What's the hype about being sponsored?

-DanBeing sponsored is a way to think you are cool and brag to your friends. Which is inherently uncool therefore making having sponsors wack.

Unless I would buy a companies gear you won't catch me repping it. Sending out "sponsor me" emails is so weak. At this point I've read through dozens of them and unless I already recognize your name then I'm not gonna take the time to look at the edit. So with that in mind don't bother sending one out, brands will come to you if it's clear you aren't getting gear for free already.

-DanSo with that in mind don't bother sending one out, brands will come to you if it's clear you aren't getting gear for free already.

klutchedI myself definitely don't post "I need a sponsor" threads but I admittedly do have aspirations to get sponsored, and from my perspective it would be nice to get that sort of recognition for all the hard work I put in and to rep a brand and build a relationship with it. That being said I wouldn't take on a sponsor if I wasn't stoked on their product, but just because I don't buy certain brands now doesn't mean I don't like their product, I'm just focused on getting cheap stuff because thats all I can afford. It would also be nice to know that if I break a pair of skis I could get them replaced and not be out $300 in the middle of a season. And finally (and trust me I know this sounds cocky) it does get slightly annoying watching sponsored skiers try and fail at tricks that you could do probably first or second try, and having other sponsored skiers and lots of people you know constantly ask you "how are you not sponsored yet?!"

ahillI've seen quite a few threads of recently along the the lines of 'how do I get sponsored?' and 'who sponsors?' and the always classic 'I am _ years old, am I good enough to be sponsored?' But my question is WHY do you want to be sponsored? Do you want discounts or free gear? There's plenty of other ways to do that by getting involved in the industry. Work at a resort/shop, join a club, go to movie premiers, enter comps, etc. For as much as I love skiing, I always want it to be a past time and hobby, and not a job. I don't want the added responsibilities to skiing that comes with a job. I'm just out to have a good ole time.

Thoughts?

theabortionatorLast but not least the holy grail



7, get an orange name on NS and forever be a god

FredyFerlDan, as much as I agree with the rest of your post, sponsors coming out to you is not true. From all the people I know, no one was approached by a company first and got sponsored, and I'd say it's due to two things. First off, a lot of local reps don't know much about park skiing, and that's usually how you get started. In Qc for example, they're pretty much all 40 years old who think they're cool cause they work for a ski company. And they won't watch skiing videos unless they're sent to them. They won't go on and search for who they could sponsor, they'll just scroll through their inbox or ask a shop for someone to sponsor.

Second of all, the skier has to do his part. Sending sponsorship email to info@ ... .com doesn't work 99% of the time, but there's other ways to reach out, and they pretty much all involve sending a sponsor me email at some point.

Having sponsors just to brag and when you're not even stoked on the brand is kookish. But when you're in Jon's situation, it can be really helpful, and putting a ton of effort and not getting any sort of recognition besides positive comments can be really harsh at times. And I'm sure Jon's doing it for the love, cause he would have quit a long time ago if all he cared about was getting sponsored. When you're in his situation, free gear can help more than you think, it gives that little confidence boost, and you don't have to worry on taking out 300$ because your skis just broke.

Hugh_Conway_jrShred for your self not the man.

freestyler540When I was a kid, Sponsorship was the way of making a living skiing and being a fucking rad rockstar. I got to do what I always wanted to do and be famous doing it. That was being a pro rider was.

In my bump race times, a sponsorship supported me to perform well and help me win. So I tried organizing fundraisers, sell baked goods and made ski movies and put them on vhs. I made no money and time was running out.

At college, I was winning small park contests and made some connections. I started drawing a crowd in the park at night and still no one noticed.If I could afford the gas, Id be up there every night practicing and hoping something could happen.

After college, I have a super well paying gig. I get my winters off and I moved to the kootenays to ski everyday. There is no pressure and I make enough to travel with my buddies anywhere we wanted.

So conclusion, If you cant make the right contacts to get into the industry; make skiing the center of your existence and find a way to ski possible while making it sustainable. Its just another path...

sorry for the story