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I’ve been kind of sponsored for various things and by various people.
Usually I get things for a specific event I’m doing. A few of these - I was sponsored with Soreen (cake) for Strathpuffer 24 hour race. High 5 (energy drink/food) for doing Karopoti Classic Mountain Bike race. Unicycle.com/Roger cooks us pasta and stuff at the Mountain Mayhem 24 hour, and helps towards the entry costs and stuff. If you’re doing particular events it’s often easy to go to non-unicycle companies who’s stuff you need, and say ‘hey I’m doing something totally stupid, fancy giving me some free cake’ or similar.
Quite often I get good deals on parts from various people just by being talkative, I’ve got some really cheap camping gear recently just because the guy in the shop was an adventure racer & ski tourer, and we got talking about off road unicycle touring and the like, and he thought it was pretty cool what I was up to. Oh and sometimes unicycle.com gives me a good deal on things, or reduced postage or whatever, just cos they’re nice, and we go riding together.
What these companies get from this, is that I do tend to get a bit of media coverage for them, getting their logo on TV seems to be something people like, or getting out the word to other bikers that this is what powers the nutters maybe you want to buy some. Also unicycle.com probably gets a fair bit of business from me, just cos I’m always meeting people on the trails asking me where can I get one of those.
Joe
Anyone who is a decent rider can get sposored. And I would definately count you in this pool of riders.
Go to companies and do like Jerric said. When just starting go to your LBS, other small local stores, and reagonal outlets of chains.
Emphasize what you will be able to do for the sport and the company, not yourself.
Talk your LBS into being a UDC dealer. Do free shows at schools, fairs, and other festivals. If someone is doing any kind of show or performance, offer to do a unicycling demo. Offer people a free short lesson, and your services for hire for more indepth lessons. Tell people who ask to get their unis at the LBS that sponsored you.
The experience and exposure you could get here is extremely valuable. This could lead to being able to ride for a living. Our sport isn’t big enough for many to do that now but it’s growing fast, and you could help to speed it up.
Edit: when you get sponsored and start to break your companies equipment let them know. Don’t gossip about broken parts or stuff that doesn’t work well. If it works good, talk it up, if not stay quite.
does anyone think a local bike shop would sponsor a unicyclist
t
Ken Looi is sponsored by his local bike shop.
But that’s partly because he’s a good bike rider too, and I think came out of him doing a lot of XC mountain bike racing before unicycle riding.
Most bike shops don’t even sponsor bikers though.
Also, a bike shop is likely to sponsor you only if you’re doing stuff that they’re interested in. Bike shop sponsorship tends to mostly be about getting lifts to races, team gear, and some kind of discount at the shop. So if you’re doing a lot of trials competitions or demos, then a local shop that sells lots of trials stuff might have a team that you could be on. Or if you’re doing a lot of mountain bike races, similarly a more mountain bike oriented shop would make sense.
Joe
how many people are sponcered?
Then i was wondering how good you would have to be if you are doing street you think, treyflips, or stuff like shaun and luke?
I am sponsored by 661
but i don’t think that REALLY counts.
To people who aren’t into unicyling have no idea what is hard or easy, so I’d say harder than pure trials. I’d say the same for Muni since it’s hard to capture the difficulty on video. North Shore type of stuff on what was probably the same difficulty as some trials looked more impressive to me when I first discovered this sport.
So in vids really try to get good angles and with demos focus more on flashy tricks.
Your likelyhood of sponsorship may be more likely w/ a larger store. I think doing lots of demos is the best method. You could hand out cards or fliers anouncing your performance and after it, of where to watch your vids, and where to get equipment (your LBS). JoeMarshall’s ideas are really good. You will likely just get discounts on equipment, like 10%, but this can lead to much more if you keep at it. Also try to buy all of your stuff there and work on developing a good relationship w/ the shop. If they like you and what you are doing they will probably hook you up w/ someone bigger or give you a heads up on good events to go to.
If you are into racing, enter some mtb and other bike races.
Try to get stories of you racing, doing promos, etc written up in your local paper.
I think a good example is look at what Andrew Carter has done. Lots of vids, including him at various events.
I got sponsored by my lbs 2 months after the first time I picked up a unicycle. Of course, I’d already made a video and I was the only one in town that had ever actually heard of a unicycle…
yea but wouldn’t a sponcer be more like bedford, or kris holm unicycles, or koxx one?
a sponsor can be anyone who promotes you and vice versa.