That is just it. I want to know how I get sponsored. Do I need to do tricks? How fast do I need to go? Do I need to wear a silly hat?flyjump - 9-4-2009 at 07:51 PM
you've got to know the right people and be a good people person, all that on top of being good at flyingmacboy - 9-4-2009 at 07:57 PM
Lookin' for that Red Bull kite, aren't you? ; )ripsessionkites - 9-4-2009 at 08:00 PM
what flyj said .... teamriders are people that help grow the sport but also help grow the brand they are flying.
shops need teamriders / distributors need teamriders / manufactures need teamriders.
as a sponsored flyer youll may also be limited to flying only those brands. can you live with just one kite brand?
i suggest that you setup a resume like you would finding a job. list what you do, style of flying, style of riding. things you have done in the sport,
ie world record speed, personal record speed and any competitions or events you have and/or will attend. if you attend a lot of events, thats good
promo for the brand who will sponsor you.
so ask around and see what you get, it doesnt hurt to ask. like us we have a teamrider page, as do many other brands.
lastly, not all sponsorship is 100% freebies. you maybe required to put a little $$$ up and for your travels too. its not easy work, ask my sponsored
riders ... GET BACK TO WORK.!!.csa_deadon - 9-4-2009 at 08:45 PM
I hear the silly hat helps!! :Pgeojones - 10-4-2009 at 06:16 AM
yea,the HAT is def the KEY just look at "tophat" on eric eck vid lolacampbell - 10-4-2009 at 07:14 AM
Wexler Muse is a team rider for HQ Kites and my store, and his dad, BeamerBob is a rider for my store as well. Wexler has not set any records yet or
out-flown anyone but his skills at age 13 along with his enthusiasm and personability go a long way to demonstrating the accessibility of the sport
to a wide age range. along with his dad, (like you and your son, Dagon) they also demonstrate what a great family sport it is.
So my point is that there is a lot of different things to bring to the table to attract the attention of a store or vendor.Soylent - 10-4-2009 at 07:21 AM
He has the silly hat...the leather aviator cap.
Knowing Dagon for 12 years and counting, I can say that his values would do nothing but help anyone who he'd represent or be around for that matter.
Honest, has integrity, friendly to all who meet him, hard worker, helpful...his only fault is taking my beer when I least expect it...sneaky bastard.
He's a damn fine flyer too and considering what he invests into people for the sake of the sport I think he'd be looking forward to putting in the
blood, sweat and tears.Dagon - 10-4-2009 at 10:10 AM
I never expected anything for free, maybe just a really good deal. I think I would have a hard time flyin just one brand of kite, but it could be
done if the deal was sweet enough. Mainly I think it would be fun to be part of a team and REPRESENT.
my ninja beer stealing skills could be a great asset as well.Bladerunner - 10-4-2009 at 04:05 PM
ACTUALLY ...... I have found that putting on Clown Blades and some kite skills will get you noticed ! :piggy: :piggy:
Seriously though. I think a whole lot of it is WANTING IT.
Not everyone will be so lucky as to have Generous people like Rip' and Solaris in their local park.
The only person I have known as a close friend that found true sponsorship is Ripsession and HE JUST GOT IT with Peter Lynn. !!!!!!!! Richard made
kiting His whole focus 10 ++ ?? years ago. He kept his eye on the goal and wanted it enough to make getting there his life. Meeting many people along
the way and going huge distances to do so. At 108 kph I think He is 3 behind the Dutch or some statistic but the reason Rip' deserves this is he
wanted it enough to go for it. :wow: CONGRAT"S RIP :wow:
So.... That is sponsorship. :wee:
I feel like exactly what I look if you have seen me out there. A Clown but HEY ......... I got the honour of becoming a "team rider" for
Ripsessionkites.:wee:
My chance at such things is simply a fluke of location . Skycountry and Ripsession have supplied me with an amazing array of kites to try in the past.
Both have been super supportive but I loved a girl called Flysurfer.
I have always had HUGE respect for Peter Lynn. People on here will remember I call him a visionary. I have been impressed with Him and His product
since day 1 and can now join as a " Team Rider " with Ripsession because I have no problems saying good , honest things about the product. I am so
friggin lucky I got to hold out on saying yes until I could get behind that yes 100% .
I'm so LUCKY !!!!!!!
I guess Luck is the other way , for sure !
With the start up's around here in Vancouver, the most imorprtant thing to them is ATTENDANCE !!!!!! If you can fly well enough to show someone else
how to and are out as much as 5 days a week , odds are pretty good that a company will be interested in having you fly their stuff. For the exposure
alone. I guess THAT was my start ?
For YOU Dagon, I suggest that your day job and limited abilaty to get out a few times a week to show off the product are holding you back ? ?BeamerBob - 10-4-2009 at 04:28 PM
So Bladerunner, how come no PL kites showing in your quiver? I'm at 3 and counting and agree with you on the visionary status.Bladerunner - 10-4-2009 at 04:41 PM
While Rip' and I have been talking about me becoming a team rider I was very happy with my Flysurfer kites and EXTREMELY happy being a bit of an
unofficial kite tester to Solaris and Rip'. The fact that they and so many others have put different kites in my hands made me have an ever increasing
reference bank. My only motive was to learn to fly and teach every type of kite. I end up ignoring offers to fly other kites just to enjoy my Pulse
often. With friends like we have here I could go for a heck of a long time without ever rolling out my own kites but it's ALL ABOUT sharing .
:wow:I flew the CHARGER at NABX:wow:
It just BLEW ME AWAY !!!!!!
Like no other Arc I met before !
Instant archaholism
I WILL have arcs back in my signature again in June if it all plays out :wee: That is when the Charger comes out.
Good point Bob ! With all these changes I will likely have to change my sig' soon to reflect my new ties !
TEAM Riders don't always own the kites so much as get them to use and demo. I'm sure I'll still keep my own personal quiver.
I'll just FLY Peter Lynn kites so I won't axactly feel a sense of ownership with them ? More a sense of honour at being able to introduce people to a
great product that I can stand by at no cost to myself.
I'm not thrilled about my opinion being tainted by all this.
Rip' knows I want to be able to fly and discuss kites with ZERO Bias. Chargers and Peter Lynn kites in general are great and so I'm happy to fly them
+ teach others how to.
I still want to be free to fly everything that comes accross my path and team rider / tester affords me that !Brent_P - 11-4-2009 at 04:32 AM
Im down here in sunny florida taking kiteboard lessons from a dude who is sponsered (Dale Martin). The guy has a top notch personality and has a wise
business sense. AFAIK he is riding for slingshot and spends 6 mos here on the atlantic coast and 6 mos in porta rico chasing the wind and waves.
During this time he is giving lessons to folks like myself and in turn has me sold on the new slingshot rev. Attributes like this will help the
manufacturer sell kites which is whaT having team riders is all about in the end; selling kites and reputable representation.BeamerBob - 13-4-2009 at 07:29 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Bladerunner
I'm not thrilled about my opinion being tainted by all this.
So what opinion are you worried about tainting? Do you mean you will feel restricted in saying what you really feel about a PL kite or a competitor?
Or are you remiss about having something change your relationship with your flysurfers?Bladerunner - 13-4-2009 at 08:58 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by BeamerBob
Quote:
Originally posted by BladerunnerI'm not thrilled about my opinion being tainted by all this.
So what opinion are you worried about tainting? Do you mean you will feel restricted in saying
what you really feel about a PL kite or a competitor? Or are you remiss about having something change your relationship with your flysurfers?
My Love affair with My Pulse was all my own. Completely outside of local influence and I liked that !Strictly by virtue of the
location I fly at , it is to " someones " advantage that I fly and LOVE their brand. NOT that I have extrordinary skills. I can fly anybodies kite and
make it look good ? I bought and paid full ( used ) prices for my Flysurfers and so my opinion was " untainted ".If there is one person who's
philosophy toward kiting I can get behind it is Peter Lynn. I never followed convention and neither did He. MOSTLY ...... I want to support RIP' in
living His dream ! He has proven to ME that he is worth it.
Now I will be getting some good deals on P.L. gear and stuff but want to keep flying every single type of kite I can. Riding every style I can and
having fun as usual. When I talk about the kites I'm fortunate enough to try my opinions will be influenced by extra exposure to P.L. kites. I'm all
too aware of that. This is different for me ? Of course I will always be honest but I don't think I can allow myself to say anything negetive toward
other brands ?? For that matter Ripsessionkites will still sell the interesting Euro brands Rip' has brought in. I'm clear still to fly anything. A
restriction of full sponsorship I wouldn't enjoy.
People just need to be aware that I will not be able to be as critical as before. I hope that is all that changes ?
FINALLY, the REAL Rip' has posed for His Avatar !!! :singing:USA_Eli_A - 13-4-2009 at 09:06 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Dagon
my ninja beer stealing skills could be a great asset as well.
very valuable skills. its a requirement of a sponsored rider, and dereliction of duty is not an option!kiteboyza - 15-11-2011 at 08:03 AM
Sponsorships, yes, there are free ones. Pansh have setup about 4 guys on this forum with a free set of kites so a free sponsorship does exist. Some
companies will give you a set of kites at discount and then set you sales targets for the year. Watch out for these! These guys range in skill. You
do not have to be top of the trick list to get sponsored, just a people person who likes flying and wishes to share the stoke. Attend a few events,
help newbies into the sport and enjoy flying.
I'll be looking at adding a few more pilots next year :Ange09:Feyd - 15-11-2011 at 12:28 PM
Sponsorship comes in many forms but the bottom line is that it is an investment for the brand. It involves being an embassador for the brand and for
the sport primairly but it can also invlove pushing the limits of the product and producing results. Especially at the demise of the competition.
Also part of what some sponsored riders do is test the product which is my favorite aspect of the sponsorship. But make no mistake about it, testing
can be high risk venture and you have to bring your "A" game and run a tight program or things can go bad. Sometimes prototypes do things that are
unexpected. Sometimes the riders do things that are unexpected as well and both situations can get ugly. If the investment is getting a good return
then the sponship can be dropped quickly. An rightfully so.
My expirience over the years has always been that if you push your limits and the limits of the product and do it consistently then sponsorship
opportunities can an will arise. I didn't know anyone at Peter Lynn when they picked me up. They saw my results and what I was doing, decided it had
value to the brand, spent some time tracking me down and asked me to join the team.
Now I fly for them which works out great because I honestly believe in the brand. The down side to sponosrship is people will (rightfully so ) assume
you're biased and not believe any of your claims aboiut the brand because you are in the pocket of the manufacturer. That's when results really make
the difference. If you have results to back up your claims and yu have the willingness and skill to go head to head with the competition to prove the
brand's merits that makes a huge difference. I don't know how many people have said to me "Man! I didn't know Peter Lynns could fly like that!!!"
Especially when the only time they've seen an Arc was in the hands of a first time Arc flier.
Like other's have mention in this thread. Often a sponsorship requires that you forsake other kites and fly exclusively on your brand. If the
opportunity arises, as tempting as it may be, don't accept a sponsorship for a brand you aren't entirely happy with just for the sake of being
sponsored. You aren't going to be happy and you won't be doing the brand any favors and it call all end with bad juju all round.:flaming:
I enjoy being sponsored but it can be a lot of work.shehatesmyhobbies - 15-11-2011 at 03:48 PM
Well said Feyd!Todd - 15-11-2011 at 04:17 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Feyd
Often a sponsorship requires that you forsake other kites and fly exclusively on your brand. If the opportunity arises, as tempting as it may be,
don't accept a sponsorship for a brand you aren't entirely happy with just for the sake of being sponsored. You aren't going to be happy and you
won't be doing the brand any favors and it call all end with bad juju all round.:flaming:
I very much agree, thank you for posting this Chris.WELDNGOD - 15-11-2011 at 04:37 PM
I am sponsored by ECKS,and I have not been asked to promote any particular brand of kite.I just promote "kiting" in general. So,I guess I got it by
being an ambassador to the sport.And the fact that ,this isn't just what I do for fun, it's what makes me what I am.shehatesmyhobbies - 15-11-2011 at 04:52 PM
Donnie that is exactly why we asked you to join our team! You enjoy the sport, you promote the sport and you have a blast doing it! That's all that
matters to us! Not to mention you are one heck of a buggy and land boarder! Proud to have you as one of the family!
Your bigger sponsorship possibilities are soon to come my brother!carltb - 15-11-2011 at 05:22 PM
for me, my sponsorship choice was a no brainer. i fly ARCS so all i ever wanted to do from when i started flying, was to fly for PETER LYNN. i see it
as being part of a very privileged club and i'm so glad they invited me to be a member.pyro22487 - 15-11-2011 at 05:23 PM
i would love to help new people to the sport. im just a little on edge about letting some who has never flown a 4 stringer before fly my 1.4 trainer
may not be expensive but i could never replace it.( stopped making it in 2006 maybe sooner.) if i could find a cheap 4 stringer i would love to teach
people the basics. i have even gone as far as to consider giving people rides in my tandem. again on edge though for fear of being sued for injury.
any ideas on this.BeamerBob - 15-11-2011 at 05:31 PM
I was teaching a guy last year with my 2m Beamer and conditions that require a 2m for a grown man are not conducive to learning. He eventually busted
a cell loose inside after repeated nose dives. He repeatedly froze up once the kite got headed downwards. Some get it faster than others and you
have to be careful with the conditions you let someone try something new in. My younger son is ready to hook into an apex in the buggy but since I
became comfortable with his skill level, we haven't had appropriate conditions. It will happen though.WELDNGOD - 15-11-2011 at 05:32 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by pyro22487
i would love to help new people to the sport. im just a little on edge about letting some who has never flown a 4 stringer before fly my 1.4 trainer
may not be expensive but i could never replace it.( stopped making it in 2006 maybe sooner.) if i could find a cheap 4 stringer i would love to teach
people the basics.
Dude! You gotta get a couple noob kites. They are essential to protecting the good stuff! and the nooblamrith - 15-11-2011 at 05:44 PM
Pyro,
Hit up BigKid and get a 2.2 or 3.3m Buster Soufly, talking like $150ish R2F. Heck if they get hooked you could sel them thier 1st kite and just buy another one ;-)
Great stable inexpensive rigs to get the newbies hooked with... :bigok:pyro22487 - 15-11-2011 at 06:22 PM
where do you get noob kites lol.lamrith - 15-11-2011 at 06:27 PM
hrrmmm Someone should hurry up and trademark "Noob Kites" :-ppyro22487 - 15-11-2011 at 06:44 PM
ill check those out thanks guys. and yes trademark npws aka noob kites.pyro22487 - 15-11-2011 at 06:50 PM
they even have a 140ish kite 1.5m not bad oh and sorry for the threadjack. just realised i did it.Feyd - 16-11-2011 at 04:51 AM
It's a double edged sword trying to teach here in the land of the lawsuit. Hell doing anything here and you have a chance of litigation!
It sucks that you can get sued for trying to teach someone something. And 9 out of 10 you won't have an issue but that 1 time can really screw ya.
I find it amusing that there are bodies that certify instructors and make them "Legit" but at some point when those bodies formed, who certified them
to certify others? We have IKO and PASA but not a single, unified, internationally recognized group that does this. As usual some of what they offer
seems a good idea but a lot of it is clearly a money grab.
The idea that cirtification can be done as a blanket policy is retarded to me. If I wan't to instruct it would be on snow. But you have to be
certified on water first? I'm not going to ride water here.
Also everywhere is different. Certs should almost be regional. I see riders from areas that have smooth winds or warm climates come here and have a
miserable time. Not because they're bad riders, just because the enviroment is unlike anything they're used to. Learning to fly here has given me
the tools to fly anywhere. But if you don't ride in these condiitons how would you be able to instruct in them?
Now I'm ramblin' and not helping the thread at all. Back to sponsorship.
I'm a little jealous of Donny's position. Not that I want to fly other kites but it would be nice to have that sort of freedom. A shop sponsorship
is a good one to have for sure. Better in many ways than a manufaturer sponsorship.bobalooie57 - 16-11-2011 at 06:05 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by pyro22487
ill check those out thanks guys. and yes trademark npws aka noob kites.
OOPS!! I never realized I've been flying noob kites all this time??? And all this time I thought it was skill and finesse! lolWELDNGOD - 16-11-2011 at 10:31 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Feyd
I'm a little jealous of Donny's position. Not that I want to fly other kites but it would be nice to have that sort of freedom. A shop sponsorship
is a good one to have for sure. Better in many ways than a manufaturer sponsorship.
It is a nice gig!:wee: Thanks Rian and Rich!!:saint::saint: They didn't just get a kite buggier, kitebiker and landboarder. I'm the
team"weldngod"
Don't get me wrong,I would jump at the chance to fly for an awesome kite Mfr. like Flexi or PKD. Even if it meant Complete brand loyalty.But it would
have to be a Mfr that makes bada$$ FBs though,cause that is all I WANT to fly.
I would think you would be required to fly the competitions' kites,so you could tell what you are up against. How can anyone say "Brand X is better
than Brand Y" if they never flew both x and Y? You just can't fly them at photo ops or competitions? How does that work?pyro22487 - 16-11-2011 at 12:02 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by bobalooie57
Quote:
Originally posted by pyro22487
ill check those out thanks guys. and yes trademark npws aka noob kites.
OOPS!! I never realized I've been flying noob kites all this time??? And all this time I thought it was skill and finesse! lol
Ooops should have specified. No offense meant to the npw fliers. I just know they are usually fairly cheap. Usually made buy the person flying them.
Cost is usually materials. My bad if anyone took offense to this.Feyd - 16-11-2011 at 03:17 PM
You better watch it. I've heard some bad things about NPW riders that feel that they've been wronged.
People disappear man.:eekdrull:indigo_wolf - 16-11-2011 at 05:57 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Feyd
You better watch it. I've heard some bad things about NPW riders that feel that they've been wronged.
People disappear man.:eekdrull:
Single skins definitely have a distinct advantage when it comes to rolling up unconscious/dead bodies and tossing them into the trunk (on the way to a
shallow grave).
Added bonus: The coated nylon reduces stray DNA traces from lingering at the site of any mayhem/violence. :o
<* As everyone looks around nervously to see who is flying NPWs *>
ATB,
Sampyro22487 - 16-11-2011 at 09:50 PM
LOL I think I may have to watch myself now. Thats ok I wont use my screen name at NABX...Feyd - 16-11-2011 at 11:21 PM
Never trust a man with pigs or power wings.wheresthewind? - 17-11-2011 at 12:00 PM
im a team rider for the turtle and tortoise society...... hmmmmmm.......i think they're trying to tell me something........Bladerunner - 19-11-2011 at 10:56 AM
I have always questioned the logic of restricting a rider to only ever flying your product. Like putting blinders on the rider ?
I was pretty sure PL didn't mind their riders trying other stuff but didn't want to say.
Pansh as an example has come a long way. I bought into Pansh so I could make a user educated opinion. I have been exposed enough to the new products
to know that judging Pansh today by my 5++ year old kites isn't any more correct than judging Flysurfer Pre- Speed / Pulse. Or HQ on the original
Montana / Crossfires.
Kite manufacturers develop. If team riders can't experience the goods and bads of other brands developments what can they bring to your R+D table ?
I think companies should hire kite #@%$#!s to go out and try everything they can and then come back with all the competitions ideas with an opinion on
why they do / don't work ? Maybe Kami's calling ! ;-)
just look at "tophat" on eric eck vid lol
