Sellouts

I've never understood why being a sellout is a bad thing. Yeah there area certain things I'm against and brands I don't agree with but this is their livelihood and career, we should be happy for skiers and their success.

"And I’ll just scream and shout, that I’ll never sell out
I’ll never sell out, man!
Wait... how much?"

CryptnoWait so comp skiers are sellouts by finding a real way to make money doing what they love but the same people who created comps that were anti establishment aren't sellouts even though they get are getting fat checks from brands like ruroc? SMH they won't even wear the helmets .

Sad truth:

None of them are making money.

SKRockiesI've never understood why being a sellout is a bad thing. Yeah there area certain things I'm against and brands I don't agree with but this is their livelihood and career, we should be happy for skiers and their success.

I feel that way with music too. When somebody sells out a bit and makes it big. Like should they have continued being some obscure person playing to 10 people in shitty bars just to make you feel better?

Honestly I think people like competing. I think it's more about being the best than the money. I don't think most people get into comp skiing to get rich.

Comps and sponsors more subsidize the cost of competing and being a ski bum.

decXComps and sponsors more subsidize the cost of competing and being a ski bum.

agreed i feel like doing good in comps is one of the best ways to be able to ski all the time, regardless of whether or not you're actually making money

Mr.BishopSad truth:

None of them are making money.

This is something I have thought about a lot. Not that I have what it takes but if the opportunity came up for me to ski pro I would definitely say no. Realistically you're going to get more days on the slopes in the long run by getting a normal career and retiring at 50. If we are looking at pro skiers, thats the top 1 percent meaning a CEO job would equivalent so ideally you could do a lot more skiing in life and always get to ski wherever and whenever you want.

CryptnoThis is something I have thought about a lot. Not that I have what it takes but if the opportunity came up for me to ski pro I would definitely say no. Realistically you're going to get more days on the slopes in the long run by getting a normal career and retiring at 50. If we are looking at pro skiers, thats the top 1 percent meaning a CEO job would equivalent so ideally you could do a lot more skiing in life and always get to ski wherever and whenever you want.

This is the wrong way to think about it. If you want to be a professional skier - then that is your life dream and you should follow your passion. Damn the consequences. That is what I did with my life when I dropped out of college to become a pro.

What you shouldn't do is look at it as a way to get more ski days. If you want to be a pro, then your ski days will be aggressive and you will be training and pushing yourself on a lot of them. That is great if it is your passion to be a pro, because I enjoyed every last second of that part of the process.

If you want easy ski days, then work at a hedge fund, make a few hundred million doing so and then retire to a ski resort (or buy one) and live out your days skiing at your own pace.

I never made it as a pro, but it led to my job at Newschoolers. The years since I dropped out of college (roughly 2000 or so) have been the best of my entire life, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Follow your passions with the fiery hot intensity of a thousand suns.... nothing in life will make you more happy than that.

What you should never do is try to be a pro for the sole purpose of more ski days and some idea that you will sustain yourself properly on that.

You will lose if that is what you want.

If you gotta sell out to make the bands then for sure do it

Mr.BishopThis is the wrong way to think about it. If you want to be a professional skier - then that is your life dream and you should follow your passion. Damn the consequences. That is what I did with my life when I dropped out of college to become a pro.

What you shouldn't do is look at it as a way to get more ski days. If you want to be a pro, then your ski days will be aggressive and you will be training and pushing yourself on a lot of them. That is great if it is your passion to be a pro, because I enjoyed every last second of that part of the process.

If you want easy ski days, then work at a hedge fund, make a few hundred million doing so and then retire to a ski resort (or buy one) and live out your days skiing at your own pace.

I never made it as a pro, but it led to my job at Newschoolers. The years since I dropped out of college (roughly 2000 or so) have been the best of my entire life, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Follow your passions with the fiery hot intensity of a thousand suns.... nothing in life will make you more happy than that.

What you should never do is try to be a pro for the sole purpose of more ski days and some idea that you will sustain yourself properly on that.

You will lose if that is what you want.

I'm not going the argue over happiness but the fact is most people just want to ski. You could spend 10 years getting to fuck around and ski all the time or you could get a job, work really hard, get to ski for thirty years, retire, and then skis wherever and whenever you want. I don't know if it's because the word money comes up but people usually get rubbed wrong because of my theory. I honestly think going pro is a bit more of a shallow pursuit. You undoubtedly will get to ski more working a good job so being pro at skiing is a lot more attached to the fact that you are "pro".

CryptnoI honestly think going pro is a bit more of a shallow pursuit. You undoubtedly will get to ski more working a good job so being pro at skiing is a lot more attached to the fact that you are "pro".

I would heavily debate that you get to ski more with a good job. Even with my job in the industry - Remember, all I do with my life is run Newschoolers.com - I basically ski on weekends and occasionally at events I go to. Working a highly paid job like an accountant, you as well only get to ski on weekends. The crushing reality of the world - which includes my job at Newschoolers - usually doesn't allow you to ski more than a few days a week.

The idea that you could get rich and then ski all the time is great, but what percentage of us exit a tech startup or make bank on Wall St. just to retire to ski all the time?

When you try to be a pro - you ski all day every day. When I was trying to be a pro, I was a park staff for money and then trained for fun. I did roughly 165 days per year on snow, because I also worked at summer camps in the parks.

Looking at the idea of being a professional skier as a shallow pursuit also ignores all of the young skiers that you inspire. Most of these people make hardly anything, and even if they do the chances of their career lasting 10 years is slim at best. So really, you are basically sacrificing some of the most important years of your life for something you are so passionate about that you don't care.

As such, you could easily argue that Pros are taking a massive sacrifice to inspire a new generation. Those who get "real jobs" and ski as a hobby are the consumers that buy product... the pros are the people that provide inspiration so that those with jobs feel meaning other than making money for corporate America.

Mr.BishopI would heavily debate that you get to ski more with a good job. Even with my job in the industry - Remember, all I do with my life is run Newschoolers.com - I basically ski on weekends and occasionally at events I go to. Working a highly paid job like an accountant, you as well only get to ski on weekends. The crushing reality of the world - which includes my job at Newschoolers - usually doesn't allow you to ski more than a few days a week.

The idea that you could get rich and then ski all the time is great, but what percentage of us exit a tech startup or make bank on Wall St. just to retire to ski all the time?

When you try to be a pro - you ski all day every day. When I was trying to be a pro, I was a park staff for money and then trained for fun. I did roughly 165 days per year on snow, because I also worked at summer camps in the parks.

Looking at the idea of being a professional skier as a shallow pursuit also ignores all of the young skiers that you inspire. Most of these people make hardly anything, and even if they do the chances of their career lasting 10 years is slim at best. So really, you are basically sacrificing some of the most important years of your life for something you are so passionate about that you don't care.

As such, you could easily argue that Pros are taking a massive sacrifice to inspire a new generation. Those who get "real jobs" and ski as a hobby are the consumers that buy product... the pros are the people that provide inspiration so that those with jobs feel meaning other than making money for corporate America.

The idea that you could go pro and make money is a great prospect. Like I said pros are the top 1 percent and so are CEOs. I could name 5 jobs off the top of my head that without a college degree would have you retired at 50. Working for windels or Woodward sounds great and skiing that much sounds great but that's just not the reality of most people. Most people would work a lot harder into getting a job than skiing and I applaud you for your dedication but most people aren't willing to make that sacrifice. If your desire is to ski in life, and I mean the best experience possible I just don't see living like a bum for 10 years to ski half the year as the best option where as you could go out and get a job, ski for 60 days a year and spend the last year's of your life ripping any mountain in the world. You said it yourself, skiers don't make money. I seriously wonder what will happen to this generation of pros especially after they retire. it seems like the first gen guys all had a pretty stable backup plan. If you cared enough you could plausible spend 20 years skiing half the year or more compared to only doing for less than a decade if you choose the pro route.

CryptnoThe idea that you could go pro and make money is a great prospect. Like I said pros are the top 1 percent and so are CEOs. I could name 5 jobs off the top of my head that without a college degree would have you retired at 50. Working for windels or Woodward sounds great and skiing that much sounds great but that's just not the reality of most people. Most people would work a lot harder into getting a job than skiing and I applaud you for your dedication but most people aren't willing to make that sacrifice. If your desire is to ski in life, and I mean the best experience possible I just don't see living like a bum for 10 years to ski half the year as the best option where as you could go out and get a job, ski for 60 days a year and spend the last year's of your life ripping any mountain in the world. You said it yourself, skiers don't make money. I seriously wonder what will happen to this generation of pros especially after they retire. it seems like the first gen guys all had a pretty stable backup plan. If you cared enough you could plausible spend 20 years skiing half the year or more compared to only doing for less than a decade if you choose the pro route.

What we really need is to measure success in life in days per year skied.

Mr.BishopWhat we really need is to measure success in life in days per year skied.

^^^^^^ enough said