If I'm not rich, not sponsored, how do I rapidly progress at comps?

JonLang

JonLang

Member
I'm tryin as hard as I can, but being a college student who has to work as well, it makes it kinda hard to do the things i love all the time. I need a new set up and that is $1100, plus a $700 season pass, then it starts to come together, except for the money it costs to travel to compete. Did all the pros right now come from loaded families? All I wanna do is ski.
 
You're in college, you should be smart enough to figure this one out yourself.

Do you NEED a new set-up? Or will your '04 or '05 skis be fine for another season? Is your outerwear chewed up or ripped or can you ride in it another season? You're a college student so your pass should be discounted heavily. A college ski club gets an even bigger discount. The more local comps you enter the more experience you'll get.

Life isn't about doing the things you love all the time, it's making the most out of the time you can, and trying to maximize your ability to do so. So you can't ski EVERYDAY, but don't drop over a grand on ski gear because you want new stuff, that will let you ski, travel, buy more passes, and overall, enter more comps.
 
I'm sure there are some exceptions with the pros, but yeah It definitely takes money to be able to live that lifestyle (especially in the beginning of your career). It seems before these skiers start getting paid, they are already living the lifestyle of if they were.
 
well win local comps and get local stores to sponsor you. after that you wont need all that money. and i dont know why this is but now that im in college it seems like i have more money than ever before. is that weird?
 
you probably dont need the new setup..and college passes can be a lot cheaper than 700- i had a free pass freshman year, and a 250 dollar pass soph.yr at, just because my college had a good program/relationship w/ mt

this year my college pass costs 695, so i am hoping to get a night job at mt for free pass

if you need gear, you might want to get used stuff..it might not look as good as other people's or be brand new, but if you are after getting better at skiing, then most stuff should work just as well

so even if you get the 700 pass, but stick with old gear or get used gear, you'll have lots of extra cash for gas and comp fees
 
man 1100 is allot for a new set-up, shop around and get to know shop owners you can get allot better deals than that.

And buy last years models maybe
 
the other thing you can do if you really need a new set up is buy left overs. You can get last years invaders and fugatives for under 300 bucks from a few places... you can get a huge number of last years skis for well under 400... you can pick up a set of px12s for as low as 100 bucks in some places... and if you need a burlier binding than that there is usually some deadbolts or p18s or fks or something like that for sale in the equipment section for fairly cheap money... you could get a nice new setup for 4 or 5 hundred bucks easy. it will be all new stuff... just last years. 1100 is a lot of money for a set up. you can do better if you shop around and are smart about it.
 
if you're in college, not sponsored but still think you have a chance at making it, don't buy new gear. If you're good you'll get picked up soon enough then all that money you just spent on gear was wasted
 
Exactly. If you think you have a chance at being sponsored, don't get all that new gear.

On the other hand, if you don't believe you are good enough, still, re-consider. Many people have a warped definition of the word 'need'. A lot of people use it like the word 'want'. Figure it out. Maybe your jacket will still last another season... that might take a hundred or so off that $1100 of yours. Skis trashed but bindings still okay? Don't get new skis + bindings... use the old bindings on the new skis.

It's hard to give up on something you really want (or as some say, 'need'), but just keep thinking about what you want and what you need.
 
you need to stop that bitchin and sack up.

I am not a rich kid. and I am in college, for the last 4 years, finishing a business minor. and I have paid for all my school except for the first semester. and I have been able to ski every season more then 100 days, except the last one becuase I blew my knee. its call a job dude. I work two jobs, one for a law firm, and another at a ski resort, therefore I get one FREE pass from alta, and I bought a student discount one from brighton a couple weeks ago. it was only $429 for unlimited riding, day and night.

u just gotta work for it. if I can ski, work two jobs, and go to school full time, u can do it too fool, say in school!
 
definitely, local shops will sponsor u and give u deals then even bigger companies will see u at bigger comps and so on and so on.......its a lot like a ladder dude
 
allot of pro's have whealthy parents, and if your parents still ride chances are theyre well off, skiing isnt cheap. But you need skills to win comps not rich parents.
 
You work your ass off in the summer for what you love to do in the winter. I worked two jobs this summer to pay for what I love, and I'll be continuing them on top of school this fall.
 
Also, reading your title again, it sounds like you think you 'need' new gear to progress. You don't. Sure, some lighter skis might help, but if you progress on your old skis, and then get sponsored and get spanking new skis, you'll be able to go even further on them.

 
you get a pass use your old stuff learn some cool tricks, get sponsored, and then not pay for anything ever again and then go to comps and win them and get more sponsors
 
Money managament kiddo's, its tough for some. I personally have no issues holding off to buy stuff, or just not buy at all. I always say to myself,

NEED

WANT

HAVE

Do I NEED it?

Do I WANT it?

Do I HAVE it already, or what I HAVE will still work?
 
It sucks, but yes most pros came from rich families. There are a few exceptions and they had to literally give up a higher education and devote all their time to skiing. Being in college won't help you much either. If you want to be as good as you can, you have to focus 100 percent on skiing. So unless it's your dream to be a pro, don't even worry about it. Just enjoy what you are doing.
 
there are plenty of pro skiers in college dude, they just study in the fall and summer if anything and take winter off.

and if being pro is that important to you, then you are skiing for the wrong reasons.
 
I agree you can get way better deals on a set up, look at sac a lot, get a job at a shop so you can get proform.... whatever.

As for passes, all you people who say $700 is a lot, I'm in college and passes are costing me $900, it depends on where you are.

As for being a pro and getting good at comps, just go balls to the wall and try crazy shit, odds are you'll either make it or get hurt and have to wait another year.
 
You don't need to be rich just smart! Sell things that you don't use that much on www.craigslist.org or ebay. And most of the pros didn't come from loaded families, they came from the average middle class family. Also, most pros raced before they got into freestyle.
 
seriously you are spending way too much,

bindings - find an old pair of race skis with look p18s (the binding really hasn't changed too much)

skis - ebay, SAC, ski swaps, their are plently of places that will sell a brand new ski for less than 350.

boots ski swap about 200

clothes - get some self confidence and stop worrying about how you look,

or you could take out a college loan,

or get off your meal plan and live off of ramen
 
You could move to philly and flip crack to the locals.

Seriously, there is so much money in it. The career dealers are able to support their families and still drive jags and mercs no problem
 
allmost all pros come from a wealthy backround. look at vanular for instance, if his parents didnt have the funds to send him wherever he wanted and ski/skate and train wherever he would still be skiing in new york. its sucks but thats life.
 
go and ski in comps as much as possible.

go and make freinds with rich kids with cams and film with them.

give hand jobs at the x ga... uhhh, just work hard and be positive.
 
Ill give you the best advice anybody here has given you. Dont do it for the money or glory. do it because you love doing it.Or else, people will end up hating you, or you failing at life

 
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