Sponsorship in rollerblading is weird...and this is why
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- The weird and wonderful quirks of being a sponsored starter within the niche world of aggressive inline skating, aggressive rollerblading, blading, whatever you want to call it!
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That was awesome! 🤘🏻
I think an often overlooked part of this is how the youth perceives this.
These illogical and unreliable metrics for sponsorship just further demoralizes the young participants we so greatly need.
I pointed this out to Kato at Remz back in 2007 when I quit the flow team because they had no Am team. At the time it seemed illogical to stick with a brand with no ladder for growth.
They should have just renamed Remedyz, Haffey like Nike did with Jordan’s 😂
You could argue the same issue applies to all action sports. I have a mild understanding of the skateboarding industry and it definitely seems to be going through a similar thing.
We really need to stop giving the "pro" label to just anyone that gets merch. You're not a pro unless a company pays you a salary, royalties alone shouldn't count for the "pro" label. Likewise, having an "amateur" competition that's actually only people with sponsors is confusing. Getting merch branded with your name doesn't make you pro in any other sport, that's just a sponsor/merch deal.
No other sport would sponsor or merch someone who's not a Pro. Like; you don't get Jordan's by Nike without that NBA contract. What makes you special, especially in a performant extreme sport? Fans who watch you, because you're dope. *Shrug* the thing is, these kinds of sports have some objectivity to them, but are highly subjective. What you think is cool, I don't really... I'm not a big fan of hammers, like -- we don't have to risk our lives, nor do I think it's cool to communicate to the people who look up to you, that in order to ever be good you have to risk your life, Brian Shima style, is cool... it's not. He ended his career by breaking his leg in half doing a thing that anybody with a brain knew was a dumb thing to do....
But there are tons of people who disagree with that, yeah? Julian Cudot is tight; but I don't know that we need to be doing cork 9's off of rails... but he can do it, so why not? Professional technically means it's your "career" but it ALSO means your perform at the highest skill levels of the sport. This is regardless if it's your career or not. I would consider the Professor a professional basket ball player, despite the fact he's not in the NBA. And 1 agrees with me; and so does everyone who's a fan of basketball.
There are tiers of pro. Limited spots on skate brands. More spots on wheels and frames. The use of the pro title is a joke. Unless it's your profession don't call yourself pro.
jo, joey, and josiah all deserve so much more than this industry is providing ...
It is a kinda unique phenomenon. Also, in recent years, we've got a bunch of retired pros getting new skates, too! (Latimer, Shima, Feinberg etc.) I'm not making a statement for or against it, but just pointing out another quirk.
@@Oh_Its_Flannery that makes more sense to me, companies are trying to cash in on nostalgia. I know the first Shima rerelease was really popular. However, I do see your point. It’s odd giving pro skates to people who don’t really skate anymore.
Rollerblading is in an age where the people who have "successful" TH-cam channels are probably making more money from TH-cam ad revenue than most "pro" rollerbladers. All of the weird and strange things of people being on teams in varying status, and not riding those products is part of why I think that most of blading is basically dead and there's like ten to twenty thousand of us chomping memberberries of the times gone past.
@@trollerbladdering there are definitely several TH-camrs earning more than most pro rollerbladers, that’s for sure
Newish to rollerblading. This was an interesting thing to learn about the community and how sponsorships tend to look. Nice video!
oh man you joined at the drama time, just have fun blading forget the BS
Thanks for watching.
maane Jo Blee has had one of the roughest careers
Great topic you chose!
Well done. What a world this would be if $$$ wasn’t king
Now this is one I'm really waiting for, it's supposed to be funny but man... I'm waiting to see this one... 😂😂😂
Thats fucked up Blee never got paid 😮 always confusion with the unwritten rules of rollerblading!
First of tanks for this awesome project video u just made .And yes it is so true of what u say ,I remember when u had to earn it to get sponsored skate colors was never sold to regular skaters ,either u had to b sponsored by the brand or ur skate was about to b drop in the stores .when comps was going on I remember also if u win an beat the guys that was on teams the sponsors would come up to u an ask if u wanted to ride for the brand .And another thing it has to do whit the skater the style how u skate Az u do the tricks like segona can do a simple soul and make it look like something crazy it also has to do how u promote ur self in edits but now it’s very very weird u can b sponsored by a skate but different type of frames lol it just don’t end well whit companies,like razors = ground control aka feather lights I think if a pro rider would say I want wish frames on my boot it would b a small problem bc of profits and selling the setup more expensive and no lie razors till this day keep there prices faer and sorry for my spelling but once agin u made a very true point in are sport that we love the only issues I got is company’s need to stop doing that sizing wrong I think razors is the only brand that actually almost makes true to size skate
Thats funny, I saw Cudot in the white wheels at the comp and figured they were the stock wheels for the cougars. But you're right, they are definitely Famus wheels.
We use labels to organize and understand the reality, but the reality is far more complex, especially in rollerblading. The problem is that we try to use the popular sports categories like basketball or football.
A professional is someone who gets paid for his activity. But the problem arise when you find many high skilled individuals who don't get paid. What happens here? This is a normal thing out of the popular and mass social entertainment. A shaolin monk is not a professional but could kill many people labeled as professional fighters. We find this situation in the artistic world too, musicians, visual artists, dancers... there are so many high skilled artists who don't get paid (they could get money from other resources). What label we can use for this people? For me it would be EXPERT.
In this wild world of rollerblading an expert can be as skilled or far more skilled as a pro.
@@alexg7764 I get what you’re saying but I’m not referring to skill. I am referring to the inconsistencies in terms of sponsorship. I think the pro status is used a little too freely in blading for anyone who gets a signature product or anyone who starts a brand and establishes a “pro” team.
The more “underground” that skating is, the more these lines will get blurred…I mean, technically, you could say you’re sponsored or “am” if someone gives you a tshirt one time. At any rate, a company like Them is kinda nebulous on purpose it seems-Sizemore had a “Welcome to Them” edit, yes, and folks get the signature skates, but it gives the impression of more of a loose “family” (shout out Dom Toretto) versus a strict, tiered pro, am, flow model. That said, I assume there’s the select group that gets their travel/accommodations covered for stuff like Winterclash/Blading Cup/NYC pop-up and such, but I don’t know how much money actually changes hands (aside from skate royalties). As it stands, having a looser, more open-ended model gives both sides more flexibility and keeps expectations from getting too high. As for whether there are too many wheel companies, it all evens out in the end. Ultimately, the good ones will endure, and the shitty ones will fade away because the owner loses interest or the product/marketing isn’t up to snuff 🙏
Great coverage, Dave. Seems a big take away is to get everything in writing. Anyone dealing with a blading company, make sure you advocate for yourself!
@@JosiahCMaatStudios even then, having a contract guarantees nothing. I know of skaters who agreed a fee, did their part and then didn’t receive the fee and couldn’t afford a lawyer to do anything about it.
Great vid !
Big up for wheels point :)
With so many skate companies starting up there is probably even less money being generated by boot sales as the sales are getting diluted across so many options.
@@yt.damian that’s my concern, yes
Big shout for the video I want to say you’re on point with the journalistic approach to rollerblading content, I may have not come across very well in my previous comments so I wanted to say that. Also, as far as sponsorship and tiers, does anyone know essentially how much is made monetarily from actually being pro? For as long as I can remember I’ve never really heard what people earn from their sponsorships🤔
There is no set amount because it varies from brand to brand. Some brands pay a salary, some only cover travel expenses for a certain number of events a year. Some don't pay anything at all. In most instances, it's not something you can live off. Bobi Spassov talked about it in the podcast I did with him.
@@wheelsceneblading I feel like rollerblading is the only thing that has decreased in terms of pay since its early days. That’s crazy though it’s a beautiful sport. I hurt my back somehow like a month ago or I would be trying to get out and skate still. Cheers man, it’s good to hear from you! Will check the interview
Not full pro till you got a boot. There’s different levels.used to just have to qualify for asa back in the day and was a huge joke.
@@mobbskate I feel like the metric for what a pro is has always been kind of misplaced
You're only a pro in rollerblading based on the opinion of a business. As you've clearly stated in the video , skaters are pro for one company and flow for another , which is isn't right , but also isn't wrong .
In a few other sports there are federations, of which you have to win competitions and qualify to be considered an official pro.
Unfortunately as far as im aware, we don't have such federations within our sport.
So what does it take to be a "pro" these days ? A good vocabulary of tricks and a decent following on social media?
Just my 2 cents , not like it matters 😂
@@orosebud the definition has never been very clear
Unless your sole income is from blading and you’re making a living from it you’re not pro. Sponsorship and pro are very different things, these days the ceiling is sponsored if you’re lucky. I doubt anyone is paid a sustainable wage.
I'm pretty sure the only people who make a living off of their being sponsored by a brand anymore are also working for the company in some capacity full time or are part owners.
He talks about being a pro like it's some type of recognised standard. So if you're a pro with one company, you're automatically going to be a pro with another company. Doesn't pro status just represent that you're going to take some income away from the sponsorship? Theoretically, you could be a relatively poor rollerblader, but if you have a large social media following and they perceive you to be able to sell their skates, they'll give you a pro status as you're going to increase the revenue of the company. Pros get paid, floor team gets equipment.
@@jjaammeesshhiill the pro team doesn’t always get paid. In fact, I can think of several instances where they don’t.
I honestly didn’t know Remz was still a company 🙃
@@cfronin it’s not
I am unpro for Razors cause I am #StrongerThanEver , but pro for team paradise, but flow for undercover.
Man, pro for Team Paradise would have been exceptional. They literally had everything.
The funniest thing about this whole ordeal is that in the end all those so called Pros are earning so little one might wonder why these brands do all this performative bs with tiers and rankings.
@@J3f3R20n that is a very valid point. There’s not much separation between the tiers at all.
The only ppl considered pros are the ppl getting payed a salary like roces top 4. If u have a product with a name on it it’s more of a signature product than professional status.
@@judaslink3588 I tend to agree
Back in the heyday of the late 90s, weren't pro skaters paid enough that they could skate full time without having a day job? Is anyone still paid like that today? It seems like the meaning of Pro Vs. Am is less important when no-one is really being paid very much anyhow.
I think most of them were only paid enough for a teenager living at home to not need a day job. Lots of stories for several "pros" rooming together and being super scrappy for basic needs and cash for tour gas.
@@jokeyxero He's probably an outlier considering he had a lot of corporate sponsors like Levis and Gap, as well as winning contests, but on the Jumpstreet Podcast they asked Aaron Feinberg about how much he was making at his peak and he said there was about 4 years where he was making over $100k a year.
@@danielroberts2364The top 3 on X-Games any given year were likely making bank, so did people who owned merch companies at the height like Arlo and team. But most if the interviews I've heard were making a lot less. In the end it's all about how much money they think you bring into the company, whether directly tracked or not. There's just not much cash today
@@jokeyxero maybe you’re thinking later in the 2000s. There was a lot of money being made from Rollerblading in the 90s and pros were making good money, but I think that all fizzled away pretty quickly in the 00s.
@@lonerblader85 yeah, most of the stories I've heard were pros in the 00s
What is flow? This is the first time i've heard that term
classic skateboarding term, its "below" amatuer and usually just younger guys getting free stuff sometimes and maybe a clip in the friends section of a major video.. almost like an intern. Ams would have full part responsibility for filming, receive consistent packages merchandise, and are considered "next in line" for going pro and getting their own board (or boot I guess in blading) and they would represent the team as amateurs in competitions
all this stuff requires tons of cash flow to make any sense, you need companies incentivized to constantly sign young talent and curate them to make videos and produce content, but the reality is giving someone a 50k salary isn't going to make you 50k back in return, not even close. Theres only a handful of guys who hold that type of weight and they all have their own boots or companies anyway lol (Franky, Montre, Kelsos, JJ, ect)
recently more and more skateboarding pros have been complaining about low pay, the big names are super rich but the rest aren't getting paid like they used to. I doin't think thats a good sign for us rollerbladers, not that I will ever have a chance of being paid to skate anyway lol
@@inlineonline thanks for that explaination. Also, i think this whole video can be summed up by saying: there isn't enough money in rollerblading so companies divvy out what they can, where they can.
In rollerblading, there's not much difference between flow and amateur at all in terms of what the skater receives. It could be argued that Them has a massive flow team right now, people who receive free product but are not officially on the team in any capacity.
There are definitely people making money in rollerblading. There may not be a lot of people making a lot of money in rollerblading, but there are definitely people making money.
More brand ambassadors than pros.
@@nickpuncekar3767 in quite a few instances, yes.
The "pro" just sound to me like a title now... 😅
Pro means it's your Job and you don't have to work something on the side, not getting a Boot and having to work as a Carpenter or something for your Rent
@@Horstveratu tell that to all the Olympic gymnasts who work regular jobs.
@@wheelsceneblading thats actually worse because they are getting scammed on top of not being pro
@@Horstveratu unfortunately, there are many sports where “being pro” doesn’t actually mean making a living from it, it just means you’re really bloody good at it. I have met many BMX pros over the years who also work jobs, the ones who don’t tend to either win major events like X Games etc or they have corporate sponsors like Red Bull.
@@wheelsceneblading thats sad, especially if Red bull isnt paying up, they are selling poison for 2 bucks a Can
Stefan was pro for FR. Anyways, I would guess that most people's definition of "pro" is a skater that is pro for a boot company.
He was never announced on the pro team. The only two skaters who have ever officially been pro for the aggro team are Antony Pottier and Diako Diaby,.
@@wheelsceneblading That's true, but do they even have an am team? Or have they ever had an am intro edit for a skater? I'll ask Stefan and we will get to the bottom of it!
@@almostremembered they’ve got plenty of skaters who just receive product
@@wheelsceneblading Ah ok! Wasn't aware.
It's not that weird to be pro for sixwonsix and allied army but flow for K2
@@utterdisregard8176 I thought everyone was pro for Sixwonsix
It's like the show "Whose Line is it Anyway," - everything's made up and the points don't matter
Made up implies it's not true. If it's not true, why is there evidence to suggest otherwise?
Pro status should be related with contarct and money, otherwise you're just a really good skater. But from what i heard thise oast years, it seems that in the rollerbalding industry, some of the riders dont even have one
Many of the major boot brands do offer contracts. At least, from the skaters I have spoken to on Platform podcast, I know many of them have signed contracts.
@@wheelsceneblading good to know, thx. So what happened to Josiah blee shouldn't happen again "pro for free". I know the market is small, but at the end of the day, maybe they are too many pros with small contracts, fewer could allow the cpy to pay them decently more
Who’s going to fix this mess ?
@@dunwarry8318 ha! That’s a good question.
10:08 I knew Cudot wasn't holding speed in them comps on cymatics... not skating cavey he ain't.
To be fair to Julian, I think he only uses alternative wheels at major events so his legs don't need to work as hard. I just thought it was funny that he was standing on the podium, getting all these photos and videos taken, and he's not using his sponsor's wheels. But Julian is a law unto himself!
@@wheelsceneblading I'm not bashing Julian nor his wheel sponsor former or current. I just know all wheels aren't created equally as my stock GC wheels on my level one cult are horrible. The GC wheels with the checkered flag on em don't last me long at all. And the urethane seems to separate from the core. Maybe the wheels aren't meant to actually be skated?? The GC Bullet and Turbine have been MUCH better. Speaking of which I've been being lazy I need wheels again.
@@kevincollins8620 I’m not a big fan of GC wheels at all.
@@wheelsceneblading I'm not either.
I drafted many things.. and i deleted them all.
I consider a pro anyone that makes money from skating.
@@aaronhill8684 very few pros do
flow n pro ispretty f*cked i can kinda understand am n pro but flow n pro is crazy.
We will never have another dre or murda or franky blading now is basicly a bunch aragon clones and back to basic pros
@@raddog1478 a bunch of Aragon clones? Hmm. Not sure I agree.
I thought professionals made millions
If they don't, I would like to return my ASA membership card for a full refund.
To be honest do we really need pro in 2024? And do skate companies need pro to sale skates? Probably not. In any casa hope these pro have a real job or they plan to get one asap
Joe Atkinson is an example of someone bucking the trend and not skating for a boot brand just to say he is sponsored. Until recently, Julien Cudot was the same. I would tend to agree, the pro skater's name on the skate has a lot less weight than it did in the '90s when the demographic was mainly teenage boys and there were heroes of the sport who people looked up to. Now I imagine many people buy a skate based on the boot and colour rather than because it's their favourite skater.
@@wheelscenebladingI agree with this. Well said. Thank you for this video. You put it together very thoroughly
WTF? We do need pros.
@@sachalopez14 we do but they need to be pros in more than just name. Someone being on a pro team doesn’t necessarily make them pro because there are plenty of people with pro products who aren’t making any money.
@@wheelsceneblading I agree on that for sure. Comments like 'we don't need pros' are just not right, stupid.
Bambrick wasn't pro for Mindgame. He should've been, but wasn't
@@zekwilt he was. His pro wheel was next to be released. Images were floating around. Then the brand stopped.
@@zekwilt Adam Johnson made a joke advert when he joined Razors - “Mindgame pro to Razors flow”.
This dude gets LAID
It's both concerning and flattering that you ponder that aspect of my life.
Guessing there won’t be any Cudot / Wheel Scene interviews anytime soon 😂
@@Semiresponsible I have asked in the past but we could never cement a day and time. I’m not sure he’ll be particularly bothered either way! Cudot is the definition of don’t care, does what he wants!
@@wheelsceneblading probably right. That said I love your approach of sharing the unvarnished truth, scorched earth or no.
Wow Remz not paying Joisah. is terrible! They straight lied to him.
Some of the “talent” that is considered pro these days is sad. It’s like if you’re creative that’s enough to be pro, where pros in the past always had that element of very high athleticism that is just missing today. Also it’s like creativity is no longer creative because everyone is “creative” it’s just contrived now.
@@devin5068 I think that’s a bit of a broad generalisation. I can name quite a few pros in the past who had incredibly limited talents but it didn’t stop them getting pro wheels, pro skates etc.
sponsorships are a wash....been seen it ALL from day 1 EST 1989 blades on feet
As the population of skaters continues to get older, I do wonder more and more what sponsorship can offer that people in their 20s and 30s can't already do for themselves.
@@wheelsceneblading ill be as clear as day when it come to this answer.......MONEY and paid for injuries....if they companies thinks they gonna just hand out some skates...for us to bust our asses they got another thing coming...
@@wheelsceneblading were all athletes...we expect to be paid as athletes...not talkin millions but a weekly check would be a good start
📠 machine
Great topic you chose!
Thanks! If you have anything else you would like discussed, let me know.