How Many Pro's R There?

DVSDOG · Guest

I was wondering who is pro, I mean riders that get payed to ride, and how many there are. I met Steele, Thomas is the man, Grubb, Tim, Drew, Aaron, Danny,Jim. Who eles?

Kim · Ollie Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 68 City: Orlando

greg van wagnen Laughing

Byerly, Leif, Steve, Daniel Lovett.

Dave Barousse · Faceplant Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 5

DVSDOG,
Who knows? There are so many ways you can define the word "pro" or "professional" that most of the members of this site could say they are a pro.

In my opinion, I define a pro as someone who is making a living from wakeskating. Wakeskating pays their bills. Not just someone that has one or two low level sponsors or mailed their check to the pro tour before the max number of riders was met. A pro gets paid money. The word "pro" is used too loosely these days.

And in reply to Parky's post that I deleted, having your name on a companie's website hardly makes you a pro. If that is the case, then it must mean nothing these days to be a professional rider. We are all pros!

greg van wagnen · Posted: Dec 29, 2003 1:26 pm Post subject:

if you just have to pay your bills with the money you make from wakeskating im a pro Laughing

but i dont have any bills yet Rolling Eyes

id say to be a real pro you would have to be getting paid or maybe be getting free plane flights around to the tour stops and then free rooms and free entries in the comps. i think its something like that. but if im out at a party talking to some girl im sure as hell a pro wakeskater Laughing

Kim · Ollie Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 68 City: Orlando

wow. I agree with Dave.

Then in that case I guess Greg isn't pro yet. But he will be.

Parky · Guest

Dave Barousse, do u c ur name on cassettes website? hyperlite? LF? 484? no lol ok maybe doesn't mean ur a pro but it means u have a significant reson to be on the site

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

I'm not trying to start a silly little argument here, but I dont' think Daniel Lovett is a pro. I'm not sure if he even has an official contract yet. He also had a day job. But it would be nice if it worked out for him eventually because he really wants it and he has a good attitude.

At any rate, I don't think there are that many "pro's" in wakeskating.

In my opinion, in order to be a pro, you need to be an established rider and be paying your bills from your contributions to wakeskating. It's not just getting flow, and it's not just earning photo incentives. I would also add "clinics" to the list of requirements of a pro--look at the hyperlite summer demos. Quite frankly, I think a rider should have to pay some dues before they turn pro, too. It should make them hungry and really make them push it and show that they're really stoked on what they're doing. I read something in a jeremy jones interview and he was talking about how these young kids in snowboarding are getting paid right away and teams are fighting for them, but once they get that pay off, there really isn't a lot pushing them. They already have their dough and they think they're hot s hit, so what else is there? But, wakeskating is small enough to where kids are going to have to pay their dues before they get anything and I know it's hard (I'll be there) but if you want it bad enough, you'll do anything. And regardless of whether you're pro or not, one of the only things that will make you successful is hard work (I think that's realistic for life in general).

With love, from Russia,

Thunderball

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

Read it all--It will make you smarter (not just my post, but reading in general).

Dave Barousse · Faceplant Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 5

Parky,
It is obvious in your 10,000 posts about you getting sponsored that you haven't quite figured out how the system works. I have had friends that got there names printed on the Hyperlite website simply because they became good friends with the rep.

I have done Hyperlite clinics myself. I've had photo incentives. I get free gear all of the time, even before Wakeskating.com. I've had several sponsors. I've ridden in contest and I still don't try to say I am a "pro" rider. I agree with electricsnow that there are very few pros in wakeskating.

Kim · Ollie Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 68 City: Orlando

electricsnow, I agree with you about the paying dues part. Being pro isn't just about being paid and doing comps. Companies sponsor you to get exposure. Just a couple of comps here and there isn't gonna give them much exposure.

And about Daniel Lovett: I don't think he is pro. Especially for this disscussion. I don't know why I mentioned him.

Parky · Guest

well daniel is sure a pro. and he should have a sponsorship.

Josh · Posted: Dec 29, 2003 8:37 pm Post subject:

What the hell type of post is that? Rolling Eyes

Parky · Guest

Josh, wat r u talkin about Shocked

Mumble · Faceplant Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 27

I don't care about any technicalities. One thing I have to say is that Daniel Lovett should have a good line up of sponsors. The guy landed the first varial flip, and the first wake to wake kickflip and somehow no one knows who he is. It's fizzle.

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

Daniel does have sponsors, but not everyone can get paid to ride. And there have been people that hooked him up along the way; I remember thomas got in touch with him through a message board and gave him a free deck. I'm not claiming to know everything, this is public knowledge.

Lastly, no offense to daniel what so ever (because I totally respect him) but for the sake of this post, two tricks doesn't make a rider. As I said before, wakeskating is small enough and there isn't enough money for everyone (yet). Right now, I think riders will have to prove themselves with some contest results, an interest and willingness to promote wakeskating, and obviously some bankable tricks and video parts. I know that brian grubb has been trying to promote wakeskating for a long time by doing demos at the pro tour stops, and thomas has been pushing it since the beginning (of the marketing phase, that is. Wakeskating goes back farther than 1998.) I'm sure there are reasons for him (Daniel) not making a million dollars and getting a free boat from nautique. But he does have some nice people helping him out, so that's a good thing. Who you know will definitely help in any aspect of life, so I'm glad I know you. Ha! Just kidding.

Thunderball

sim · Pop Shuvit Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Posts: 219 City: Thorpe

I have to agree with electric' and Dave, the word pro is used to freely these days, along with the word 'extreme'. When this happens, people will inevitably have mixed interpretations of the meaning. These guys are both on the case, you need to know the right people to help you out in the wake' world. When that happens, you get free sh*t but don't have the hassle of having to ride gay competitions.
3 easy steps to riding for free: 1. make cool friends through wakeboarding/skating. 2. recieve free stuff from their sponsors. 3. grab your deck, and go ride. It's a simple life really!!
________
Psr-248

Josh · Posted: Dec 30, 2003 8:31 am Post subject:

Fredrick_Eisenhauer · Posted: Dec 30, 2003 10:37 am Post subject:

Well here is a few meanings for "pro"
1. Following an occupations as a means of liveligood or for gain.
2.following as a business an occupation ordinaraly engaged as a past time.
3.One who makes a business of an occupation esp. of an art or sport in which amatuers engage for amusement or recreation.

DUnno if they help. But my definition of pro is someone who makes a living of what they do.

tribal · Posted: Dec 30, 2003 11:18 am Post subject:

Electricsnow said

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

Nice josh!

Tribal, I'm not quite sure what you mean. Regarding that little sentence you quoted, I said it the way I did because I'm not trying to drag daniel down in this argument and I truly do believe he has a good attitude. I know people have knocked his wake to wake kickflip, his kickflip (mob) style, among other things. But seriously, two tricks doesn't mean you should be a pro anything; I guess for the sake of anything (as in any conversation, not just this one), that's just the case. If you need anything else clarified (or even if you didn't) you'll have to clear yourself up first.