Alright here we go, even though I smell troll:
1. Tom Wallisch is ALREADY FAMOUS!!!!!
Not really, he is treated as a demigod on this website, and only really by the main set of users. While there may be 100,000+ accounts, I would estimate the actual number of members to be in the 20,000-40,000 range, maybe less. Even in the skiing world that is relatively unknown. Outside of this population he remains relatively unknown.
2. Selling out to a corporate product that has no involvement of our sport of freeskiing, will not bring more coverage, better public opinion or progression in any way. It will not bring the MTV watching youth of today to be actively involved in or support our industry. Nor should we want it to!
If the company choses to spend money promoting their product with skiers on MTV, it will help bring the 'MTV watching youth of today' into skiing. This is also a good thing that we should indorse and encourage. The market you speak of is quite large and also tends to have very poor financial sense, resulting in them spending a lot of money. If skiing can get some of this money that is great. The ski industry is in a pretty tough situation right now and could use all the money it can get. With out an influx of money into the Industry you will start to see brands disappear faster. Sales overall were down a ton this last year.
3. Is every skier now supposed to go buy this shit because one of our beloved pros won (ie. was paid as a marketing scheme) to endorse this product.
Yes, I am sure that is what the company is hoping will happen, you can chose to if you want to, or don't if you don't want to. You nor anyone else is supposed to do anything other then pay your taxes, reproduce, and die. Those are the only things people are 'supposed' to do, everything else is optional.
4. We face a horrible future if we market or endorse products that do not directly support, have a stake or believe in the vision of what we do and only see it as a money making oppurtunity. This will only lead to the destruction of what has thus been built.
First off, nice use of the word thus, really makes it sounds like the future distraction has built it. Oh wait. Anyway, I am not sure how money flowing from other industries into the ski industry will lead to its distraction. They also decidedly do have a stake in the ski industry, each penny they spend on a skier, or sponsoring an event is a stake they have in the ski industry. For the most part the only future that endorsing products leads to is one involving a fatter wallet. The reason I say most part is that there is a Saudi man who may be facing the death penalty for endorsing sex toys.
And while we are on the subject of companies who see skiing as a money making opportunity, I hope you are aware that that is exactly what every company involved in skiing sees it as. Everyone from the small guys like PMgear, bluehouse and ON3P to the big guys like Salomon, K2, and Rossignol. They support skiing because in turn the ski industry then supports them, hopefully with an over all cash flow in their favor.
5. Now some may argue that any money brought forward to support our sport should be welcomed. But it is ridiculous to think that this is relevant to our needs. "Target" is another example of outsiders infiltrating to make a buck! Do any of you actually shop there for your on mountain needs? Or is it just to plant a seed so when you need to buy some product of modern living you will see them favourably over the local mom and pop store coz one of your idols rocks their logo?
What the fuck are we gonna do without money? Were you listening to Mr. Lennon's music when you wrote this you hippie communist? What exactly are 'our needs?' Mine include a roof, food and clothing. All of which cost me money. If you want to define 'our needs' to be what is necessary to keep skiing, I will then argue again that all of it, other then snow, costs money, and an argument can be made that snow does indeed cost money.
No, I don't shop at Target for my 'on mountain needs' because they don't sell much involving my 'on mountain needs.' I do however, shop there for clothing, electronics, and food. I do it because it is inexpensive and I don't give a rats ass about the living conditions of kids in South East Asia. And again, yes, I think it is safe to assume that Target is 'infiltrating' the ski industry (by putting money into it?) with the goal that skiers will chose target over other options like Fred Meyer, Walmart, or Costco. Its not just big bad corporations against mom an' pop, its big bad corporation against other big bad corporation too, if not more so. Generally the crowd that shops @ mom an' pop's is unlikely to be persuaded to shop at one of the above mentioned stores.
6.Quote:- It’s sort of ironic that Tom skis away as the grand prize winner, because he was already a pretty famous athlete,” says Danny Spyra, BNQT Marketing / Project Manager. It is more sort of moronic that you would use a competition of this nature and not award the young aspiring athlete looking to make a name for themselves rather than line the pockets of an existing pro with $20,000. Also BNQT purely exists as a middleman for the corporations to sell us shit! They are only involved with action sports that are currently "cool" or mainstream.
Not sure what you point with this is. But I will bite anyway. It makes a ton of sense for them to chose someone who already has a supportive audience. In the world outside of your fantasy land the point of sponsorships is not so much to support the sponsored as the sponsor. The goal is that the sponsorship will result in more money going to the sponsor then the sponsor spends on the sponsored. The whole point of this competition was to help sell product, even if they said it was to "promote an unknown athlete."
There are plenty of companies that are 'middle men' and while they do exist to make money, (just like every other for-profit company) they also serve a purpose that is helpful for society. That purpose is actually to make small business profitable. The middle man, by supplying a set of smaller stores is able to buy in bulk quantities from the manufacture, that the stores on their own would not, and secure a lower price, which then works out saving the 'mom an' pop' stores money in the long run, even after the middle man takes a cut.
7. T_WALL hates central american kids!! Lastly if you think I am over reacting there is an article you can find about Henkel corporation. Manufacturer of Coast body wash and partner of H.B Fuller co. that shows they resist tighter controls or changes to their adhesives as street children in Guatemala city sniff there glue for the hallucinogenic properties. It is psycollogically addictive and causes great harm amongst their communities.
Aside from the fact that Mr. Wallisch's personal beliefs have little to do with skiing as a whole, I would say it is unfair to make that assumption. Also when you say there is an article about something it is best to post a link to said article. And I am sure that the company Henkel resists controls and regulation on their product because it keeps costs down, not so that it can be stolen and then sniffed. If they were forced to change their ingredients chances are the product would drop in quality, and they would have to spend more on R&D as well as changing the manufacturing set up.
I also fail to see the connection between body wash and glue, but that may just be my lack of knowledge of body wash. The idea of rubbing glue over my body does not appeal to me personally.
Now if you have read thus far you will notice that I am extremely critical on this issue. I only feel so strongly because I forsee our own downfall if this continues. As soon as the hype dies down in a year or two as we are on the end of this CYCLE of attention, we will be left to fend for ourselves. So I am a purist and see the need to create our own Empire of legit and Skier owned companies. This will ensure the longevity and growth of what we all love to do which is ski. Which as far as im concerned can and will NOT be bought.
begin comments.
Why yes, I did happen to notice that you are extremely critical on this issue, I also noticed that you are extremely dimwitted and ignorant on this issue.
If the hype dies down in a year or two we should try and get all we can out of that year or two shouldn't we? Its not like skiing loses anything when Target or Coast sponsors a skier or event, other then black instead of red ink.
Yes you do appear to be a purist, other purists that come to mind are members of the Taliban. But I don't look to them for my moral guidance either.
So after all this bitching about corporations and all their evil you want to go and create an empire?Also neither Target nor Coast are competing with any skier owned companies I can think of, they are in different industries.
The longevity and growth of skiing can and is being bought. It always has been bought. Every time you buy a pair of skis or a season pass you are buying it. The more money that is placed into the ski industry the longer it will exist and the more it will grow. It will stop growing when money stops flowing into it, and will no longer exist when it runs out of money. By nature skiing is very dependent on the ski industry. all of the things that make skiing safe and fun are dependent on the ski industry (other then hw avalanche control, and transportation to the snow, although the ski industry affects them too).
