Sponsorships are the lifeblood of professional surfers. We all know that most competition prizes pale in comparison to how much it costs to compete. But with the help of a sponsor, you can have your expenses covered as well as collect a nice paycheck for supporting their brands. Sponsored surfers spend less time worrying about how to pay the bills and more time actually surfing.
But sponsor dollars are scarcer than ever. Many of the bigger brands have cut their budgets and some of the smaller ones have pulled out altogether. So if you get one, you have to keep it. You can do that by avoiding these pitfalls.
The only place that might sponsor you if you surf like this is a toilet company. Photo: Stoke Report
1. Surf Badly
The number one rule of getting sponsored in any sport is that you have to good at what you do. There was a time when every company with a half a toe in the surfing industry was throwing sponsorship dollars at anything that could stand up on a board, but that’s not true anymore. Budgets are tighter and brands are being more conservative with who they spend it on. So if all else fails, you need to be incredibly good at what you do and spend a considerable amount of time in the ocean getting even better. Anything less means you don’t want your sponsorship.
Sportsmanship goes a long way. Photo: Santiago Bisso
2. Be a Bad Sport
Bad sportsmanship is bad news for a sponsorship. If you’re the type of rider who can’t take a loss graciously, you’re hard to sponsor. Fights at competitions, trash talking during interviews, and just general bad sportsmanship may make a few headlines, but it will also make it less likely for a sponsor to jump to work with you. If you’re the type of rider who acts like you’re doing everyone a favor by showing up to a competition or doing press for it, sponsors will be less likely to jump to work with you.
You have to show up. Photo: WSL
3. Be Uncooperative
Being sponsored means that you have to rep that brand. But if you’re not willing to do it or you’re not willing to do it the way your sponsor wants you to, you could be in deep trouble. Sure, you have your own style and you don’t want to feel like you’re a used car salesman who’s always selling something. But you do have to fulfill your responsibilities. Check your contract for the bottom line before you sign if you’re iffy about being a walking, talking billboard. That may be a certain number of competitions to enter each year, a certain number appearances to fulfill, or other obligations spelled out.
4. Do Something That Makes Them Not Want to You to Rep the Brand
So the other side of representing a brand is that who you are can affect the perception of that brand. When there’s synergy there, sponsorships work beautifully. Your image and that of the brand mesh. When they don’t, you may run into problems.
Most sponsorships have some sort of morality clause built into the contract. Basically, it says that you won’t do anything that will associate yourself–and therefore the brand–with something bad. For example, if you were to be arrested for drugs or domestic violence, you put your sponsorship in jeopardy. There can be some wiggle room. Brands usually deal with these issues on a case by case basis. But putting yourself in a position where you’ll lose a significant amount of support and income is a good way to stall your professional surf career.
