An open letter to the 398th BMX kid
who sent me a “sponsor me” email…
by Mike Hinkens
November 22, 2017
November 22, 2017
Dear Jimmy,
The iPhone videos and pictures you sent to me are pretty cool. It looks like you love to ride bikes and work hard at it. It does seem that you may be able to do many of the tricks our riders do—at your local dirt fly-out and on your homemade grind bar—but unfortunately, my brand is not able to offer you any free product or support even though you promised to promote it to your Instagram followers and on your brand new YouTube vlog. Good luck and…
Actually, let me start over.
Jimmy.
I’m gonna be honest with you. You need to cut this shit out. Its pretty obvious that you wrote up one email and just pasted in a different company name before you sent it out to everyone you could think of. And lemme guess… your parents encouraged you to write this. They probably said “If you want something, you gotta work for it. If you think you should be sponsored, then contact the companies and tell them why. You can’t get what you never ask for.” And you thought, “Shit, for the first time, my parents’ advice sounds cool.” And boom, here we are. But, though your parents’ advice ain’t that bad in a general sense, BMX—for better or worse—doesn’t work like this.
So, to avoid future embarrassment, as well as disillusionment on your part, I’m gonna lay it all out to the best of my ability in order to help you navigate the BMX culture that you are trying to be a part of.
Hidden within your parent’s advice to “go get ‘em kid,” is a call for some very important characteristics that you will need in BMX: personal drive and motivation. BMX is built on these ideas. We don’t have coaches to tell us what to do, there are no practice schedules to keep us progressing, and there is no rulebook to study. If you don’t have a drive to get up and do the damn thang, then BMX is not for you. BMX, though many things, is very much a labor of love. We ride bikes because we love it. Almost everything else that comes along with it is secondary. And that includes sponsorships. If you are interested in riding because you want to be sponsored, now is the time to adjust your goals or to move on from BMX. Though sponsorships have their benefits and being sponsored can be considered an accomplishment, they should not be your sole focus (or even any focus at this point). They are simply the byproduct of other goals more central to BMX. And those other things (more on that in a moment) are where you should be directing that effort your parents encouraged.
So what should you be doing? Well, first of all, instead of asking, start by doing.
“Doing what?” you wonder.
How about working on just being a BMXer.
Ride your damn bike. That’s what this is all about. BMX is about expressing yourself on your bike and sharing that expression with others. It is not about climbing a ladder to achieve some title and or to scrape by making a “BMX-living.” I know it sounds cliché, but its about the journey. Some of the best times we all have had on our bikes were not when we were receiving sponsorship offers, but rather seeing a friend finally pull a trick he has been stressing on. Or finally feeling something click as a line comes together. Or enjoying the simple pleasure of controlling your bike like its an extension of your own body.
Its pretty much impossible to explain these things. You just gotta feel ‘em. And that takes time. Time on your bike. Time in the scene. Time out in the world. And, it won’t be all new tricks and accomplishments. Shit will get hard. You will get hurt. You will hate your bike. You will doubt your path. But, after a few years of mostly good experiences—made possible by a motivation to keep riding, learning, and pushing—you will suddenly realize, “Hey, I’m not half bad at this.”
And then, finally…
You will still probably not get sponsored.
However, somewhere along the line you will have realized that there is so much more to BMX—and also to sponsorship—than just tricks.
But you wanna know about sponsorships anyway. Enough with this deep-ass philosophical shit, right?
I have been talking up BMX like its some sort of religion, where the faithful are touched by some spirit and then gain a greater understanding. And in many ways, BMX is mystical in an even cooler way than that. If that sounds cheesy, just spend some time with other more experienced bike riders—and get hooked. Feel the sessions. Feel the comradery. Feel the passion… That is the essence of BMX and those on the outside may have trouble grasping that. But it will come eventually if you embrace BMX for what it really is. However, I still haven’t explained sponsorships. I’m getting there.
Thereisan actual industry within our culture. And it is one that functions—like all others—around money. Even though BMX is in many ways a culture of self-motivated people working hard to achieve artistic and creative goals on their own terms, there are business aspects to it as well. And since your parents—undoubtedlynot BMXers—understand business and how the real world works, they’ve given you real world advice based on what they see in BMX, not on how it actually works. And here is where they would say to me: “Forget about all that hippy mumbo-jumbo. BMX products get made and sold, right? And people advertise with rider endorsements right? So there are sponsorships, right? So, sponsor my kid! He applied for the job!”
Okay, that line of thought isn’t totally wrong. We do need to advertise, to sell stuff, to make money, to pay the bills, to keep the industry in BMX alive, etc. Just think, without the industry we wouldn’t even have bikes to ride!
Still, its not that simple. So let’s break it down. I know its another cliché, but let’s just look up “sponsor” in the dictionary:
A person or an organization that pays for or plans and carries out a project or activity; especially: one that pays the cost of a radio or television program usually in return for advertising time during its course. (www.merriam-webster.com)
Key parts: “A person or an organization that pays for [something]…in return for advertising time…”
Simply put: Sponsors hook you up with product and cash so you can advertise for them in order to sell products.
Then, to review, what is the point of sponsorship? Is it a way to admit the cool guys to the club? Is it an award bestowed upon those who are awesome? Is it some status you can just ask for?
Nope.
It is simply a business relationship designed to sell product. A pretty clear exchange of capital for labor. Most people call that a job.
And here is where you say, “Yeah, I get it. It’s a job. That’s why I am sending in my ‘resume.’ Come on!”
But here is the tricky part.
BMX is not a sanctioned sport run by some organization of old people who make rules and attempt to monetize and commercialize what we do for a profit. It headed that direction once before long ago, but we brought that to an end by pushing out big brands and starting our own rider-owned companies. It turns out, we didn’t like riding being treated like a job.
So now we like to avoid thinking about stuff like resumes, job interviews, marketing plans, contracts, and, yes, sponsorships.
So, we have a problem.
That hippy stuff from before matters a lot here. BMXers pride themselves on being authentic and pure when it comes to motivations for riding. Remember that “passionate self-motivated drive” that defines us and keeps us coming back for more, no matter what? Its what we used to push out big brands and their unrealistic or lame sponsorships. It is also what separates us from the rest of mainstream culture. Its the part that your parent’s advice didn’t take into account. So many riders would—and do—ride no matter what. Sponsored or not—for no money, with real jobs, multiple kids, painful injuries, and real world responsibilities—BMXers do this shit because they love it. That is the essence of BMX and it sure doesn’t include anything about working, paychecks, and advertising. However, I just admitted, we do need to sell products like a regular old industry. And we need riders to do a job to help do that. Its just that the idea of asking someone to do something for money (sponsorship!) seems like a sell-out move in our “hardcore” culture.
So, how can we stay true to BMX and its essence if we have to pay people to advertise for us like it’s a job? How do sponsorships fit into our culture?
Like so many things in this world, there is a complicated balancing act. Companies have to walk a fine line. They need to run a business, but they have to keep it in line with what BMX is all about. And riders are needed—and sure could benefit from some product and cash—but they have been working their whole life to do something they love simply for the pleasure of doing it. How does all of this work together!?
Simply, we make it work; but, on our own terms:
What it takes to be sponsored in the BMX world.
1. Sponsored riders need to be authentic. Selling BMX products takes a lot more than just being good at bike riding and showing that off. Kids don’t wanna buy some part because Tony the Tiger says its cool as he does a backflip into a bowl of cereal. Kids wanna buy a part because a badass, hardcore, and amazing dude like Dak rides it and proves that it is the real deal, just like him. In our culture, if you want respect and the influence that comes with it and allows you to sell products for your sponsor, you gotta be the real deal. Keep reading…
2. Sponsored riders need to have put in their time. You wanna be authentic? Well, that takes time and effort to develop. Time for someone to prove that they are a genuinely cool person who is in BMX because they love it. Time for them to stick it out through injuries, setbacks, and downtimes. Time to prove that they are here to stay and for the right reasons. Time to learn what BMX is all about. Only with time and experience can you become authentic and only then are you both an important part of the BMX community as well as a valuable person for a brand to sponsor.
3. Sponsored riders need to have given back to BMX. We are a small and fairly self-supporting group. Everyone needs to help pull the weight of BMX in order for it to exist. Riders who have given back have earned a right to reap the benefits of sponsorships. BMX is more than just riding (duh) and things like jams, events, media creation, etc. all require effort. Almost all sponsored riders have helped BMX grow in some way. Riding your bike isn’t the only way you earn a sponsorship.
4. Sponsored riders don’t ask to be sponsored. Yes, companies do need to find people for their teams, but they sure don’t need applications. Most sponsorships come about naturally because the rider is connected in some way to the brand. The rider probably hangs out with the team, the manager, or even the owner. And those people probably like him (or her) because the rider understands and lives numbers 1-3 from above. Not to mention, nobody wants someone on their time that they don’t like, no matter how good they are. And, if everyone involved hits it off, a relationship may form (just like dating), and people may start talking about sponsorships.
This means: do not send sponsor-me emails!
1. Sponsored riders need to get out of their bubble and travel. Travel in and of itself is one of the best parts of life. It produces valuable experiences that help one grow and mature as a person andas a bike rider. There is nothing like some life-lessons on the road to help you understand the world more. And, that can also help sell bike parts. Don’t forget, being sponsored is a job and selling parts is the task. That authenticity that I mentioned in #1—that you need—is best understood and confirmed by people when felt face-to-face. In order to do that, you need to get out and expose yourself to more than just your local crew. The more people you meet; the more people that are exposed to you and the product you are riding. And yes, I know, YouTube and Instagram can reach every continent and millions of people in seconds. Good. Use those too. Make videos that people want to see—decent quality and with some thought put into them. You will learn stuff yet again, help grow your image, and—if you do a good job—check off task #3 and give something back to BMX.
2. And yes… Sponsored riders do need to be good at bike riding.But, what is the definition of “good?” Like all art, BMX is in the eye of the beholder. In such a diverse culture there is bound to be a ton of definitions of what makes a BMXer “good.” And though tricks can be a measure of that, most people use another way to determine how “good” at bike riding someone is: creativity. Creative riders who are talented at riding a bike will catch your eye. What they do will be interesting. What they do will be inspiring. And what they do will be evidence. It will be evidence of the things I just listed above: time on a bike, dedication to the growth of BMX, worldly experience, good personality, and authenticity. Now, add in the magic ingredients of passion and motivation and you have a “good” bike rider. And a rider who fits that definition of “good” is a rider who people want to meet. To be around. To emulate. To learn from. And to have representing their brand. It is that type of rider who walks the line and can stay true to the essence of BMX and also help sell products as a sponsored employee.
------------------------
Sound easy?
It's not. Even those who check all of the boxes above, can still fail as sponsored riders. Crossing the threshold into sponsorship is a big step. Paradoxically, in a culture where “doing it for the sake of doing it” is primary, being a sponsored rider brings the reality that you must also “do it for the sake of… making a sponsor happy and selling stuff.” This can be a hard transition for some. And the somewhat high rate-of-failure of sponsored riders makes brands even more cautious about hooking people up.
The challenge of sponsorship is balancing the passionate roots that got you there, but also incorporating the business-esque attitudes that are often shunned in BMX. I just spent the last five pages telling you to be cool, chill out, ride for the love of it, and don’t act like a money-hungry ladder climber, but once you are sponsored, that gets turned on its head.
Suddenly, you need to be riding your bike at certain times, in certain places, and in certain ways. Your social media (you better have some!) is dominated by riding and brand content. Your clothing, style, and behavior are under scrutiny from your bosses and your audience. And your riding is out there for everyone to see—and judge.
It all can become a painful reminder that: “Shit, being sponsored is a job!”
Thankfully, your bosses are also BMXers and as such, they should be pretty damn cool. They should understand and so should you; because you didn’t get sponsored at 15-years-old because you could do some of the tricks that a pro-rider could do. You put in your time. You learned the ropes. You understand the complexities of BMX culture and the industry that it relies on to survive. You became a BMXer.
But now we have gotten way ahead of ourselves.
Backing up to your original question.
No. We are not looking to sponsor someone. And you shouldn’t be looking to get sponsored. You have a long way to go. So instead of stressing on something that ain’t everything its cracked up to be, enjoy the ride. Do it because you love it. And stick with it. Almost everything necessary for sponsorship grows when you live BMX to its fullest.
And when you are finally faced with that choice, you can decide, “Do I even want this?”
Sincerely,
Mike Hinkens
P.S. Don’t wanna listen to me? How about one of the best bike riders in the world, Devon Smillie? He hit the nail right on the head: “I hope that you’re riding BMX because you have a passion for it, not to go pro. If you really love it, progression just comes easy and you have fun. People like that. People don’t like when you’re constantly asking to be hooked up. It looks too hungry. There is nothing wrong with being hungry, but show it through your riding, not by expecting everything. You have to put in the work.” - http://digbmx.com/features/ignition-06-devon-smillie
P.P.S. In July of 1998, I sat in front of my TV with 2 VCR’s connected to my video camera and screamed at the screen as I continually failed to edit together a few clips I had filmed on my hi-8 camera. I never mailed a section of my riding to Standard Byke Co., not because I was enlightened and understood BMX sponsorships, but because I could not edit the mother fucker. If I had an iPhone and an Instagram account, I definitely would have succeeded in “asking for it,” as my parents encouraged me to. Jimmy, I know where you have been. And I know where you can go. Its only gonna get better as long as you focus on what really matter: riding. Now stop reading this. Call your friends. And go ride your bike. That’s what the rest of us are doing.
The iPhone videos and pictures you sent to me are pretty cool. It looks like you love to ride bikes and work hard at it. It does seem that you may be able to do many of the tricks our riders do—at your local dirt fly-out and on your homemade grind bar—but unfortunately, my brand is not able to offer you any free product or support even though you promised to promote it to your Instagram followers and on your brand new YouTube vlog. Good luck and…
Actually, let me start over.
Jimmy.
I’m gonna be honest with you. You need to cut this shit out. Its pretty obvious that you wrote up one email and just pasted in a different company name before you sent it out to everyone you could think of. And lemme guess… your parents encouraged you to write this. They probably said “If you want something, you gotta work for it. If you think you should be sponsored, then contact the companies and tell them why. You can’t get what you never ask for.” And you thought, “Shit, for the first time, my parents’ advice sounds cool.” And boom, here we are. But, though your parents’ advice ain’t that bad in a general sense, BMX—for better or worse—doesn’t work like this.
So, to avoid future embarrassment, as well as disillusionment on your part, I’m gonna lay it all out to the best of my ability in order to help you navigate the BMX culture that you are trying to be a part of.
Hidden within your parent’s advice to “go get ‘em kid,” is a call for some very important characteristics that you will need in BMX: personal drive and motivation. BMX is built on these ideas. We don’t have coaches to tell us what to do, there are no practice schedules to keep us progressing, and there is no rulebook to study. If you don’t have a drive to get up and do the damn thang, then BMX is not for you. BMX, though many things, is very much a labor of love. We ride bikes because we love it. Almost everything else that comes along with it is secondary. And that includes sponsorships. If you are interested in riding because you want to be sponsored, now is the time to adjust your goals or to move on from BMX. Though sponsorships have their benefits and being sponsored can be considered an accomplishment, they should not be your sole focus (or even any focus at this point). They are simply the byproduct of other goals more central to BMX. And those other things (more on that in a moment) are where you should be directing that effort your parents encouraged.
So what should you be doing? Well, first of all, instead of asking, start by doing.
“Doing what?” you wonder.
How about working on just being a BMXer.
Ride your damn bike. That’s what this is all about. BMX is about expressing yourself on your bike and sharing that expression with others. It is not about climbing a ladder to achieve some title and or to scrape by making a “BMX-living.” I know it sounds cliché, but its about the journey. Some of the best times we all have had on our bikes were not when we were receiving sponsorship offers, but rather seeing a friend finally pull a trick he has been stressing on. Or finally feeling something click as a line comes together. Or enjoying the simple pleasure of controlling your bike like its an extension of your own body.
Its pretty much impossible to explain these things. You just gotta feel ‘em. And that takes time. Time on your bike. Time in the scene. Time out in the world. And, it won’t be all new tricks and accomplishments. Shit will get hard. You will get hurt. You will hate your bike. You will doubt your path. But, after a few years of mostly good experiences—made possible by a motivation to keep riding, learning, and pushing—you will suddenly realize, “Hey, I’m not half bad at this.”
And then, finally…
You will still probably not get sponsored.
However, somewhere along the line you will have realized that there is so much more to BMX—and also to sponsorship—than just tricks.
But you wanna know about sponsorships anyway. Enough with this deep-ass philosophical shit, right?
I have been talking up BMX like its some sort of religion, where the faithful are touched by some spirit and then gain a greater understanding. And in many ways, BMX is mystical in an even cooler way than that. If that sounds cheesy, just spend some time with other more experienced bike riders—and get hooked. Feel the sessions. Feel the comradery. Feel the passion… That is the essence of BMX and those on the outside may have trouble grasping that. But it will come eventually if you embrace BMX for what it really is. However, I still haven’t explained sponsorships. I’m getting there.
Thereisan actual industry within our culture. And it is one that functions—like all others—around money. Even though BMX is in many ways a culture of self-motivated people working hard to achieve artistic and creative goals on their own terms, there are business aspects to it as well. And since your parents—undoubtedlynot BMXers—understand business and how the real world works, they’ve given you real world advice based on what they see in BMX, not on how it actually works. And here is where they would say to me: “Forget about all that hippy mumbo-jumbo. BMX products get made and sold, right? And people advertise with rider endorsements right? So there are sponsorships, right? So, sponsor my kid! He applied for the job!”
Okay, that line of thought isn’t totally wrong. We do need to advertise, to sell stuff, to make money, to pay the bills, to keep the industry in BMX alive, etc. Just think, without the industry we wouldn’t even have bikes to ride!
Still, its not that simple. So let’s break it down. I know its another cliché, but let’s just look up “sponsor” in the dictionary:
A person or an organization that pays for or plans and carries out a project or activity; especially: one that pays the cost of a radio or television program usually in return for advertising time during its course. (www.merriam-webster.com)
Key parts: “A person or an organization that pays for [something]…in return for advertising time…”
Simply put: Sponsors hook you up with product and cash so you can advertise for them in order to sell products.
Then, to review, what is the point of sponsorship? Is it a way to admit the cool guys to the club? Is it an award bestowed upon those who are awesome? Is it some status you can just ask for?
Nope.
It is simply a business relationship designed to sell product. A pretty clear exchange of capital for labor. Most people call that a job.
And here is where you say, “Yeah, I get it. It’s a job. That’s why I am sending in my ‘resume.’ Come on!”
But here is the tricky part.
BMX is not a sanctioned sport run by some organization of old people who make rules and attempt to monetize and commercialize what we do for a profit. It headed that direction once before long ago, but we brought that to an end by pushing out big brands and starting our own rider-owned companies. It turns out, we didn’t like riding being treated like a job.
So now we like to avoid thinking about stuff like resumes, job interviews, marketing plans, contracts, and, yes, sponsorships.
So, we have a problem.
That hippy stuff from before matters a lot here. BMXers pride themselves on being authentic and pure when it comes to motivations for riding. Remember that “passionate self-motivated drive” that defines us and keeps us coming back for more, no matter what? Its what we used to push out big brands and their unrealistic or lame sponsorships. It is also what separates us from the rest of mainstream culture. Its the part that your parent’s advice didn’t take into account. So many riders would—and do—ride no matter what. Sponsored or not—for no money, with real jobs, multiple kids, painful injuries, and real world responsibilities—BMXers do this shit because they love it. That is the essence of BMX and it sure doesn’t include anything about working, paychecks, and advertising. However, I just admitted, we do need to sell products like a regular old industry. And we need riders to do a job to help do that. Its just that the idea of asking someone to do something for money (sponsorship!) seems like a sell-out move in our “hardcore” culture.
So, how can we stay true to BMX and its essence if we have to pay people to advertise for us like it’s a job? How do sponsorships fit into our culture?
Like so many things in this world, there is a complicated balancing act. Companies have to walk a fine line. They need to run a business, but they have to keep it in line with what BMX is all about. And riders are needed—and sure could benefit from some product and cash—but they have been working their whole life to do something they love simply for the pleasure of doing it. How does all of this work together!?
Simply, we make it work; but, on our own terms:
What it takes to be sponsored in the BMX world.
1. Sponsored riders need to be authentic. Selling BMX products takes a lot more than just being good at bike riding and showing that off. Kids don’t wanna buy some part because Tony the Tiger says its cool as he does a backflip into a bowl of cereal. Kids wanna buy a part because a badass, hardcore, and amazing dude like Dak rides it and proves that it is the real deal, just like him. In our culture, if you want respect and the influence that comes with it and allows you to sell products for your sponsor, you gotta be the real deal. Keep reading…
2. Sponsored riders need to have put in their time. You wanna be authentic? Well, that takes time and effort to develop. Time for someone to prove that they are a genuinely cool person who is in BMX because they love it. Time for them to stick it out through injuries, setbacks, and downtimes. Time to prove that they are here to stay and for the right reasons. Time to learn what BMX is all about. Only with time and experience can you become authentic and only then are you both an important part of the BMX community as well as a valuable person for a brand to sponsor.
3. Sponsored riders need to have given back to BMX. We are a small and fairly self-supporting group. Everyone needs to help pull the weight of BMX in order for it to exist. Riders who have given back have earned a right to reap the benefits of sponsorships. BMX is more than just riding (duh) and things like jams, events, media creation, etc. all require effort. Almost all sponsored riders have helped BMX grow in some way. Riding your bike isn’t the only way you earn a sponsorship.
4. Sponsored riders don’t ask to be sponsored. Yes, companies do need to find people for their teams, but they sure don’t need applications. Most sponsorships come about naturally because the rider is connected in some way to the brand. The rider probably hangs out with the team, the manager, or even the owner. And those people probably like him (or her) because the rider understands and lives numbers 1-3 from above. Not to mention, nobody wants someone on their time that they don’t like, no matter how good they are. And, if everyone involved hits it off, a relationship may form (just like dating), and people may start talking about sponsorships.
This means: do not send sponsor-me emails!
1. Sponsored riders need to get out of their bubble and travel. Travel in and of itself is one of the best parts of life. It produces valuable experiences that help one grow and mature as a person andas a bike rider. There is nothing like some life-lessons on the road to help you understand the world more. And, that can also help sell bike parts. Don’t forget, being sponsored is a job and selling parts is the task. That authenticity that I mentioned in #1—that you need—is best understood and confirmed by people when felt face-to-face. In order to do that, you need to get out and expose yourself to more than just your local crew. The more people you meet; the more people that are exposed to you and the product you are riding. And yes, I know, YouTube and Instagram can reach every continent and millions of people in seconds. Good. Use those too. Make videos that people want to see—decent quality and with some thought put into them. You will learn stuff yet again, help grow your image, and—if you do a good job—check off task #3 and give something back to BMX.
2. And yes… Sponsored riders do need to be good at bike riding.But, what is the definition of “good?” Like all art, BMX is in the eye of the beholder. In such a diverse culture there is bound to be a ton of definitions of what makes a BMXer “good.” And though tricks can be a measure of that, most people use another way to determine how “good” at bike riding someone is: creativity. Creative riders who are talented at riding a bike will catch your eye. What they do will be interesting. What they do will be inspiring. And what they do will be evidence. It will be evidence of the things I just listed above: time on a bike, dedication to the growth of BMX, worldly experience, good personality, and authenticity. Now, add in the magic ingredients of passion and motivation and you have a “good” bike rider. And a rider who fits that definition of “good” is a rider who people want to meet. To be around. To emulate. To learn from. And to have representing their brand. It is that type of rider who walks the line and can stay true to the essence of BMX and also help sell products as a sponsored employee.
------------------------
Sound easy?
It's not. Even those who check all of the boxes above, can still fail as sponsored riders. Crossing the threshold into sponsorship is a big step. Paradoxically, in a culture where “doing it for the sake of doing it” is primary, being a sponsored rider brings the reality that you must also “do it for the sake of… making a sponsor happy and selling stuff.” This can be a hard transition for some. And the somewhat high rate-of-failure of sponsored riders makes brands even more cautious about hooking people up.
The challenge of sponsorship is balancing the passionate roots that got you there, but also incorporating the business-esque attitudes that are often shunned in BMX. I just spent the last five pages telling you to be cool, chill out, ride for the love of it, and don’t act like a money-hungry ladder climber, but once you are sponsored, that gets turned on its head.
Suddenly, you need to be riding your bike at certain times, in certain places, and in certain ways. Your social media (you better have some!) is dominated by riding and brand content. Your clothing, style, and behavior are under scrutiny from your bosses and your audience. And your riding is out there for everyone to see—and judge.
It all can become a painful reminder that: “Shit, being sponsored is a job!”
Thankfully, your bosses are also BMXers and as such, they should be pretty damn cool. They should understand and so should you; because you didn’t get sponsored at 15-years-old because you could do some of the tricks that a pro-rider could do. You put in your time. You learned the ropes. You understand the complexities of BMX culture and the industry that it relies on to survive. You became a BMXer.
But now we have gotten way ahead of ourselves.
Backing up to your original question.
No. We are not looking to sponsor someone. And you shouldn’t be looking to get sponsored. You have a long way to go. So instead of stressing on something that ain’t everything its cracked up to be, enjoy the ride. Do it because you love it. And stick with it. Almost everything necessary for sponsorship grows when you live BMX to its fullest.
And when you are finally faced with that choice, you can decide, “Do I even want this?”
Sincerely,
Mike Hinkens
P.S. Don’t wanna listen to me? How about one of the best bike riders in the world, Devon Smillie? He hit the nail right on the head: “I hope that you’re riding BMX because you have a passion for it, not to go pro. If you really love it, progression just comes easy and you have fun. People like that. People don’t like when you’re constantly asking to be hooked up. It looks too hungry. There is nothing wrong with being hungry, but show it through your riding, not by expecting everything. You have to put in the work.” - http://digbmx.com/features/ignition-06-devon-smillie
P.P.S. In July of 1998, I sat in front of my TV with 2 VCR’s connected to my video camera and screamed at the screen as I continually failed to edit together a few clips I had filmed on my hi-8 camera. I never mailed a section of my riding to Standard Byke Co., not because I was enlightened and understood BMX sponsorships, but because I could not edit the mother fucker. If I had an iPhone and an Instagram account, I definitely would have succeeded in “asking for it,” as my parents encouraged me to. Jimmy, I know where you have been. And I know where you can go. Its only gonna get better as long as you focus on what really matter: riding. Now stop reading this. Call your friends. And go ride your bike. That’s what the rest of us are doing.
Responses
11/21/2017
Mikell Ogle:
Mike, I really enjoyed your post. I’m a 25 year old male who doesn’t want to be sponsored or doesn’t care to be. I grew up riding bikes as a child, traded it for skateboarding, and then traded skateboarding for bmx. Bmx just felt more natural to me and helped me gain a better understanding of the world. It was used as a means to help me get sober from the usage of drugs and has taken me out into public situations to help me learn more about people. I feel as if I’m too old to get sponsered now and don’t really care about it. I’m really just there to be around friends, provide an artistic mind set through photography to help other riders gain and fulfill their needs. I’ve also been very fortunate to meet some of the well known faces that have been able to craft bmx into what it is. I whole-heartedly choose to support F.B.M, because they encourage people to “just ride” and get involved. I will continue to buy products from them based off of that idea. Thank you for your contribution, also thank you for striving to keep bicycle motocross a cultural entity that revolves around expression, art, friendship, and travel.
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11/27/2017
Evan Smedley
Once again I’m sitting here with a huge grin because you have said everything that should and needs to be said. I can’t help but laugh when remembering back to when I was a kid and wanted to be sponsored. I’m now 29 years old, had been hooked up by a few amazing companies and still thinking man it would be sweet to be sponsored! Man to be able to just wake up and ride all day, must be the life!
I’ve learned a lot of the years, having managed a bike shop, living in Austin, and meeting so many amazing people through this sport. If there was one thing I could teach my daughter it’s that bmx is all about having fun, being sponsored does not make you a great bike rider.
Mikell Ogle:
Mike, I really enjoyed your post. I’m a 25 year old male who doesn’t want to be sponsored or doesn’t care to be. I grew up riding bikes as a child, traded it for skateboarding, and then traded skateboarding for bmx. Bmx just felt more natural to me and helped me gain a better understanding of the world. It was used as a means to help me get sober from the usage of drugs and has taken me out into public situations to help me learn more about people. I feel as if I’m too old to get sponsered now and don’t really care about it. I’m really just there to be around friends, provide an artistic mind set through photography to help other riders gain and fulfill their needs. I’ve also been very fortunate to meet some of the well known faces that have been able to craft bmx into what it is. I whole-heartedly choose to support F.B.M, because they encourage people to “just ride” and get involved. I will continue to buy products from them based off of that idea. Thank you for your contribution, also thank you for striving to keep bicycle motocross a cultural entity that revolves around expression, art, friendship, and travel.
---------------------------
11/27/2017
Evan Smedley
Once again I’m sitting here with a huge grin because you have said everything that should and needs to be said. I can’t help but laugh when remembering back to when I was a kid and wanted to be sponsored. I’m now 29 years old, had been hooked up by a few amazing companies and still thinking man it would be sweet to be sponsored! Man to be able to just wake up and ride all day, must be the life!
I’ve learned a lot of the years, having managed a bike shop, living in Austin, and meeting so many amazing people through this sport. If there was one thing I could teach my daughter it’s that bmx is all about having fun, being sponsored does not make you a great bike rider.