it or not. It is for this reason that I suggest using a 2 foot extension along with the 5 foot rope when practicing on the boom. This will allow you to raise the boom higher to keep the speeds slower. I love this because it is safer and more like skiing behind the boat if you use a tower like I use or a Fly High.

The drawbacks are that if you use an inboard with a lot of chine spray (side spray) then this might put you into the spray at slower speeds. If you have a boom extension, then you should be O.K!

But, I digress. You wanted to know what differences should you expect. Here is a list of differences.

#1 If you go directly behind the boat (not recommended) then you will find the turbulence from the boat to be very different from the calm water off of the boom.

#2 You will find that if you drive properly, then you must be more patient behind the boat as things tend to feel slower (i.e. they take longer to complete). If you keep the same timing of your three point plant from the boom, you might be surprised to find that the speeds do not feel right.

#3 If you are not using a Fly High, You will probably feel like the rope is lower and a bit more in your way.

#4 When you get up, you will feel much more like eating raw meat from an animal that you hunted down with your bare hands! You are now a King! You have experienced a wonderful miracle!

What I suggest:

#1 Good Butt Glide, Three-Point Position, Posture and Glide developed on the boom.

#2 A good fit BAREFOOT suit and PADDED shorts.

#3 Get outside the wake next to the trick curl either by boat driving or by learning to "cheek" outside. This is best done at a Butt Glide speeds of around 25-30 depending on how far away from "Jockey weight" you are. Big dudes over 200lbs stay around 30mph and gently learn towards the direction you want to go without letting the handle out of your hip or bending knees. Keep legs straight and knees together.

#4 If you cannot get out of the wake it is not a problem, but I recommend a 100 foot rope so that the turbulence is not a problem.

#5 Keep boat speed around Butt Glide speed until Three Point Position is perfected behind boat. Do not get lured into making the jump to light speed the minute your feet hit the water. If you cannot do a Three Point Position with minimal spray, fix this first by getting your feet wider and closer to your butt, and by keeping your knees touching!

#6 NEVER plant your feet if you are not ultra-comfortable in your Butt glide position. You should be able to see the boat and feel very comfortable in this position. Breathing is very helpful as all your muscles will thank you for the fuel!

#7 Get a plan. Dry land practice, use video analyses so you can learn from your mistakes, and definitely use the best instructional video on the planet.

#8 You might be wondering why I am not pushing Puppy Paws so far. It is not my first choice when teaching someone like Randy, but that is not to say I do not recommend this. Depending on how you do, it could play a significant role!

Ski safely and DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!