In reply to Ramon Marin:
> It's funny to see all this comments. I wonder how many of you would turn down an offer to be paid to go and explore an unclimbed cave in Oman…
I know people who would, Ramon, for various reasons. But more generally...
The problem with some big name sponsors like Red Bull, at least in climbing - and not taking into consideration the health/fitness un-benefits etc of the product - is that when *other* people go to potential sponsors for *other* types of climbing projects the companies, media and public have an idea of 'climbing' based on a Red Bull thing they've seen and if your project does not match with that they feel it is somehow lacking.
Will it be EXCITING?
Will you all have helmet cams?
Will you be filmed from a helicopter?
Is the talent hot?
Will it be shot in HD?
No? Sorry.
Much of the media and many marketing depts lack imagination, let alone knowledge of climbing, so they just go on what has come before, what has proven 'popular' and RB has the resources to make sure their projects become popular. Many sponsors will go for a ride and co-sponsor something popular but shy away from being the main sponsor of something more obscure. RB sets the bar quite high, which is good in some ways, but it can also repress others in the field, who can not match the budget, marketing and distribution of RB or similar. So they opt out altogether.
It's not dissimilar to the Everest Effect, where it distorts the wider field from which it came, despite having little to do with it anymore. The other day I was emailing with a colleague who deals with dozens of 'adventurers' every year engaged in big-name goals. He, and his company, are amazed year after year that relative novices get sponsor money to do the same things in the same commercialised style again and again, while others wanting to do genuinely adventurous, exploratory new things get knocked back by sponsors because the goal has no brand recognition, is unknown and therefore unmarketable.
I understand the commercial imperatives, nobody has a 'right' to be sponsored just because they're good or innovative. Its a commercial relationship and thus it needs to be commercially viable. Many of the best adventures are not. So those of us doing other things just need to work harder and smarter to get commercial support for them if we need it, or just go get a second job, work and save. I get that.
Getting sponsorship is never easy and I don't necessarily begrudge Gadd, Lama etc doing what they can, but we should know if we go down such paths, that it is not without some cost beyond ourselves.
Aside from all that it's a nicely shot series of videos, the guys really are great climbers and it's worth remembering that Sharma himself not so long ago knocked back a lucrative sponsorship from a major sports company, for his own reasons.
Post edited at 07:17