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| Pro Instructor | Mike Frankenbush | ||
| Assistant Instructors | none | ||
| Pro Shop Assistants | Mike refers students to Tommy's Surf and Ski Shop | ||
| Max ski time with Pro | 100% | ||
| Other specialties | Recreational Wakeboard, Kneeboard, and Slalom | ||
| 2002 Rating | 2004 Rating | 2009 Rating | |
| 1. Upfront Interaction with Pro |
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| Mike works alone and answers the phone himself. He was patient in answering our questions and didn’t act rushed to get off the phone. He asked us if we needed help on finding a place to stay and recommended near-by hotels. | |||
| 2. Stresses Safety |
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| Mike operated his boat in a safe manner, but gave no upfront speech about it. He was very concerned about making sure we were not standing as we idled under low bridges. He also seemed to be very aware of where we were sitting while each student was on the boom, assuring each student had proper boom height. | |||
| 3. Warm up Routine |
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| Mike does not have a pre-scripted stretch routine. He did ask us to take the first rn on the water as a warm up so he could watch our form. We'd like to see Mike institute a set warm-up routine that he would have students do on the shore before getting into the boat, similar to the other schools. Since he has not instituted this, at least for barefoot waterskiers, we have reduced his rating this year. | |||
| 4. Pro Enthusiasm |
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| Mike is very encouraging and gets excited about seeing his students learn new tricks. He has a very mellow, but upbeat personality. He is very positive and re-assuring in his approach to teaching. You won't find any egos to content with. | |||
| 5. Availability of smooth Water |
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| Mike skies on man-made canals that run throughout the Florida coast. He uses an East West and a North South canal depending on the wind direction. You will not find any better water anywhere on the planet. If we could score it a 10 we would. | |||
| 6. Teaching Technique |
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| Mike is very encouraging. Between each run he discusses what you need to do differently. He often climbs onto the motor cover to demonstrate proper form to you while you are in the water between runs. Mike is persistent and really wants you to be successful. He looks at each student as an individual and works with your style accordingly. It's as if he's trying to find the trick technique that fits best with each student. He is very easy to talk to and non-threatening. | |||
| 7. Does pro ski for you | |
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| When asked if he skies for his students, he replied "Sometimes, if he knows and trusts one of his students to drive the boat." Mike did agree to ski for us, but he had not brought his suit, so he borrowed one of ours and skied on shoe skis only. He's very smooth and light on the water. | |||
| 8. Informative on phone | |
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| Mike handles the scheduling himself on the phone. He was prompt to return our calls and was very helpful giving us driving instructions on where to meet him. He asked us to call him a week before our ski date to re-confirm. He is the only teacher that called a couple days before to follow up on our appointment. | |||
| 9. Food |
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| Students are on their own for lunch. Mike also did not offer drinks to students. We'd like to see Mike include a lunch program or at least offer students refreshments and snacks while in the boat. His pricing is comparable to other schools that include lunch. Special note: There are plenty of local cafe's that you can choose from to eat. Just remember to bring your wallet on the boat. | |||
| 10. Pro Shop |
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| Mike has no pro shop. He now sells Barefoot International gear on his website. | |||
| 11. Boat Cleanliness |
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| Mike uses a Barefoot Sanger. The boat was in good condition, but was not as clean as the most anal retentive boat owners would like, but perfectly acceptable. Equipment was stored very neatly and out of the way. | |||
| 12. Web Site |
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| Mike has a very professional and and informative site. It serves the purpose of advertising his business, answers the most common questions, and gives you contact information, hotel info, and some cool videos to watch. | |||
| 13. Was the instructor on time |
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| Mike was very punctual and even called us to make sure we were not lost. | |||
| 14. Time management on the water |
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| We had 5 skiers and we each got one long set before lunch. We all agreed that we got plenty of skiing and were very satisfied with the routine. | |||
| 15. Wake on Boat |
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| All the boat manufactures are trying their best to copy the Sanger wake. It doesn't get any better. If you are working wakes, this is the place to be. | |||
| 16. Does the Pro mention their sponsors |
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| Mike is not sponsored by any particular manufacturer, but he does promote Barefoot International and really promotes their shoe skis and the BFC Extreme Footers. | |||
17. Does the school carry the right type and amount of Ski School Insurance |
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$1million in coverage for accidents on water. All skiers are required to sign a liability waiver prior to skiing. |
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| Total Possible Points | 75 | 80 | 80 |
| Total Points Received | 50.5 | 62.5 | 65.5 |
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Overall Rating |
 
(3.33) |
(3.91) |
(3.853) |
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Mike's business has gone pretty much unchanged for the last several years. The good news is his service has not slipped, his water is still the best, and his boat is still a Sanger DXII. We continue to hear good things from students who attend his school. If you haven't footed in the canals in West Palm, you should make a point to do it. Mike can easily raise his scores by making some simple process changes such as providing drinks & snacks for students, or lunch. Mike's biggest plusses include his boat, location near beaches and super long smooth runs. You won't be disappointed. |
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