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billydalobster
Apr 14, 2013, 5:12 AM
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WASSUP GUYS! I have a question. I have been climbing for 1 year exactly and I can consistently red point 5.12b in the gym and I have red pointed a 5.13a outside. Is there potential for me to pick up sponsors in the near future or possibly make a career out of climbing? In your opinions what do ya think ?
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potreroed
Apr 14, 2013, 5:22 AM
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My opinion is that this is a troll.
If it's not a troll then the answer is no, you do not have what it takes.
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notapplicable
Apr 14, 2013, 6:43 AM
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billydalobster wrote: WASSUP GUYS! I have a question. I have been climbing for 1 year exactly and I can consistently red point 5.12b in the gym and I have red pointed a 5.13a outside. Is there potential for me to pick up sponsors in the near future or possibly make a career out of climbing? In your opinions what do ya think ?
You can be anything you want when you grow up. Even president.
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billydalobster
Apr 14, 2013, 6:50 AM
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not a troll just a climber looking for some peoples opinions.
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milesenoell
Apr 14, 2013, 2:15 PM
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Climbing 12s and a 13 in your first year is enviable but not likely to garner big sponsors yet. Keep up the progress for another year and you may be onto something.
What you probably do have the potential for is to strap on a Go Pro cam and capture another terrifying clip of hubris in action.
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billydalobster
Apr 14, 2013, 4:06 PM
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thanks man! yeah i figured that i was progressing at a pretty standard rate. I will definitely try and keep it up. Hopefully i dont hit a plateau! Thanks for the kind response!
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USnavy
Apr 14, 2013, 4:18 PM
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billydalobster wrote: WASSUP GUYS! I have a question. I have been climbing for 1 year exactly and I can consistently red point 5.12b in the gym and I have red pointed a 5.13a outside. Is there potential for me to pick up sponsors in the near future or possibly make a career out of climbing? In your opinions what do ya think ?
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milesenoell
Apr 14, 2013, 4:21 PM
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In your first year even flailing your way to the top of a soft 13 is enough to impress me, but there are a lot of impressive folks out there competing for a pretty limited amount of sponsorship dough. Good luck.
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UpToTheOzone
Apr 14, 2013, 4:45 PM
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Yes you do have outstanding potential. Have you ever climbed outside? How about have you ever climbed a crack where the only thing that you could use was the crack? I've seen many strong boulder'ers and gym climbers struggle on a 5.9 or 5.10 crack simply because they don't yet have the technique.
Next is what do you want to do as a pro? You won't make much money aside from endorsements and free gear. Alex Honnold is one of the few pros that I've ever been lucky enough to meet. Come to think of it I probably couldn't name many other professional climbers. Anyways, he was in the Chase bank/credit card commercial climbing in the desert and is sponsored by north face, probably many more endorsements. So there's one of your competitors right there. How many more companies are interested in endorsing climbers I don't know.
Are you simply looking to compete in boulder competitions? That you can definitely do. I think climbing is such a great sport because it is so personal. Some people want to climb as hard as they possibly can, some people enjoy being outside and taking in the amazing places climbing takes you, some people like the culture, some people like climbing R/X routes or freesoloing because of the commitment that these routes involve, and the list goes on. I personally like the challenge, being outside, and the culture surrounding climbing. You have to decide what you want to do with climbing, and why you want to do it
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skelldify
Apr 14, 2013, 4:52 PM
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In spite of the fact that you're climbing quite hard for only having been at it a year, it's still too early to tell. Even though you've done some hard routes, there are still a lot of experiences that you need to have.
People (sponsors?) will want to see that you're going to stick with the sport once you start getting shut down on hard routes, and that you have the fortitude to project them into submission. Top climbers sometimes project routes for YEARS before sending.
You're going to hit a point where you'll have to make sacrifices (family, social, work, etc) in order to climb harder. Likely, after only a year, you haven't had to do this yet.
You're going to have injuries. You need to prove that you will stick with the sport in spite of this inevitability, and will be dedicated enough to come back strong after being injured.
You're going to have to travel far and wide to prove yourself as a hard climber. You'll need to climb equally as strong (or at least respectably) on different types of climbs. Sending all the hard routes at your local crag doesn't count.
And most importantly, you need to be the kind of PERSON that a gear company wants to sponsor. You need to be a good public ambassador for the sport, enjoy the sport, and think of ways to push the sport forward.
After only a year of climbing, you haven't paid your dues. You're still figuring out that "climbing" is more than just tieing in and gunning for the anchors. You're certainly on your way, but need to show that you'll stick with it once it stops coming easily.
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jcrew
Apr 14, 2013, 7:42 PM
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billydalobster wrote: WASSUP GUYS! I have a question. I have been climbing for 1 year exactly and I can consistently red point 5.12b in the gym and I have red pointed a 5.13a outside. Is there potential for me to pick up sponsors in the near future or possibly make a career out of climbing? In your opinions what do ya think ?
how old are you? tommy caldwell says you have to start around 5-8 years old, be on a serious team by the time you're 12, be well into the 5.14's in your teens, then you will haave a shot at 5.15 and up
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donald949
Apr 16, 2013, 4:04 PM
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milesenoell wrote: Climbing 12s and a 13 in your first year is enviable but not likely to garner big sponsors yet. Keep up the progress for another year and you may be onto something. What you probably do have the potential for is to strap on a Go Pro cam and capture another terrifying clip of hubris in action.
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billydalobster
Apr 18, 2013, 6:02 AM
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Hey guys I really appreciate all of the opinions and responses. I expected a lot more rude replies haha. Honestly I really do not want to make a career out of climbing. My hope is to just be able to climb for the rest of my life and pass my knowledge onto my kids someday. However I would like to eventually try and pick up a sponsorship from companies like petzl and sterling ropes if possible. I know it will be a while but I am working harder than ever to condition myself for this kind of climbing. Like I said I don't want to make a "career" out of it, which was a bad question to ask in the first place. I do want to compete and just have a really good time pushing myself to my limit and going as hard as I can! Thanks again for all of the positive feedback guys. Btw I am 21.
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Kartessa
Apr 18, 2013, 1:24 PM
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billydalobster wrote: Hey guys I really appreciate all of the opinions and responses. I expected a lot more rude replies haha. Honestly I really do not want to make a career out of climbing. My hope is to just be able to climb for the rest of my life and pass my knowledge onto my kids someday. However I would like to eventually try and pick up a sponsorship from companies like petzl and sterling ropes if possible. I know it will be a while but I am working harder than ever to condition myself for this kind of climbing. Like I said I don't want to make a "career" out of it, which was a bad question to ask in the first place. I do want to compete and just have a really good time pushing myself to my limit and going as hard as I can! Thanks again for all of the positive feedback guys. Btw I am 21.
People who are sponsored by Petzl and Sterling tend to be "career" climbers, If you just want a few little sponsorships, they're easy to get...
Hell... I can't climb harder than 5.6 and I got one!
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marc801
Apr 18, 2013, 4:49 PM
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Kartessa wrote: People who are sponsored by Petzl and Sterling tend to be "career" climbers, If you just want a few little sponsorships, they're easy to get... Hell... I can't climb harder than 5.6 and I got one!
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ianwatson
Apr 18, 2013, 5:28 PM
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beer sponsorship .
Where do I sign?
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Kartessa
Apr 18, 2013, 7:04 PM
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marc801 wrote: Kartessa wrote: People who are sponsored by Petzl and Sterling tend to be "career" climbers, If you just want a few little sponsorships, they're easy to get... Hell... I can't climb harder than 5.6 and I got one! I don't think that beer sponsorship has anything to do with your climbing.
I'd be cheap to sponsor... I buy a 6 pack for a long weekend.
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JasonsDrivingForce
Apr 26, 2013, 7:53 PM
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billydalobster wrote: Is there potential for me to pick up sponsors in the near future or possibly make a career out of climbing?
Are you marketable? Sponsors are not only looking for the best climbers. They are looking for individuals that stand out from the ordinary and help them promote their products.
There are a lot of really great climbers out there that most people have never heard of because they simply don't have the look that some of the sponsors are looking for.
Sponsors don't pay climbers to climb. They pay them to promote their products.
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JasonsDrivingForce
Apr 26, 2013, 7:57 PM
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jcrew wrote: tommy caldwell says you have to start around 5-8 years old, be on a serious team by the time you're 12, be well into the 5.14's in your teens, then you will haave a shot at 5.15 and up
Now it seems like you need to at least be climbing 5.14a by the time you are 10 to get any notice at all.
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Parkerkat
Apr 29, 2013, 5:14 PM
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are you extremely good at self promotion?
are you free to spend you time climbing, not working?
do you realize how many people out there can redpoint 13a?
by all means try, but be realistic with yourself.
Will you still be happy climbing if the answer comes out as no?
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Parkerkat
Apr 29, 2013, 5:25 PM
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I would say that is a false statement. How many professional climbers actually climb 5.15?
I don't beleive this is the cost of admission for pro climbing, not by a long shot.
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marc801
Apr 29, 2013, 7:31 PM
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JasonsDrivingForce wrote: Are you marketable? Sponsors are not only looking for the best climbers. They are looking for individuals that stand out from the ordinary and help them promote their products. There are a lot of really great climbers out there that most people have never heard of because they simply don't have the look that some of the sponsors are looking for.
Another thought for the OP: will spending days inside the Salt Palace being an enthusiastic, outgoing, people-loving brand representative during the Outdoor Retailers show while City of Rocks, Moab, Zion, are within a half-days drive and excellent local rock 20-30 minutes away drive you bat-shit insane?
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JasonsDrivingForce
Apr 29, 2013, 7:59 PM
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Parkerkat wrote: I would say that is a false statement. How many professional climbers actually climb 5.15? I don't beleive this is the cost of admission for pro climbing, not by a long shot.
How many climbers that can climb 5.15a are not sponsored? If you can't climb 5.15a then it does not preclude you from being sponsored. However, climbing 5.15a or above can only help your case.
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flesh
Apr 30, 2013, 6:03 AM
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at 21 13a you have a long way to go... even if your capable of continuing at the same rate you'll likely have injuries due to being new to climbing that will slow your progress soon. Your muscles adapt much faster than your connective tissue.
On the other hand, you may never get one at all.
I'm a bad example but it took a decade before my connective tissue was up to the task to get past 5.13....
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jt512
May 1, 2013, 4:35 AM
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billydalobster wrote: WASSUP GUYS! I have a question. I have been climbing for 1 year exactly and I can consistently red point 5.12b in the gym and I have red pointed a 5.13a outside. Is there potential for me to pick up sponsors in the near future or possibly make a career out of climbing? In your opinions what do ya think ?
One thing is for sure: you'll need to be better at climbing than you are at trolling.
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