Replying to What's the hype about being sponsored?

I'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?