Am I too old? - Page 2 - Snowboarding Forum

BliND KiNK · 01-15-2011, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_z

The market will pay maybe something like maybe a couple hundred people out of 7 billion. You got better odds of getting bitten by a shark in Nebraska.

I get it, there are no sharks here =P

kysnowboarder · 01-15-2011, 10:34 AM

I love the idea of being good at something. I enjoy...the thought of being good enough to go pro. It is a fantastic dream...and yes I have had it the dream both in day and in sleep, not just about snow boarding but mountain biking to. Reality is I don't have the talent to start with...the work ethic is there but not the talent. I am not even that good at snow boarding to begin with lol

Going pro shouldn't be a goal...it is something that will happen if all of the ingredients are there. If you are trying and ingredients are not there the effort and some of the things you will have to do will take the enjoyment away which ultimately will wreck the attempt.

Progressing is fun..but if you try too hard it can be frustrating, there nothing fun about that.

swilber08 · 01-15-2011, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kysnowboarder

I love the idea of being good at something. I enjoy...the thought of being good enough to go pro. It is a fantastic dream...and yes I have had it the dream both in day and in sleep, not just about snow boarding but mountain biking to. Reality is I don't have the talent to start with...the work ethic is there but not the talent. I am not even that good at snow boarding to begin with lol

Going pro shouldn't be a goal...it is something that will happen if all of the ingredients are there. If you are trying and ingredients are not there the effort and some of the things you will have to do will take the enjoyment away which ultimately will wreck the attempt.

Progressing is fun..but if you try too hard it can be frustrating, there nothing fun about that.

well said sir

images.jpeg

ZenFlow7 · 01-15-2011, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_z

I don't wanna burst your bubble bro, but, consider it bursted. This forum (and others like it) are full of kids and old men and everyone in between who area already better than you (or me) and have loads more talent - all of whom have approximately zero chance of ever making a career out of snowboarding. Not to mention the thousands of kids (and old men, and everyone in between) at every hill across the country who don't participate in the blogs, forums, twitters, etc., who are already throwing down seriously, with an equally zero chance of making a career out of snowboarding.

The market will pay maybe something like maybe a couple hundred people out of 7 billion. You got better odds of getting bitten by a shark in Nebraska.

OTOH if you want to be a "snow journalist" that might be one route you could pursue. But it ain't "pro snowboarding". It's "pro journalism" with a snowboarding slant

There's also film, photo, marketing/advertising/promotions/etc., and the myriad other jobs that every major resort and snowsports industry requires to keep the wheels in motion (accounting, finance, HR, etc...). Possibilities are there but you gotta make the right moves at the right time and know the right people and also have a lot of luck.

Not hating, if you wanna shoot for the moon you f*cking go for it I won't stand in your way and hopefully you prove me wrong; but the odds are not in your favor. Good luck!

Thanks for all of the responses, encouraging or discouraging. This one in partic caught my attention though as it was what I was expecting to hear. I think its a pretty objective realistic view. I mean, I never expected olympic or similar like I said... But, as someone pointed out, jeremy jones age. Now that guy is living my fuckin dream. Im obviously not looking to out do sean white at 22 for example, but I believe I can find something I can do... possibly not competition, but as said... video/photo/etc. After watching "Nowhere" previews for the first half of an entire day, I can confidently say thats somewhat along the lines of what I want to do. Hit uncharted routes, etc. My attitude.... probably needs a little work, but my dedication has never failed me. Still hitting the slopes day in day out, and heading down to a golf course tomorrow with a few friends to make jumps to practice spins/grabs off.

Anyway, thanks all for the support, realism, and bluntness too. Nothing anyone said made me think its impossible if you want it enough

ZenFlow7 · 01-15-2011, 05:41 PM

Oh, on one further note... I would never snowboard for the money, I snowboard to fly down mountains. That being said, if I could become good enough that the money would come along with the love... thats what Im looking for

Hodgepodge · 01-15-2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenFlow7

Oh, on one further note... I would never snowboard for the money, I snowboard to fly down mountains.

you've hit the nail on the head with that one buddy. thats what it all comes down to. even for the pro's, in the end, its about snowboarding.

wrathfuldeity · 01-16-2011, 03:34 AM

Though if pro means getting paid while snowboarding...the pro/volly patrol, cat/heli guide, instructor could be within reach. If I weren't twice your age...a seasonal heli/cat guide would be way better than a contest whore.

ZenFlow7 · 01-19-2011, 02:32 PM

Just a quick update with a few more questions...

So, todays the first day Ive taken off since you've heard from me. The only reason for this is the rain which is currently washing my jump into the mud -__- But... during the days of practice, I nailed nose, midboard, and tail grabs and perfected them. I was only catching about 12 ft of air, but it was good to get a sense of control in the air. Ive been trying 180's and 360's... landing every once in a while.. Ive watched as many instructional videos as I can stomach on the matter haha, but I think I may have nailed down what my trouble with spins is. Im riding on a beautiful 159cm 02' gnu... sold off a few things that I needed to get rid of and bought some new burton custom bindings and burton poach boots. But the board is stiff as fuck. No, really. Like seriously fucking stiff. I can lift my front foot aprox 4-5 inches off the ground when going for an olly. It doesnt have any indent in the middle of the board, so Ive been told itd be better used as an all mountain/deep powder board. Ive looked and looked... but if I were looking for a cheap ass practice board for the park, what site would be best?

Second question... not quite as lengthly. As far as my "job" and financial set up.... lets just say Im on a years probation for my last job. Financially, Im okay... not great, certainly could be a shit ton better by this point... but Im set enough to maintain myself through the winter without having to pick up a day job. If I were to move at the end of winter, which Im seriously considering now... I would need to stake out cheap places to stay, job possibilities in the area if I were going to stay perminantly... etc. This brings me to the question... I have a short list of places to consider, but Im looking for advice from snowboarders who have riden at least a few of these places before I make any decision. Listed most likely to least.

California
Colorado
Alaska
Utah
Oregon
(Once all of my BS with probation is over, also very highly considered canada... as it would be somewhat closer to home than across the country.)

Any advice, as always... is greatly appreciated.

Edit: On a last note... Heli pilot is something Ive very seriously considered. While the expense of classes and licensing would be horrendous.... the outcome is endless boarding and high paying high risk jobs. Which sounds pretty much right up my ally. Im very open when it comes to what I pick up as a secondary profession... so long as I get to spend my days on the mountain, Im happy

swilber08 · 01-19-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenFlow7

Just a quick update with a few more questions...

So, todays the first day Ive taken off since you've heard from me. The only reason for this is the rain which is currently washing my jump into the mud -__- But... during the days of practice, I nailed nose, midboard, and tail grabs and perfected them. I was only catching about 12 ft of air, but it was good to get a sense of control in the air. Ive been trying 180's and 360's... landing every once in a while.. Ive watched as many instructional videos as I can stomach on the matter haha, but I think I may have nailed down what my trouble with spins is. Im riding on a beautiful 159cm 02' gnu... sold off a few things that I needed to get rid of and bought some new burton custom bindings and burton poach boots. But the board is stiff as fuck. No, really. Like seriously fucking stiff. I can lift my front foot aprox 4-5 inches off the ground when going for an olly. It doesnt have any indent in the middle of the board, so Ive been told itd be better used as an all mountain/deep powder board. Ive looked and looked... but if I were looking for a cheap ass practice board for the park, what site would be best?

Second question... not quite as lengthly. As far as my "job" and financial set up.... lets just say Im on a years probation for my last job. Financially, Im okay... not great, certainly could be a shit ton better by this point... but Im set enough to maintain myself through the winter without having to pick up a day job. If I were to move at the end of winter, which Im seriously considering now... I would need to stake out cheap places to stay, job possibilities in the area if I were going to stay perminantly... etc. This brings me to the question... I have a short list of places to consider, but Im looking for advice from snowboarders who have riden at least a few of these places before I make any decision. Listed most likely to least.

California
Colorado
Alaska
Utah
Oregon
(Once all of my BS with probation is over, also very highly considered canada... as it would be somewhat closer to home than across the country.)

Any advice, as always... is greatly appreciated.

Edit: On a last note... Heli pilot is something Ive very seriously considered. While the expense of classes and licensing would be horrendous.... the outcome is endless boarding and high paying high risk jobs. Which sounds pretty much right up my ally. Im very open when it comes to what I pick up as a secondary profession... so long as I get to spend my days on the mountain, Im happy

oh rly?
cigar_guy_1_370x278.jpg

kraig4422 · 01-20-2011, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenFlow7

Just a quick update with a few more questions...

So, todays the first day Ive taken off since you've heard from me. The only reason for this is the rain which is currently washing my jump into the mud -__- But... during the days of practice, I nailed nose, midboard, and tail grabs and perfected them. I was only catching about 12 ft of air, but it was good to get a sense of control in the air. Ive been trying 180's and 360's... landing every once in a while.. Ive watched as many instructional videos as I can stomach on the matter haha, but I think I may have nailed down what my trouble with spins is. Im riding on a beautiful 159cm 02' gnu... sold off a few things that I needed to get rid of and bought some new burton custom bindings and burton poach boots. But the board is stiff as fuck. No, really. Like seriously fucking stiff. I can lift my front foot aprox 4-5 inches off the ground when going for an olly. It doesnt have any indent in the middle of the board, so Ive been told itd be better used as an all mountain/deep powder board. Ive looked and looked... but if I were looking for a cheap ass practice board for the park, what site would be best?

Second question... not quite as lengthly. As far as my "job" and financial set up.... lets just say Im on a years probation for my last job. Financially, Im okay... not great, certainly could be a shit ton better by this point... but Im set enough to maintain myself through the winter without having to pick up a day job. If I were to move at the end of winter, which Im seriously considering now... I would need to stake out cheap places to stay, job possibilities in the area if I were going to stay perminantly... etc. This brings me to the question... I have a short list of places to consider, but Im looking for advice from snowboarders who have riden at least a few of these places before I make any decision. Listed most likely to least.

California
Colorado
Alaska
Utah
Oregon
(Once all of my BS with probation is over, also very highly considered canada... as it would be somewhat closer to home than across the country.)

Any advice, as always... is greatly appreciated.

Edit: On a last note... Heli pilot is something Ive very seriously considered. While the expense of classes and licensing would be horrendous.... the outcome is endless boarding and high paying high risk jobs. Which sounds pretty much right up my ally. Im very open when it comes to what I pick up as a secondary profession... so long as I get to spend my days on the mountain, Im happy

Alright dood here is my advice. Your best bet is on the business side of this sport. My advice would be to go to school, ride in your spare time and do everything you can to get out West/network with companies - Burton, Forum, TW snow, resorts, etc... Not trying to burst your bubble but I'm 32, have ridden pretty much everywhere in the West/Canada, been riding for 17 years and haven't gotten as much as a free lunch in a resort cafeteria. Breaking into the pro scene and making a living from it is probably harder than getting into the NFL draft.

01-15-2011, 10:34 AM	#12 (permalink)
kysnowboarder Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 329	I love the idea of being good at something. I enjoy...the thought of being good enough to go pro. It is a fantastic dream...and yes I have had it the dream both in day and in sleep, not just about snow boarding but mountain biking to. Reality is I don't have the talent to start with...the work ethic is there but not the talent. I am not even that good at snow boarding to begin with lol Going pro shouldn't be a goal...it is something that will happen if all of the ingredients are there. If you are trying and ingredients are not there the effort and some of the things you will have to do will take the enjoyment away which ultimately will wreck the attempt. Progressing is fun..but if you try too hard it can be frustrating, there nothing fun about that. __________________ http://www.mtbshredder.com/j/ http://mtbshredder.com/gallery/index.php/Wardy

01-16-2011, 03:34 AM	#17 (permalink)
wrathfuldeity Resident poet Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bham Posts: 2,734	Though if pro means getting paid while snowboarding...the pro/volly patrol, cat/heli guide, instructor could be within reach. If I weren't twice your age...a seasonal heli/cat guide would be way better than a contest whore. __________________

01-19-2011, 02:32 PM	#18 (permalink)
ZenFlow7 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 20	Just a quick update with a few more questions... So, todays the first day Ive taken off since you've heard from me. The only reason for this is the rain which is currently washing my jump into the mud -__- But... during the days of practice, I nailed nose, midboard, and tail grabs and perfected them. I was only catching about 12 ft of air, but it was good to get a sense of control in the air. Ive been trying 180's and 360's... landing every once in a while.. Ive watched as many instructional videos as I can stomach on the matter haha, but I think I may have nailed down what my trouble with spins is. Im riding on a beautiful 159cm 02' gnu... sold off a few things that I needed to get rid of and bought some new burton custom bindings and burton poach boots. But the board is stiff as fuck. No, really. Like seriously fucking stiff. I can lift my front foot aprox 4-5 inches off the ground when going for an olly. It doesnt have any indent in the middle of the board, so Ive been told itd be better used as an all mountain/deep powder board. Ive looked and looked... but if I were looking for a cheap ass practice board for the park, what site would be best? Second question... not quite as lengthly. As far as my "job" and financial set up.... lets just say Im on a years probation for my last job. Financially, Im okay... not great, certainly could be a shit ton better by this point... but Im set enough to maintain myself through the winter without having to pick up a day job. If I were to move at the end of winter, which Im seriously considering now... I would need to stake out cheap places to stay, job possibilities in the area if I were going to stay perminantly... etc. This brings me to the question... I have a short list of places to consider, but Im looking for advice from snowboarders who have riden at least a few of these places before I make any decision. Listed most likely to least. California Colorado Alaska Utah Oregon (Once all of my BS with probation is over, also very highly considered canada... as it would be somewhat closer to home than across the country.) Any advice, as always... is greatly appreciated. Edit: On a last note... Heli pilot is something Ive very seriously considered. While the expense of classes and licensing would be horrendous.... the outcome is endless boarding and high paying high risk jobs. Which sounds pretty much right up my ally. Im very open when it comes to what I pick up as a secondary profession... so long as I get to spend my days on the mountain, Im happy Last edited by ZenFlow7; 01-19-2011 at 02:36 PM.

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01-15-2011, 05:41 PM	#15 (permalink)
ZenFlow7 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 20	Oh, on one further note... I would never snowboard for the money, I snowboard to fly down mountains. That being said, if I could become good enough that the money would come along with the love... thats what Im looking for