Ski Builders Forum

So I know there are a few people on here running companies with sponsored athletes. We are starting to do this with our longboards (I am not ready to sell skis yet). Problem is, I dont know what is typically offered to and expected of sponsored athletes. For now I am hoping to only provide free boards (in longboarding even the best riders arent making a living from it...so a free board is actually a decent sponsorship from what I can tell). Do you offer riders a reward system (money for podium placements)? Do you require a certain amount of race attendance? Is any kind of contract signed? Our first rider has helped us design a new product and in the mean time took amateur world champion in two slalom events. We just sent him the result of his design and now I dont know what we should expect in return. What do you do?

Having been a shop sponsored snowboarder back in the day, and being friends with many different levels of sponsored snowboarders I can say that it all depends. Sponsorship agreements run the gamut from just getting a free board with a handshake all the way up to multiple page contracts with photo incentives, contest incentives, travel budgets, monies for each signature board sold, etc... It's completely up to you and the rider (or their manager in the upper levels).

doughboy got it right. there are millions of ways to "sponsor" athletes.
we will have 5 "sponsored" riders this season. for us (as the snowboard manufacturer/rad leader) this means:
buying season passes, paying comp entry fees, obviously snowboards, but bindings and boots are also provided, tshirts, we make sure that they get video all season long and that the video actually goes somewhere important.
our goal is to make it as easy as possible for them to slay some snow all season long. our other goal is to get these guys exposure so that they can continue riding, weather that is with us or another sponsor, success for them is success for us!

most "major" brands make their athletes sign contracts that guarantee them cash (either matching contest winnings, cash for wins, cash for boards sold, etc.) but those contracts make sure that they cant switch sponsors very easily.
our best bet (without millions at our disposal) is to talk with local shops that can provide hardgoods and softgoods to your riders without much out of pocket. riding for shops is the only real way to make it on the circut, step 1...... of like a million.
once your riders can qualify/podium at any major event they can get whatever they want, until the podium there is not much out there for free, just discounts and pro-deals.