“THE JAMIE BEAUCHESNE INNERVIEW”
Jamie, 01/19/2004
Who coached you to your current style?
I have always had a more compressed style, but skiing around Terry Winter, and guys like Tom Muir in college made me more aware of what style is! Hanging around Mike Champion! Champ is the sickest! He opened my eyes! Chris Rossi and I pondered tons of new ideas. Marcus Brown patiently engrained sense of all the elements.
Who are your sponsors?
Connelly skis, Tige boats, Carrerra sunglasses.
What importance have your parents been in your skiing success?
My parents still drive and observe every ski set in the summer. If it wasn't for their dedication to my skiing over the years, I don't know if I'd still be skiing.
What changes do you feel are necessary for water-skiing to grow?
I think myself and all skiers work so hard to ski and juggle skiing in our lifestyles, that we as skiers have a hard time promoting our sport. I think water-ski events should be advertised more heavily, for the TV air times. Why not promote what we've got harder and in new areas than before. Revamp water-ski rope length confusion, advertise the slalom concept to the public, more water-ski site development, marine patrol relations and make skiing on two skis cooler for the beginner. But pumping what we've got and working together to do so is the key.
Where would you like to see water-skiing 5 years from now?
More cable parks and ski communities, more ski sites. I would like to see waterskiing in more places, advertised more.
What do you think the World Record will be 10 years from now?
Without modifying the buoy design or start gate entrance rules, I wouldn't be surprised to see the record stay within 3-4 buoys. But with new technology, who knows.
Which do you like more, snow or water skiing?
Depends which one I'm doing!
How often do you snow ski?
I try to ski every day for 4 months straight, 80-120 days. If I didn't water-ski
I'd snow ski 200 days per year.
When you snow ski, what are you thinking about?
I think about trying to lead my skis with my center of mass. I work a lot on edge-changing while un-weighting with my legs, allowing my skis to go out from underneath me and swing wide into the next turn. But I make a zillion turns not six.
How does your snow ski training affect your water ski training?
They blend well; the mindset change is the biggest refresher. If I bust some weights and climb indoors while snow skiing I'll be psyched.
Can you walk us through your thought patterns as you come out of the water approaching the 55 meter buoys till the time you drop at the other end of the lake on a typical 39 off pass?
I focus on good rhythm with my load pulling out and coming thru the gates. I
maintain this rhythm thru out the course. I think before I ski and be positive and clear minded. Maybe using one key word/thought to spark myself.
You talk about "center of mass", "base of support" and other snow ski terminology. Please explain to us what the terminology means and its importance to skiing great.
Allowing your body’s core to lead the ski or skis thru carved turns is a great feeling. Snow skiers understand speed well! I think that if we understand what is happening underneath us, at all times, we will become sick skiers. Feel the pressure created on the ski when your center of mass is to the inside of a carved turn, without pushing with your legs, just angulating with your knees hips a little. Understand that rotating has it's time and place. I think that if I look across my tips, I loose my hips. Ideally I try to rotate to help enter my hips into new turns, nothing to do with the finish if everything is in rhythm.
What do you feel is the most important thing to do to run 41 off consistently?
Understanding how to get rhythm early. Running 41 consistently is a strict
lifestyle and ski understanding that I hope to master!
What changes do you see necessary in bindings, skis, boats, etc.?
I would like to see the gates revamped. A turn buoy like a zero buoy inside a bit of the 2-4-6 lineup, to turn around as a gate instead of going thru two flappers. The scores would be higher and skiing would evolve because we could start the course with proper rhythm and technique, rather than being stressed about making the flappers.
What kind and size of ski are you on and why?
67" in Connelly F1. The 67 allows me to keep more ski in the water. I might have to work a bit harder than a 68, but I like having a deep edge in the water. The Connelly I can trust is going to keep its true flex, torsion, and durability. I travel with my ski and trust it 100% going into major tournaments. The ski allows me to ski with a lot of speed across the course and has a large balance point to stand on. Connelly has been 100% supportive with all my ideas and has supported me thru 41 off!
What kind of bindings are you using and why?
I use the Fogman releasable double hard-shell bindings. I ran 39 for the first time in rubbers? 41 was more fun.
I understand you elevate your bindings like snow skiers do. How much do you elevate them and why?
I've tried a lot of binding stuff, I currently use only a thin 1/4 in. shim under my rear heal. It gives me better balance! The lifts under my feet gave me more leverage I thought, but I can shift my body to do the same.
What fin are you using?
A round one! I feel it has a later load than the AMF (Andy Mapple Fin shape from years back) style shape!??
What are your fin dimensions?
About 2.528 deep, 6.7575 long and .79 from the tail of the ski?
Do you use a wing?
Yes, at 9 degrees.
What kind and what angle?
I currently use Connelly’s fin and wing and plan on doing the same for the 2004 tournament season.
Wing up or wing down?
Wing blade down. Upside down
Do you work on the edges of your ski?
No, Connelly does that.
When did you start doing the one hand gate and why?
2nd event in 2001, I got 3rd at the first event and second at the second. I started understanding more about speed and the whole pendulum deal.
What advantage do you see the one hand gate has over the more traditional gate?
It gives me a much earlier approach into the first turn!
At the Worlds, you had time wasting slack as you rounded number one. What caused this?
I pulled out too early, lost my water speed and had too much speed into
and not across. I finished my 1 ball turn too early and had a loose line. I should have chilled in the tail wind and pulled out 10-20 feet later!
When I was skiing with you at Chris Rossi's place, you had a waterproof, really expensive video camera that you were using in the lake to film skiers. Are you planning on selling a video?
I have a lot of footage and should have a video out by early 2004 featuring myself and Terry Winter.
Thank You Jamie!
Schnitz!
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