Replying to Getting people sponsored/Photography published

Alright so I'm finally buying a camera after about a year of using someone else's. People I ski with know I'm into photography and want me to take pictures of them. A lot of these kids are damn good and have sponsors so there are going to be great opportunities to get a lot of quality pictures. I've been talking to them and they think it would be dope of I could send pictures into different companies to try to get them sponsors. If any of you guys have info on the steps of this process and how hard it is etc. it would be appreciated. Additionally, I would like to know any places where I could get my skiing photography published and just kind of out there.