Sponsor Me

So you want to be sponsored.

We get many requests for sponsorship, so I thought it best to give you some information on how you should go about finding sponsorship, what it means to be sponsored and what you can expect when you are.

I'll cut to the chase here and just say NO, we are not looking right now. True, we always keep our eyes open, but not looking to put more team riders on right now.

I can only really speak for our company about how we go about it, and there are always exceptions to the rule on how things go.

Usually the accepted way is you send a video in and hope your skating speaks for itself, Right ? WRONG...

I have only ever sponsored 1 team rider by a video alone, that guys name is DUSTIN DOLLIN.

So unless your an other Dustin Dollin, a video alone is not going to do it.

Hint if you do want to send one in don't send a snappy edited and highly polished, video production. I want to see long runs with linked tricks at least. Tightly edited videos show us nothing as to how consistent you are. It could have taken you 50 times to finally land all those tricks... Show a short close-up of you talking, tell us about where you live, how old you are, how long you've been skating for, what other hobbies and interests you may have... we want to hear and see more of you than just your skating ... Make it no longer than about 3 to 4 mins, about the length of a song, yeah you can put music to it, but I also want to hear the skating.

What makes us listen and consider a new rider far above a sponsor me video is word of mouth. Hearing from other good skaters or our team guys or shop owners, or getting some pics or a write up in a mag etc etc. That is GOLD...

So I advise you to simply just get out and about and be seen, enter comps, get known. Travel as much as you can, and if you are really as good as you think you are, then you will get noticed and chances are be asked if you want to be sponsored. Believe me We are always looking, WE.... meaning most skate companies, shops etc.....

What's involved in being a sponsored skater. What's expected from you,

Sponsorship is a two way street. You don't get something for nothing. To be sponsored is like being an employee of that company but in some ways more. Your a spokes person for them, your the outwards face, the image of that company.

Sure it's a bonus for us if you can skate well, but it's not all that we look for. I don't care if you are the best skater in the world, if you're an arsehole as a person I don't want you.... if that's the sort of image some other company wants to project out there, then I guess you could get sponsored, but I would say generally no, no company will want you with that sort of attitude. Just because you can skate good, doesn't mean anyone will want to sponsor you or anyone owes you anything. It's more about attitude than aptitude.

Your expected firstly to skate of course, and skate well. Get out there and mix it. Enter comps, travel if you can, generally be seen. Be a person the younger kids will respect and look up to. Not some idiot that blows up when ever you don't land a trick, swearing and throwing your board around. That's my board and treating my stuff like that is not on..... I won't tolerate behavior like that.

I cringe at those articles in the mags that are all about skaters off on road trips that are more about booze and drugs than skating, what a bunch of losers and wankers....That sort of attitude goes no where in life and has no place in my company. You are role models for the younger skaters out there, grow up and act like one.

So generally your expected to just do your thing with a great attitude towards what you do and who you're doing it for (yourself and your sponsors) Get out and have as many people as possible see you doing it. Do your own thing

If you're with a larger company there will be more things you'll be expected to do. With that will come more bonuses for you, product, travel, cash. So the more your expected to do, the more you can expect from your sponsor, and in turn the bigger profile you should have by then. If your a no-one, kids are not going to come running for you to sign their decks... right.. So it really is up to you to build your profile as a skater and a person to respect.

What you can expect from your sponsor

The level of sponsorship varies greatly over the industry and different countries. The major companies usually can supply and help you out much better than can small ones.... The level of big and small companies is in direct relation to how much money the turnover. That's the bottom line. Big company lots of dollars. Small company not.

Let it be known right now, I am a small company, very small.

With us the deal is basically we'll supply you with product. What ever product we produce we can supply you with it for you to use. We'll promote you how we can on our web site, perhaps use a picture of you in an advertisement.

There are many different levels or ways to be sponsored.

You may be sponsored by a shop. This shop may negotiate a deal with a particular supplier to help out with certain products that the shop can then flow to you.

You may be sponsored direct by a supplier/wholesaler of a certain brand.

You may be sponsored even more DIRECT, by the actual brand.

You could be sponsored by many different companies with varying degrees of involvement in the skate industry, eg, sponsored by a Deck label, as opposed to being sponsored by a clothing company, a phone company, a rubber band company?? ..... They could be good deals as usually some of those sort of companies turn over much more than say a deck company. But you gotta say being sponsored direct by a true skate brand is pretty good.

The bigger your profile the bigger the bonuses. You could be asked to go on tour here or overseas, having travel, accommodation and expenses covered by your sponsors.

You could have pro models out of a decks, shoes, wheels, bearings and any number of other things etc, and expect a royalty of some sort for each "Unit" with your name on sold.

Bigger brands offer photo incentives..... that's why the pros always have their new decks set up with their sponsors stickers on them and wear their sponsors clothing etc ... They would get a photo incentive for each picture they get showing their sponsors name in a mag. It would be on a sliding scale as to how big and where the picture appears. For many pros, a cover shot on Thrasher or Transworld would be the mother load....

Other deals might involve a monthly salary, which would include having to do photo shoots for their sponsors ads, videos and interviews with media, touring with the team, and anything else the sponsor wants you to do.

Higher profile skaters may be asked to be included in say, being a character in a video game, I think we all know what that has done for Tony Hawk and now many other skaters in his popular games. You may be involved in movies, like Bam, or be asked to parts in TV commercials, the list is endless what you could put your name to....... IF you have one. !

So get out there and make one, make it happen just by skating and being a good role model for potential sponsors to say, yeah I want that guy to represent me.

Conclusion

Being a pro skater is more than receiving product, money and being sent all over the world to skate. It's up to you to build your reputation and skill. You will be noticed if you are that good. It doesn't hurt to ask, but be prepared for many knock backs. There really is a very small amount of sponsored skaters to how many people skate. So the odds are not good. Skate for the love of it, not for what you can get out of it and you will always be satisfied with what you have achieved.

If you must send me a video then send it to my post box.... NOT through my e-mail... To;

Omni Boards Australia P.O. Box 528 Ulladulla NSW 2539

Don't expect to be sponsored by that alone. Like I said above I've only ever sponsored one guy from a video alone, Dustin Dollin, .. Steve Tierney sent me a video, then I started to see him in Slam and our skaters knew of him, I then contacted him from his details on the video he sent me. That's it though, all our other team riders were sponsored by word of mouth, from other skaters, team riders and shop owners.

Thanks for reading this, now go out and get amongst it. Live to skate.