How to get sponsored at snowboarding?

Question

I don't actually want to get sponsored but I'm curious. What kind of stuff do you need to be able to do? How old or young are the sponsored riders?

Answer 1

I don't know about how old, but there are 12 year olds that are sponsored.   You have to be very dedicated and skilled to get sponsors.  The ability level differs with age and gender.  The easiest way to find sponsors is to start winning some regional contests or races.  Check your local hills and find out what competitions are hosted there and then find out if you qualify: some contests require previous experience - come are amateur; some pro-am; and yet other invitational.  

There are also workshops that help people get into competition.  Roxy and Billibong both sponsor these sorts of events.  I'll bet there are lots of others too. A weekend session would have workshops with pros to help you develop your skills and then an introductory competition for the participants.  Impress the people who run one of these, and you are on your way!

Another method is to take video of your best riding/jibbing and send it in to the companies that you want sponsorship form.  This is your least likely chance of success unless you are really good and never showed anyone yet.

As for the tricks: have  strong variety of skills: jibs, airs, pipe.  Be able to spin with grabs; be capable of going big (sponsored riders are hitting 45 and 55 foot tabletops); Air big out of the pipe; jib rails with rotation on and off.   If you can go inverted - even better!

Answer 2

There are various ways to get sponsored, here's just some of the ways you can go about it;

make a sponsorship video about your riding ability, and mail it to your favourite shops/companies you would like to represent.

enter into snowboarding contests, get noticed!

talk to people in the industry, get to know people on the inside.

But the big thing is, you gotta learn how to sell yourself.

Answer 3

you need to be pretty good. the best way is to compete a lot. i do a lot of usasa competitions and now i am sponsored my saloman/bonfire im 15 but there are like major pros who are my age. you should be able to spin with grabs over jumps spin in the pipe and jib everything!

Answer 4

Get really good, and get to know people in the industry.  Reps and local shops. Ride with them.

When you get good enough and you keep yourself connected, you'll be able to figure it out.  

Competition is another route to go.  

If you want to know how good you should be watch some snowboard videos, or video footage for competitions.  That's how good you should be.  

If you are just looking for some free c**p, you don't need to be as good, but you still need to be really good.  

Girls don't have to be half as good as the guys.  Right now there is a huge gap in the levels of riding.  What you have to do to be hot sh*t as a girl wouldn't even get you sponsored as a guy.

Sponsored dudes are going much bigger then 45 - 55 feet.  A chick should be able to hit 40' tabletops.  Thats a pretty normal size for parks at the major resorts, not considered big by any means.