this hits the nail on the head
it's not about whether you're old or young, winning or losing, it's about do you have something to offer your sponsors?
nobody sponsors douglas or plake anymore for their skiing ability. They have charisma, and people know and respect who they are, and their sponsors benefit from that association.
At some point as a pro whether you're still winning or not you need to work on building a reputation that's worth more than your comp results.
I don't even know what keri looks like in real life. I couldn't pick her out of a picture, or tell you what movies she's been in, what contests she's won or what her last 3 ski sponsors were... and i've been using this site daily for 10 years
it's a sad reality, but athletes are paid for their marketability. Keri has had 10-12 years to build it up. If she hasn't established enough of a reputation by now then it's natural selection