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 Fresh off the plane from over a month in Australia, Keith
St. Onge has hardly any time to unpack. He has a giant stack of
mail to go through, a stack of phone messages, and the phone is ringing
off the hook with students wanting to book lessons over Spring
Break. Then, just a few days after his return, he finds out
Barefoot Central has scheduled 5 students into his school to do their
Ski School Review. No time to think. Start cleaning!!!
He knows Chuck Gleason is a stickler for cleanliness.
At 25, Keith
has a growing business, an overbooked schedule, and the pressure of being
considered the best barefooter yet to reach his potential resting on his
shoulders. Keith is the heart and sole of the US Elite Barefoot
Team. Going into the 2004 Worlds, Keith had
dominated the US Nationals and was ranked #1 in the World.
Everyone was anticipating seeing Keith claim his first World title. It's the only title left for him to claim.
Unfortunately, David Small was not willing to be knocked off his throne without a fight. Keith
watched in amazement at the 2004 Worlds as David Small posted two new World records
in Tricks and Jump. A fete that may never be seen again.
During our
recent visit to Keith's Barefoot Training Center in Tampa, Florida, we had a
chance to sit down and ask him questions about his recent
experiences, his business, his plans for 2004, and even his dating life
of all things. Hopefully, this will answer many of the questions everyone
is dying to ask him:
BFC: Keith,
it’s been nearly two months since you skied in the Elite Worlds in
Australia. What have you
been up to since then?
KSO: Well, after
the worlds I traveled throughout Australia doing clinics and also spent
a week in N.Z. with the Groen family.
When I returned after being gone for one month and a week I’ve
been in the boat everyday coaching students at Gliding Soles Barefoot
Camp. I’ve hardly touched
the water due to being totally burned out, and just needing a break.
When you go from our summer, to training during the winter, then
to the Australian summer and back in FL for Spring ski school, you need
a break badly!
BFC: When you look back on the 2004 Worlds,
what sticks out the most in your mind?
KSO: The one thing
that sticks out most in my mind was not skiing to my capability.
I was skiing perfectly before I left with the help of Jimmy
Taylor as my coach. The
other thing that kills me is if I fulfilled my game plan, it would’ve
been a much closer race between David Small and I. He still may
have beaten me either way, but I would have liked it to have been a
closer race.
BFC: Have you been skiing much since returning?
KSO: Last thing I really want to do is foot right now!
I’ll take a couple runs for my students if they ask, but
that’s only if it’s warm and calm out. What a wimp, right!
BFC: You had to be very proud leading the
US Team to a team victory while at the same time a bit disappointed
coming up short of David Small for a second time.
David’s performance was amazing to say the least.
The tricking we are witnessing this day and age is light years
ahead of where it was 5-10 years ago.
It must be very hard to keep your skiing at such a high level.
What keeps you motivated?
KSO: What keeps me motivated is my coach, Jimmy Taylor!
He has such a gung hoe attitude that he can fire me up so easily
and quickly! The other
thing that keeps me motivated is that I’ve always been competitive!
I hate to lose and one of my goals that I have had for many years
in my career is winning the World Overall title, which I will do!
I’ll be back in 2006, don’t you worry!
BFC: What did you learn from this experience that
you’ll carry into your next Worlds?
KSO: I seem to peek very quickly??
I’m still trying to figure it out but training before Worlds
will be a little different next time.
Again.
BFC: You’re known as one of the fastest wakers,
and best trickers in the world. Jumping
seems to be your Achilles heel. Do
you think you can overcome it?
KSO: I know I can overcome it, and I did while training
here in Tampa, FL. I was
jumping the best I ever had. 25m
consistently and then bam, it was like I hit a brick wall after
competing in the X-Format jump competition a week and a half before the
worlds in Australia. I will have my jumping equal to the rest of my events that
I’m strong at! I don’t
know if I can catch David’s world record though?
That’s out there, but I’ll be dammed if I won't try my
hardest!
BFC: It must be an amazing feeling knowing
you can execute every barefoot trick known to mankind.
It’s a matter of putting the right tricks together to maximize
your score in the time you have to do it.
Are you planning to change things up a bit this year?
If so, are you willing to share any thoughts with us?
KSO: I can put a
trick run together that’s over 10,000 points but it’s going to take
tricks I’ve never worked hard on before.
Multiple turns! I like multiple turns and think they’re quite easy so
you’ll be sure to see them in my runs this year!
judges
continue to pay them, I can’t wait to start doing them!
The point value changes for multiple turns has given a lot of footer the
incentive to try them. That's a good thing for this sport.
BFC: You wake over 20 consistently.
What’s the maximum you think could ever be scored in wakes,
given the perfect conditions?
KSO: Perfect
conditions, perfect wake and possibly leaving out tricks and jump for a
month might do the trick! I’d
love for MasterCraft to come out with a barefoot boat, which is in the
works, and train wakes hard behind it for a solid month.
I always leave slalom for the end of my sets just because it’s
always come so easy to me. If
I had a month to work hard on just slalom, behind the same or similar
boat, and then use the same boat at a tournament, I know I could do 21
points. Anybody want to put
up some money for a new world slalom record???
BFC: What’s going through your mind when
you’re waking so fast? Most
of us are still dreaming of breaking the 14 barrier.
Do you even have time to think?
KSO: To be honest with you, and many of the top wakers
will say the same, it actually doesn’t feel like your moving that fast
across the wake. I think
mainly because I’ve been doing it for so many years and it feels
natural to me. Sometimes I’m going backwards and I say to myself, “Man
this pass feels so slow. It’ll only be a 9 plus run.
Then you ask for your provisional scores and they tell you it’s
a 10.6 or 11 and your like, “Thank you very much, I’ll take it!”
Afterwards under your breath your saying, “You might want to
check those timers.” haha
BFC: Enough about your skiing.
How’s your ski school coming along?
KSO: I’ve seen a
lot of progress over the years and many new faces!
I kept telling myself that it was just going to take patience and
many people would come to the ski school after the word got out.
I advertised for the first time this year in Waterski and it has
proven to pay itself off so I was excited about that!
Every year has grown and I’m now finding myself trying to find
vacation time in my schedule. Every
week in May, June and July are fully booked with traveling clinics and
that was booked by the end of Jan.
I would like to thank BarefootCentral.com for the support over
the last three years, because many people found me through the Ski
School Review. I do plan on
coming out with clothing, towels, tee’s and a video in the future.
It just takes the right time in your career and patients to do
everything the right way. Or
most importantly the way you want it to be done.
BFC: We were just at your school doing our Ski
School Review. Your new
site was very impressive. The
scenery was quite nice also. What
do you think sets your school apart from all the others?
KSO: Gliding Soles Barefoot Camp has way more to offer
than any other school for the following reasons:
1.) Busch Gardens is only two miles away and can be seen from my ski
site.
2.)
The Tampa Bay Lightning play here and the St. Pete Times Forum is only a
15min. drive from the host hotel.
3.)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play here and you can always catch a game.
4.)
Clearwater and St. Petersburg Beach is only 30-40min. away depending on
traffic.
5.)
The airport is only 15min. away with no traffic and 25min. with traffic.
6.)
We have Ybor City for the 18-21 year olds and Channel Side for the 21-50
year olds.
Ybor is like a mini New Orleans and Channel Side plays
live music with an up scale atmosphere.
7.)
My ski site has the best jumping site with no doubts. Always calm with no boats 99% guaranteed.
8.)
The ski site in general has hardly any boat traffic with nearly perfect
conditions 90% of the time.
9.)
Onsite accommodations
10.)
One hour driving distance to Disney World.
11.)
Too many others to mention but a good host for having fun is always
available.
BFC: With Jason Lee about to take the big
plunge into marriage, you’ll be the last man standing.
Any serious relationships we should know about, or should we put
all the fathers on notice during your traveling clinic months?
KSO: Congratulations
to Jason Lee first of all! Well,
that question opens a large spectrum.
I don’t think you have to warn any fathers but let’s just say
that I’m single and still up for grabs!
BFC: Speaking of traveling clinics. Where are some of the places you plan to be this summer?
KSO: This is going
to take awhile. I’ll be
going to:
Austin, TX this month April 20th-23rd.
Waco,
TX May 12th-14th possibly to Dallas, TX
afterwards.
Atlanta,
GA May 20th-23rd.
Milwaukee,
WI June 1st-5th.
Atlanta,
GA June10th-12th
Flint,
MI June 14th-18th
Flint,
MI June 21-25th.
Grand
Rapids, MI June 28th-July 2nd.
Edmonton,
Canada July 5th-9th.
Worchester,
MA July 12th-16th.
Coventry,
RI July 19th-23rd.
Atlanta,
GA July 26th-27th.
Baumont,
TX July 28th-30th
Grand
Rapids, MI for the Jump Tournament sponsored by Action Water Sports on
July 31st.
Austin,
TX August 2nd-15th for a possible clinic and
Nationals.
The
last two weeks of Aug. are still in the works but plenty of phone calls,
which will book.
I’ll be quite busy to say the least!!!!!
BFC: You get to train and ski with most of the
younger skiers coming up today. Who
should we be looking out for this year?
The South Africans seem to have a couple of up and comers in
Andre de Villiers and Heinrick Sams.
Is South Africa gearing up to be the next barefoot dynasty, or is
there some other youngsters out there we should be looking for?
KSO: Obviously, all the new Jr. footers we signed
up on Team Barefoot Central will be eye catchers in the future. The South Africans will have a power house for many years to
come and that gets me a little nervous.
To be honest with you, if you look at the Jr. Standings list,
whichever Jr.’s stay involved for the next several years will all be
awesome footers! Al
Morrison, Mike Suarez, Laura Swzed and too many others to list.
BFC: I think we’ve held you over the fire
long enough; but one final question.
You always tell your students to set goals at the beginning of
each year. What goals did
you set for yourself this year?
KSO: I actually
haven’t set any goals yet, mostly because I just returned from the
Worlds and haven’t put any thought into it.
I always try to put a week aside just before the Nationals for
training since I’m on the road all summer.
It’s hard to get quality training in while traveling so much.
So, you’ll have to go to Nationals to see me foot and to see if
I reach my goal, which is quite obvious.
My goal as of now is to win the National Overall title!
BFC:
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us.
We hope to see lots of you this year.
The Barefoot Central videos of you skiing are the rage among all
the footers. We can’t
wait to watch as you step it up another notch this year.
 ALL
MY LIFE
4Meg Video of Keith Training
for 2004
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