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gunksta15
Jan 7, 2007, 11:19 PM
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I was just wondering what would be a good way to approch getting sponsored. I know that u first off have to be a good climber, but do u just email them and say what i climb, or should I just say, hey look i have done... Anyone who has a sponsor please repley, or if u know how. Thank you very much in advance for all of your help
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truello
Jan 9, 2007, 3:26 PM
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I honestly have no idea but I would guess getting into some ABS competitions at local gyms would be a good start.
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bizarrodrinker
Jan 9, 2007, 3:41 PM
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I have a friend who was trying to get sponsored awhile back. He had placed well in comps. but they still wanted to see some video of him climbing both established double digit climbs as well as his FA videos.
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mturner
Jan 9, 2007, 4:22 PM
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Getting sponsered sometimes involves sending in resumes and letters. Other times companies may approach you. One word of advice though, it's not just about what you climb or how hard, it's also about how well known and respected you are in the cimbing community. What is your reputation. So the advice about the ABS comps is very true. That's very much in the spot light, as opposed to the weekend warrior who gets out with his one or two partners and doesn't socialize too much.
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krusher4
Jan 9, 2007, 4:23 PM
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or you just have to be a cute girl you can send V8.....
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bernard
Jan 9, 2007, 10:00 PM
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Spelling correctly can't hurt
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boombewm
Jan 9, 2007, 10:32 PM
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Yes, I agree with spelling. On that note, I wasn't aware that spelling "you" as "u" was really that annoying to me.
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cfnubbler
Jan 9, 2007, 10:38 PM
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Try a forum search. This has been discussed here at length.
Good luck...
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fluxus
Jan 10, 2007, 12:16 AM
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gunksta15 wrote: I was just wondering what would be a good way to approch getting sponsored.
I've spent most of my adult life as a sponsored climber.
The best way to know that you are ready is that the companies or their sales reps are approaching you. If you are worth sponsoring, you are probably already on their radar.
If not its more difficult, what you need to do is think of the benefits to the companies of sponsoring you. Literally make a list. will you bring their product greater visability in the regional, national or international realms? Do you influence the purchases made by other climbers? is there something that you are doing that is unique and that will draw the attention of thousands of other climbers?
For the less experienced marketing teams it may be enough for you to have done a few hard climbs. For folks that have been around the block a few times they want to know that it will be worth their money to give you free product / cash. You need to be visable, and the fact that you use their product needs to mean something to other climbers.
think of yourself as a product, what makes you a great product?
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gunksta15
Jan 12, 2007, 3:17 AM
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Yea thanks for all of the information from everyone. And i would just wonder what the general consensis on hard is. Double digit is what comes to mind, but does age play a factor? I am 15 and pull V10's, does that help me or doesn't age matter anymore?
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iamthewallress
Jan 12, 2007, 3:23 AM
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gunksta15 wrote: Yea thanks for all of the information from everyone. And i would just wonder what the general consensis on hard is. Double digit is what comes to mind, but does age play a factor? I am 15 and pull V10's, does that help me or doesn't age matter anymore?
I would hazard a guess that being on the elder half of your teen years, especially as a boy, would mean that you'd need to climb that much harder to get a sponsor. You're expected to be able to pull hard at your age. If you were under 12 or over 50, the age thing would be a good headline.
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fiend
Jan 13, 2007, 7:31 AM
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gunksta15 wrote: I am 15 and pull V10's, does that help me or doesn't age matter anymore?
Posted to http://www.rockclimbing.com/...rum.cgi?post=1510158 on Jan 1, 2007, 2:45 PM
gunksta15 wrote: Then I got outdoors a bunch which getts you stronger quicker, and now not even a year later i decided to try even harder stuff and now i am almost pulling a V10 and have done a bunch of V8, so just try harder stuff and it will get you better.
Misrepresenting yourself will not help you become sponsored. I've known climbers with day jobs who don't climb as hard as 'the pros' yet have sponsorships from major climbing companies because of their relationships and reputation within the climbing community.
Fluxus' advice was spot on. Think of it this way, if climb at a popular area regularly you should have a hard time walking through the boulders without several people knowing your name and wanting to talk, either through reputation at some latest send or because you've sessioned with them and they've found you a nice/cool enough person to remember.
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mattyp
Jan 13, 2007, 10:33 AM
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fiend wrote: gunksta15 wrote: I am 15 and pull V10's, does that help me or doesn't age matter anymore? Posted to http://www.rockclimbing.com/...rum.cgi?post=1510158 on Jan 1, 2007, 2:45 PM gunksta15 wrote: Then I got outdoors a bunch which getts you stronger quicker, and now not even a year later i decided to try even harder stuff and now i am almost pulling a V10 and have done a bunch of V8, so just try harder stuff and it will get you better. Misrepresenting yourself will not help you become sponsored.
You just got burned or you improved a lot in 10 days.
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sidepull
Jan 13, 2007, 2:47 PM
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how stupid do you have to be to lie on the internet and get caught?
at any rate, 15 pulling v10 (which is not you) is not that special in today's world but it's likely good enough to get you sponsored if you're winning comps and you're friendly. If you're asking the question then you probably need to mature a bit, in other words, you need to understand the climbing community and your place within it as well as acheive bigger goals. You could start (I'm getting sick just thinking about writing this) by getting an account at 8a.nu to record your ascents (this will also help you realize that there are many at your same level and that you need to do more to make yourself distinct) and by creating your own website to document what you've done. I'd suggest being pretty low-key and humble rather than loud and prideful (which is how you come across now). You might look at Daniel Woods site and compare it with Tori Allen's site to understand the difference.
Let me throw out one more example to illustrate the importance of the humility/pride bit. Chris Sharma broke on the scene as a kid with stars in his eyes. He was just having fun, he wasn't spraying, he had a positive vibe. So people gravitated to him and other people were reporting his sends. A few years later, Dave Graham breaks out. He comes across as shrill and egotistical "how come nobody is trying to repeat my routes?" I think Dave has toned it down a lot, but I'd bet Chris' sponsorships more than double Dave's simply because their starting points were so different (I have no data to back this up, it's just my perception so if you tell me I'm wrong I might believe you).
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shear
Jan 17, 2007, 1:24 PM
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ill go ahead and say this:
if your goal for climbing is getting sponsored...chances are most companies will not want a whole lot to do with you. id re evaluate my motivations for climbing in the first place if sponsorship is my main motivation.
let your climbing and personality speak for itself. go out, find things you are psyched on and enjoy climbing. don't get caught up in the extraneous facets of climbing. b/c when you boil it all down...V10 climbers are a dime a dozen.
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c4c
Jan 17, 2007, 2:28 PM
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You could always start your own company and sponsor yourself!
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shanz
Jan 17, 2007, 2:36 PM
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Seems like we all at one time or another have wanted to do nothing but climb. Even though Id rather be climbing i have found that their are many thing to enjoy in life besides "just" climbing. Its a great dream but alas there is more out there -- at 15 you have no idea what life has to offer. If you wanna climb just climb, forget everything else, just enjoy it cause when you throw numbers(though numbers are a way to measure progress and judge how hard you ar eclimbing) and all this other crap in it you kill the experience. Climb hard enter some comps but enjoy it climb hard and maybe you will be one of the lucky ones you may get sponsored or maybe not (especially if you cant get your stories straight -- at least if you are 21 you could blame booze on your discrepancies)
(This post was edited by shanz on Jan 17, 2007, 3:44 PM)
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alpinerock
Jan 17, 2007, 6:42 PM
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One thing that most people don't stop to consider before rushing headfirst into the sponsorship game is the responsiblities that come with being sponsored. I can tell you from personal experience that its not the free ride that the media constantly makes it out to be. In some ways it turns climbing into a job, by giving you free gear the company is essentially making an investment in you. You now have an obligation to use, promote, and even flaunt that product. You also have an obligation to make sure you act in a way that will give people a positive impression of you and the companys that you represent. Another thing to take into consideration is the "overgratification" aspect of being sponsored, when you get an extraneousness incentive to do something you love, often times your internal motivation takes a serious dip.
I hope you don't rush into anything, take time to think about what you really want before you sell yourself off. Sponsorships are a great thing, but they do require some sort of effort on your part as well.
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a.a.
Jan 17, 2007, 7:25 PM
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I have a question. How much money is there really in getting sponsored , outside of being Sharma? ~5 years ago I did some climbing with a pretty big name climber. Sponsored by multiple large companies, etc. He got a ton of free shoes and ropes which was nice but that was about it. He got a little money but supporting himself from it, especially being married, would have been absurd.
Given how fanatical some people sound about getting sponsored, is it way more lucrative than I'm thinking or do people really get this worked up over a eww hundred bucks of free gear a month.
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bler
Jan 18, 2007, 1:27 AM
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haha, so you think you can get sponsored?
if you were in a position to get sponsored, you wouldn't need to be asking the question now, would you?
so if you don't know what needs to be done to get a 'sponsorship', then you don't need one, period.
(This post was edited by bler on Jan 18, 2007, 3:28 AM)
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majid_sabet
Jan 18, 2007, 2:35 AM
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Have you ever worked in Hollywood blv. ?
You may want to start from there , you could meet other climbers ahead of you working on their sucking skills .
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dpinto15
Jan 18, 2007, 4:17 AM
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The problem that is starting in climbing is that people now start to focus on their ability of climbing. What grade they climb, whose better than who. To me what rockclimbing is all about is just havin fun. Climbing brings people together who love the sport. Skill should not matter. I would rather do a fun eaiser problem than a harder one that sux.
(This post was edited by dpinto15 on Jan 18, 2007, 9:40 PM)
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jello
Jan 18, 2007, 4:31 AM
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Hey dude, Don't worry about sponsership. Keep climbing hard, have a whole lot of fun. V9 is above average for a kid or anyone else. It will come to you if you stick with it.
If you want to promote yourself the trade show in SLC is a good place to do it. Going to the valley and sending sick shit is even better I think. Cheers! GM
Go climb a rock.
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