Politics in the industry.

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Ridiculous

Now you guys have all grown accustom to me going on some needless rants and going overboard, BUT I wanted to bring this topic to a discussion board where it might get some light shined on it.

In the past few years of delving down deeper into the ski industry, I've began to notice a lot of back room deals going on. Favoritism could be a word used maybe. But all of these "Reps" for companies act like theyre the coolest thing since sliced bread (I hate to name names, so I'll use initials instead to disclose their identity, D.P.) as youre trying to negotiate a deal for season with these sleaze bags. I'm not sure on the culture of "the elitist" but there are a lot of trendy people in this industry that follow that elitism moto.

for an example:(note this is just one of many encounters with the politics in skiing I have come across) an elitist rep for a known company gave me a bottom of the barrel jacket one day, just a jacket. I had nothing to go with it and I was moving back to Massachusetts. So I needed cash, nothing an elitist would know about, and I turned around and raffled said jacket off to help with my travel back home. Was it wrong, yeah probably, but was it the best choice I had at the time, youre damn right.

I think people in this industry jump to conclusions without even hearing someone's side or trying to understand why they took those actions before just writing them off.

I dont know if many people in this industry have experienced these politics in this industry as I have. But I'd like to get your take on this topic.

Oct 3 2010 3:53PM

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casual

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first. First and only time I will ever call it. Had to.

Oct 3 2010 3:53PM

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BryanGallant

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thanks for adding your intelligence to the discussion.

Oct 3 2010 3:55PM

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Mr.Turtle

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i <3 turtlez

Oct 3 2010 3:56PM

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casual

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So.....basically, you got flowed a jacket, sold it like a sleezebag, got called out for it...and so, you're pissed and calling everyone elitists?

I honestly believe that you have a severe personality disorder, or a mild mental illness. Has anyone ever said that to you before? You are borderline paranoid schizophrenic in your constant insistence that everyone is out to get you/fuck you over.

You just aren't that important, man.

Oct 3 2010 3:57PM

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casual

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^ There's my intelligence.

Oct 3 2010 3:57PM

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panojibber

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So true.

People think its the athletes just working their asses off and getting skis sent to them once in a while, but there's a ton of shit that goes on. Anon dropping their entire ski team at once with little or no warning, Armada dropping Julien, Coreupt just popping up out of nowhere with auto-industry funding and getting some of the best riders..... Some shit goes on behind closed doors for sure.

Doesn't bother me though, thats the way things work. Just have to live with it.

Oct 3 2010 3:59PM

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jensen

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ooo, you're the dude who wrecked himself disastering that box. i'd be pissed too.

Oct 3 2010 4:03PM

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BryanGallant

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Thanks for putting words in my mouth, but I never said in my message that I thought "everyone was out to get me"

and again another topic I touched on in that message was these elitist reps not even considering the struggles of an AM skier goes through to try to make it in a "rich man's sport" which ties in to the politics of the industry.

And to clarify why I had to sell said jacket that was NOT flowed to me (given to me @ Loveland's Scavenger Hunt on opening day last year) was because I lost my job at the time and had to move back to Massachusetts right away. So if anything it wasnt me being a "sleaze" It was a financial decision I will stand by 1000%.

If it was "flowed" to me then I might not of gone raffling it off. BUT SINCE I WON IT, I decided it was in my best interest given the circumstances that I raffle it off to someone that could really benefit from a nice piece of outerwear that I would have no use for in the coming year. In no way selling something I won would be considered a "sleazebag" move. thanks tho for the intelligent post. HA.

Oct 3 2010 4:05PM

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nellyyy

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wait wait wait... so what does the jacket itself have to do with your complaint about reps though? i see no correlation between the two.

so you're pissed about the politics of the ski industry but you just added the fact that you sold a random jacket just for fun?

Oct 3 2010 4:11PM

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loganimlach

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i couldn't help myself. plus your use of the word "elitist" is in the wrong context and just makes you sound like a fucking idiot.

Oct 3 2010 4:11PM

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casual

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No you didn't "say" that everyone's out to get you, but you've implied it for years.

Most recently, it was in the form of deriding everyone's negative reaction to your seizure inducing edit as pure hate. Sorry man, but you're just an arrogant kid who thinks he's entitled to shit. If, on the other hand, you were humble, gracious, and anything approaching mature, maybe you're "ski career" would've went a little differently.

I'm bowing out because I've said enough and don't really care what whacky shit you have to say next. You're a kook.

P.S. I find it funny that you're all concerned with your outerwear matching or whatever, because that plaid/orangeish ensemble you rocked last year was maybe the ugliest shit I've ever seen.

Oct 3 2010 4:13PM

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BryanGallant

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I realize I'm not an important person in this industry. What I am trying to get at is if "we" and I use the term we very liberally. But we as an industry need to progress with our thinking. I can't sit idly by anymore and watch all these people "sponsor" their buddy instead of the kid that puts his blood sweat and tears into a sport he loves. I just can't wrap my head around how some of these reps think and act.

This one rep (D.P.) has a lack of class while running his/her operation. I know he/she may be a "busy" guy/girl but when he/she tweets and uses Fb constantly, you'd expect some communication since he/she has all these social media applications at a fingers touch away.

Part of being a rep is answering questions, replying to requests in a timely manner as they come in, even the simplest "thanks for your interest in "no name skis" I'm currently busy and when we get to athletes we will inform you of your status then" But no these people have NO COMMUNICATION SKILLS AT ALL. It just makes me sick sometimes.

Oct 3 2010 4:19PM

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Drail

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"if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen"

seriously, if this shit bothers you so much, don't deal with the industry. Want some money? get a job. Want to go skiing all winter? by a pass and ski on your own time.

If you're actually still calling yourself an AM skier with hopes of moving up the ranks, coming on NS and bitching about reps on the forum is NOT the way you move up the ranks.

The way I look at sponsored skiers and their relation to the rep/company they represent is that none of the "stuff" given to them is actually theirs. A pro skier is not in the business of skiing, they are in the business of advertising. When a model walks the catwalk or does a photo shoot for the clothing company they are working for, do they own the clothes they are wearing? Hell no. When a rep gives you a jacket from rep to athlete, that jacket is not yours. It's business.

You don't like it? well, maybe it's time to join the ranks of recreational skier, or whatever you want to call us ski bums who simply ski for fun and don't bother with all this industry stuff.

Oct 3 2010 4:25PM

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BryanGallant

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And if youre thinking it's me trying to get sponsored, youre 1000% wrong. I coach a freestyle team now and was trying to get one of my kids sponsored after his results in the USASA nationals last year in copper.

So yes as a coach I see this stuff happening more and more. Not as much as you would see as an athlete for these companies.

and the correlation between the jacket and the rep is because this rep I got said jacket from is the same rep I was trying to work a deal with for one of my kids.

why do people think it's always ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME whenever I try to make an intelligent post. You people have no clue who I am as a person past your computer screen.

Oct 3 2010 4:25PM

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Drail

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so i wrote this before i realized you won the jacket. well, if that's the case, tell the rep to fuck himself... i just don't see the need for a thread on ns. the rest of my post remains the same.

Oct 3 2010 4:27PM

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loganimlach

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dude, are you just straight up batshit crazy? none of your posts have even made sense. what the fuck kind of circus is going on in your brain?

we all get the story. you nutted up and tried a 270 on in a rail jam 20 years ago, ate shit, got yourself in a viral video, thought that this video entitled you to some sort of ski career, and now you're pissed it didn't. your next two moves should be: 1) get over yourself. 2) stop making threads, because all of them are retarted.

Oct 3 2010 4:29PM

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loganimlach

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you have tried, and literally never succeeded.

Oct 3 2010 4:31PM

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Drail

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you don't give us the full story, or anything close to it. go read the rant you gave us at the beginning of this thread. it mentions nothing of you winning the jacket, nothing of you dealing with the rep as a coach for one of your athletes, it mentions nothing at all really. to us the story goes like this: "i'm an AM skier, a rep gave me a jacket, I sold the jacket to a kid and went to the east coast. Now the rep is an elitist douche bag because we don't agree on things."

Oct 3 2010 4:31PM

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Mike-O

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Oct 3 2010 4:33PM

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Dntel.

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i'm sorry but pretty much everything you post comes off sounding whiny.

Oct 3 2010 4:40PM

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Moon_Park

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I admit I chuckled

Oct 3 2010 4:43PM

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hodlekve_jibber

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this. reading this thread hurt my brains

Oct 3 2010 4:46PM

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hodlekve_jibber

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your post made even less sense than your 270 attempt

Oct 3 2010 4:54PM

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j.bird

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You need help. Serious help. I am going to be 100% truthful with you Bryan.

You are not good at skiing. You are like 28 years old. How do you honestly justify to yourself that ANYONE would be interested in working with you?? Up and comer? You are going to be thirty and entering into amateur rail jams getting smacked by 14 year olds.

What at ALL can you possibly offer anyone that HAS ANY positive impact? Ever. for ANYTHING?

Nothing you have ever done, thought about doing, or dreamed about doing, means anything to any company, ever, anywhere. you are worthless to anyone in skiing from a business standpoint, and you only dig your grave deeper with every illiterate word you peck on your keyboard.

JUST STOP. For your own sake.

Oct 3 2010 4:58PM

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lanks

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"Politics in the industry."

Best thread title ever

Oct 3 2010 5:01PM

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Mike-O

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Well, I would say never give up on your dreams, but what he's doing isn't the right way going about it. He's basically destroying his own chances - as he has done for years on end.

His career highlight is a funny fall. Do the math.

Oct 3 2010 5:04PM

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faux_real

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Gallant, why don't you just reinvent yourself? Come up with an alias, take it down a notch, and start over.

Oct 3 2010 5:12PM

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