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ok if we're talking racism, isn't it obvious that the RPM says "don't say that" on it from the riders perspective????

DirkGently wrote:ok if we're talking racism, isn't it obvious that the RPM says "don't say that" on it from the riders perspective????

mind = blown

mdksniper wrote:

DirkGently wrote:ok if we're talking racism, isn't it obvious that the RPM says "don't say that" on it from the riders perspective????

mind = blown

noticed this before has to be on purpose

sure does!

Not a colour issue. But for people that are not managing english it's harder to travel, and for a lot of poorer countries people have a harder time gjetning visas. And for most kite compsnies they pay if they Get something back, and this is easier if you have a good Internett conection and somebody to film you.... Several of the kite compsnies says you have to have your inn blog (english) and that means a coputer, internet, someone to take your photo and so on....
But we have had quite a bit of local poor kids from different parts of the world that have tried to do parts of the tour, but they still can't come up there with the top guys. It's one thing to do hard advanced triks in warm water and perfect wind, but in superstrong, gusty and cold conditions and in all kind of conditions, it's not like they are used to back home. It about consitancy and to always perform under presure, not just when the conditions are perfect. And you have to travel a lot to get there.

There are probably many reasons that come down to the ultimate selection of who gets chosen but in the end it comes down to brand image which equals more kite sales. Look at the top end riders for each company and that does a lot to reflect the image that the company is looking for. Slingshot and LF have the wakestyle locked in and that is well reflected in their team riders. North and Best seem to have the perfect balance of both and they have a pretty diverse line up. Cabrinha and Naish seem more surf orientated (as well as BWS and F One).
As for local rippers it all comes down to coverage! No coverage means nobody knows who you are! 3rd world riders will always be at a disadvantage as it comes down to the lack of proper economics (unfortante but the real culprit). Why would a company invest into a rider that cannot bring them the end result that they are looking for which is more product sales. Yes they would represent the brand well but the people who ultimately see them ride cannot afford the gear (another sad reality and shows how screwed up the distribution of the wealth is in the world we live in). No company is going to sponsor anyone that will not create a social media hype about themselves and the gear that they ride. It is better for their bottom end to employ the riders that have that aspect locked in so they get the media coverage that their companies need at no further expense to themselves. Don't kid yourselves if you think that the life of a professional rider is endless sun and sand.... the real top end riders are always looking to maintain that media edge and that my friends is a lot of work (granted it is also a lot of fun).

James
www.theglobalartist.com

Wanna be a pro.... ride every windy day, travel to destinations that have the right people to see you ride, have the infectious attitude that draws people to you, get obsene amounts of footage in both stills and video, blog about yourself, and ultimately learn some mean editing skills to put out a product that will draw in people that don't kite but makes them want to learn!!! Sales baby, sales !!!

The team riders are there to promote.
As a potential client It is easier for me to relate with someone from my country or continent. There are more kitesurfers in Europe and in north America so i guess that's why there are also more team riders from those locations.
When you relate to a team rider you relate to a brand and then you might buy some gear from that certain brand.

capitan nemo wrote:When you relate to a team rider you relate to a brand and then you might buy some gear from that certain brand.

Exactly what I (and the OP) said, but kite companies choose those guys who are not as good as most of the locals we are talking about...
For example there are ~180 Million Brazilians and trust me they relate to their own people instead of any gringo.
And now don't reply that Brazilians don't buy kites. This is 'still' an undiscovered market most (or all) kite companies underestimate. Have a seat on street cafe and look at the cars they are driving. Except of a few they are all pretty expensive and there is heaps of money floating around here.

Now I want a piece of that cake from you kite companies who hopefully got the message.

Cheers
Caesar

Osprey1 wrote:

Post subject: Re: How come only Whitey gets the sponsorships? Reply with quote
Its a good point, but I think part of sponsoring someone is also about them being a spokesman for the brand. Whitey gets chosen a lot because a lot of the time he speaks English and that is probably the most common language for the kite community (see kiteforum.com). Many "locals" dont speak english on a level that will make it interesting to listen to in the videos and promos.

A good example is Neto from Cumbuco, who was always an amazing ripper, but i think his improved English has made him much more marketable by L.F. moreso than his amazing style. Also if you havent seen him ride you are missing out.

Unfortunately even the ones that get chosen frequently sound like total idiots when they talk about the gear or kiting, but i suspect that might be a side effect of hard crashes.

LOL.

Fun to stir the pot here

So you're a troll?

@cesar: But there are several of well known pro riders from Brazil: the Madisons, Bruna, Remu, Neto... None of them on Youri´s level though