LIP GRIPPER
TEAM PLAYERS. PHOTO: JOSE CHAVEZ
[SCHOOLE D] GOING PRO T 40…KAYAK ANGLER
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SPONSORED KAYAK ANGLER BY RIC BURNLEY
hey are the anglers everyone envies. Pro kayak anglers. The videos, blogs, posts, tweets, kayaks, gear, jerseys, tournaments, glitz and glam: they’re living the dream. But how do they do it? How does a kayak angler go pro? To find out, I first called Chad Hoover, a Wilderness Systems sponsored
angler and owner of Hook 1 outfitters. “Most people don’t understand what sponsorship means,” he explains. “It means you love a product and are excited to tell others about it.” Doesn’t it mean free stuff? I asked. “Not always,” Hoover says, “there are different levels of sponsorship.” He explains that some anglers receive a discount on products, others receive free stuff and the highest-level pros are paid representatives. “You have to have a deep love of the sport and the products to pull it off,” he says. This is exactly why Andrew Stern, a marketing specialist at Bending
Branches, tapped Hoover to join their pro-team earlier this year. “We are looking for dynamic anglers who are proud to represent our products,”
Stern says. He explains that Bending Branches sponsors anglers who will represent the company when an employee isn’t present. “Whether that’s at a tournament, in a store, during a demo, on a forum or in a magazine,” he says. “We look to have someone giving our company and products atten- tion and support whenever possible.”
Stern adds that a sponsor and pro-angler relationship is a two-way con-
versation. “Pro staff athletes provide the company instant feedback on our current product and new products; that’s why it is important that they are ahead of the curve and give us perspective we couldn’t get ourselves.” Sponsors look for potential team members at the grassroots level. Kevin
Nakada, team director at Hobie, says that the company’s local represen- tatives are encouraged to spot talent. Once an angler gets the nod, the process begins with paperwork. “All of the potential team members fill in an application,” he says, “which has simple conditions that both the spon- sor and the applicant are obliged to fulfill.” Nakada looks at the applicant’s experience with Hobie products, an-
gling skill, sales expertise and social media contributions. So, a team hope- ful should be careful what he or she posts online. “There are many great kayak anglers out there,” says Nakada, “our team is comprised of great representatives who can answer technical questions with a smile on their face and in the end still catch fish with the best of them.”
DIGITAL EXTRA: Click here to read more advice on getting sponsored.
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