Getting "sponsored" without being that good?

hey_dude_its_me

Active member
yea so Ive only skied for like 3 months, so Im def not good enough to make a sponsor-worthy promo. But hopefully a year from now I will have a nice one put together.

So my question is... Is there any way for me to basically work for a ski company and get hooked up with some gear. I'm not looking for a real job, just something that I can do at my home mountain.

I'm a college grad if that matters, but again I'm not looking for a "real job"
 
well, let me rephrase that then.

I don't mind doing the work. I just don't want to be in an office somewhere, and I am definetly not willing to relocate anywhere.

Working from home/on the mountain is what I'm after.
 
get a job at your local shop and then get pro form on all your gear. or start a company and then you are instantly sponsored lol
 
I find this odd. You want to get sponsored for skiing, but you don't know how the industry works. I'm not saying that everyone should know the know how, just to have the basic idea of this stuff.
 
I was trying a few years ago and it is harder than I thought. I could not do a 720 and I think that you have to be able to land a 720 pretty stomped, like a 4 point stance, on a pretty big jump. Once you can do that and then do some other tricks like backflips and other various grabs you can typically be sponserd I think.

I pretty much wanted to get some sponcers because I thought it was cool, but I realized that was for the wrong reason. You should want to be sponcered so you can wear free gear around and people will respect you because you are a pro athlete.
 
I dont know all that much but its got 2 be harder than that. According to that logic all i have to do is try a backflip the next time I go skiing and ill be good enough to be sponsored. If that were true at least a forth of ns would be sponsored.

If only
 
all you gotta do is show companies you're doing cool shit and getting your name and more importantly their product name out there. its a lot of work but its really not all that hard. helps if you're hooked up with some photographers at the hill, if you arent producing, you wont be getting any gear
 
ok, nvm I guess you gave me some decent info in your second post. Im not trying to get free gear based on my skills, at least not for a while. I am asking if there are any low level jobs that I can do to get my foot in the door with a manufacturer.
 
just learn how to get free shit. its not hard if you had a good attitude and get to know the right kinds of people.
 
You could do like Jerry Hall. Have a kid that's a pro skier. If you read his interview you see pics of him wearing next years Armada stuff.
 
How about you learn how to be a valuable resource to a number of professionals within the industry. In my experience the harder you work to not actually make your main goal "gimme gimme gimmer" then the luckier you get actually getting some gear here and there. Even the top guys who aren't pros have to fight for gear more often than not.

The Ski Industry is based on a business model, not charity. Sponsorship and flow relationships are a two way street. You get because you offer something valuable to ski, goggle, helmet, glove, pole company X to help them be successful in their business.

Or you could just try panhandle through your whole existence as a ski bum. Kind of like holding a cup on a corner with a cardboard sign though. How serious do YOU take charity cases?
 
^^^^ exactly. Here is the long version of what he said:

SPONSORSHIPS

Here is a good strategy on how to get sponsored for all those of you

who are looking. This is what has been seen to work for other people.

Before you even THINK of anything in the sponsorship world, you

have to have a plan. Companies aren't just going to see you out riding

one day and hook you up with skis because you can rip it up the park or

huck big unless you win a major competition and don't

already have sponsors.

What are your goals with sponsorship? Why do you feel you NEED a sponsor? What do you think you can do for a sponsor?

See, sponsorship is a two-way street. Many companies, rely on their

team members to provide valuable feedback on their products, and that's

where you come in. What makes you more sponsorable than anyone else?

It's always good to have goals, like competing and winning in

competitions for instance. Without goals, it will be very hard for a

sponsor to understand what it is you're looking to accomplish. You need

to show that you know what it takes to succeed. A preliminary local

event schedule is a great start.



You must also question yourself and ask why you do you want a

sponsor? If you're just looking to impress your buddies by saying

you're sponsored, forget it.
Companies don't sponsor skiers to boost

egos. If you're just looking for a deal on a pair of skis, get a job at

a shop. This will be easier. If you're looking for a partner that will

help you achieve your skiing goals by taking away some of the hassle

associated with the financial and logistical mess that skiers can find

themselves in, and you want to make a difference in the products a

company offers, keep reading, you're on the right track.



Sponsorship is not a free ride. It's a job.



You must also understand the concept of sponsorship. It should be a

commitment. When you are sponsored, you are representing a company and

all its products. When you are in public, you are generally expected to

present yourself professionally and do everything possible to make your

sponsor's products look amazing. This can be mean sometimes, just

stopping to talk to curious skiers slopeside. You have to represent

first and foremost. To get a company interested in you, a resume of

competition results and accomplishments is always a good idea.

The thing that separates one skier from another is exposure. Have

you been in films? Have you set up photo shoots with photographers?

Have you submitted your photos for posting successfully? A successful

skier not only shreds the parks and big lines, but also does so for

film. You have to get out there and make yourself known BEFORE

companies start throwing stuff at you.

Now, the actual nuts and bolts of GETTING sponsored is another

story. Before you do anything, contact the company you're considering

and ask who is in charge of sponsorship. Get the correct spelling of

their name and their position within the company. This is NOT the time

to speak to them directly. Usually the people who run the teams have

other super-important stuff to do at the company and only have limited

time each day to spend on team issues. Talking to them on the phone

will waste their time and yours.

The next step is to sell yourself. Get all your comp results

together (or just the highlights if you've been competing for a while)

along with any press clippings, TV exposure, video footage and action

shots of you and put together a written proposal. Without something in

writing delivered to a sponsor's door, your quest is hopeless. If you

just fire off a three-line email, it'll be trashed with all the other

junk. Ya, that's cold, but it's reality. Sponsorship is a big

commitment, and you have to show a team manager that you can make a

commitment. This proposal is usually the only chance you have to make a

good impression.

In your proposal, talk about what you have done in the past and

what you intend to do in the upcoming year. You must show that your

goals are attainable by supporting them with your past results, as well

as mapping out training and/or event schedules. If you sincerely think

you can do it, show what training you intend to do. To achieve this

goal, find a plan and present it, then be prepared to back it up.

Most important every step of the way though, is professionalism.

Sponsors don't only look at your results. They look at you as another

ambassador for their products. If you act like a jerk in public,

mouthing off or kicking puppies, you will not likely get sponsored.

People need to respect you, and being a jerk on a message board or out

on the trails somewhere will likely not bode well. Sponsors would

rather support the nice guy who finished third than the idiot who won.

Also, make sure every piece of written communication between you

and a potential team manager is spelled 100% correctly. Read it over

several times and have someone else check it! If a manager sees that

you can't even take the time to spell correctly, how are they going to

have confidence in you arriving to events on time, being prepared and

representing them properly? The easiest way to get a request ignored is

to write a letter asking for "sponsorship".

The key to getting sponsorship is marketing. What have you done

that makes you a more vital candidate than someone else? Approach it

like a job interview. There are hundreds of people looking for the

sponsorship hookup. What makes you better than them? Sell yourself.

Also, don't get bummed if you don't get the hookup first year.

Sponsorship is something you work toward, and it usually takes time to

build your rep.
 
getting "sponsored" with out being that good? hope your jaw muscles are in good shape and you don't have a gag reflex...
 
I honestly think some of you just read the title and nothing else which seems to be typical on this site. A bunch of teenagers ranting about shit that has nothing to with what I was asking.
 
Poli Sci haha a bullshit degree from a party school, but after college I passed the Series 7 and recently left my job as a day trader in nyc. (to all you haters this means I don't NEED free shit I was just asking a simple question, I'm not trying to make skiing my life just trying to save money so that I don't have to go back to work for the next couple of years)

I was also a retail representative for a food brockerage all throughout college.
 
AGAIN, I never said "free" seriously you live in fucking new hapshire I know theres nothing to do there you could at least take the time to read before posting.

 
I think getting sponsored shouldn't be a thing you force to happen. I say go out there ski and have a shit load of fun while doing it, and if your good enough then hell get sponsored!
 
baahha

this thread reminds of the thread darrel posted about a month ago where all he did was a shitty back flip which he hardly landed
 
god I wish I could remove "sponsored" from the title, I only put it in there to show my desire to attain a low level JOB that would get me some gear rather than a more serious salaried position.

Thanks to those who helped me out with some good info, I am over this thread.
 
Easy steps:

First of all, don't even worry about how you look down there — with your mouth

on his dick, you're the most beautiful woman in the world (even if you

think you look like a spastic jackhammer). Second, communicate (the Em and Lo

answer to everything). Ask him to tell you what he likes and what he doesn't

like — before, during and after. Once you've got those bases covered, you can

focus on the nitty gritty, as follows:

1. Initiate. You're already "a head" of the game if you make the first

move. Don't always wait for him to ask, or worse, try to push your head down

there. (In fact, if he does that, slap his hand away and firmly inform him your

ears are not a steering wheel.)

2. Start slowly. Don't act like you've been starving on a desert island

for weeks and a big juicy sausage suddenly washes ashore. (Did you catch that

scene in Cast Away?) Lick the glans (head), lick the frenulum (the strip

of skin beneath the glans on the underside), lick the testes (balls), lick the

inner thighs (inner thighs). Take your time, breathe and be a tease.

4. Your kisser. Some people prefer lips tight over the teeth, others

like lips looser and softer against the shaft. Either way, no need to become

a high-powered vacuum cleaner. Your sucking function should be on "off," "low"

or "medium." And don't forget to make the most of your tongue!

3. Saliva. And lots of it. Don't be afraid to get wet and messy — it's

more fun for everyone that way, not to mention easier. [Bear

says: eiiiwwww. Slippery is good, sloppy is not. Unless you make it part of

the fun ]


4. Hands. It's not cheating to give yourself a helping hand or two. There's

no need to deep throat all the time — if at all — if you use your hand as an

extension of your mouth. If you want to get tricky, follow the motion of your

mouth with your hand upwards and when you get to the top, slide your index finger

over one side and then go back down (so his ding-dong is between your index

and middle fingers) with your mouth immediately following. Repeat as necessary.

For even more advanced play, try twisting both your hand and head as you go

up and down — we're not talking Indian burns here, just a gentle shifting from

left to right on the way down, and then back again on the way up.

5. Bonuses. During the BJ, try tickling his balls, gently pushing on

the perineum (the area between the balls and the anus, a.k.a. the "taint"),

inserting a finger — sans long fingernail — up his bum a bit, or even rubbing

his tummy. We think you'll get real bonus points if you can occasionally make

eye contact (although, according to one editor here, "that's creepy!"). So just

go with the flow.

6. Step on the gas. Gradually speed up until you've reached a comfortable

rhythm that both you and he like. At this point, it's okay to treat him like

that desert island sausage. When all verbal and physical signs from him suggest

that the cliff's edge is fast approaching, don't slow down and don't make any

drastic changes in motion. Keep going, you're doing great, and soon you'll get

to . . .

7. The Big O. The grand finale is completely up to you. Whether you spit,

swallow or finish him off with your hand, it's still a blow job. If you opt

for a re-enactment of Old Faithful, just be sure to have him warn you just before

he's gonna blow. In fact, even if you plan on getting a protein blast, it's

still nice to know when it's about to be served.

8. Stop. Once he comes, slow it down and/or stop — in our experience,

it hurts if you don't (though some readers have said that post-O play is the

best part).

Above all else, do it with love. Giving him pleasure will give you pleasure.

And knowing you're getting pleasure will give him even more pleasure.

And then everyone will be pleased. Now, go blow him away!
 
She's right, those steps are the best. In the ski industry, you are going to have to suck dick to get places.

Happy hunting
 
ok this is getting sad.

you want a low level job? do what most people in the industry do. go work in a ski shop and prove yourself to the sales reps. if they think you have what it takes they will either A)pick you up as a tech rep or B)recomend you as a sales rep.

if you have limited or no industry knowledge you're basically screwed. no one wants people working for them that doesn't have any idea of "what's up" in the business. remember, if you're working for a company in the "field" since you mentioned you don't want to do the office thing, you are going to be talking with the shop guys who know a lot more about what's going on. i've dealt with reps that have no idea about their team riders, movies they've sponsored etc... and to be honest, they lose all credibility right there. oh yeah, you'll probably be talking to the sales staff in stores more than the buyer for the store. i work more on the bike side of things and i go in and shoot the proverbial shit with a store's sales staff. if they think you know nothing about what's going on, your product won't sell.

 
on some rare occasions there are some people that are sponsored and not that good. there are a couple guys at my home mtn that are sponsored and they dont compete at all and arent too good. theyre sponsored though because theyre respected by everyone at our home mtn and theyre just doing their own thing and starting new trends here. so i guess as long as if youre unique and stick out in a cool way you have a chance of getting sponsored. of course youll have to be at decent at least too.
 
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