[Robsons]

Potentially a bit of hearsay but I have been reading from many sources that FiveTen have dropped a lot of their UK athletes.
Does anyone know why this is?
It seems to be unexpected from the athletes' perspectives?
Some of these guys are the UK's best trad and sport climbers - perhaps not commercial enough?

[slackline]

You must follow Grimer ClimbingRumours on Twatter.

[abarro81]

Yeah, they've dropped loads of people. Not sure why, someone told me Big Stone were having issues but no idea if that's true or not.

[dobbin]

perhaps rather than spreading themselves thin giving a few pairs of free boots to lots of people they're thinking they will concentrate their efforts on one or two and allow those to travel etc?

[a dense loner]

Perhaps not Ben. The four athletes they've kept are two couples. Is this the future for sponsorship?

[Doylo]

They've sponsored Mcclures wife????

[Wood FT]

Perhaps not Ben. The four athletes they've kept are two couples. Is this the future for sponsorship?

forward thinking innit, wad + wad x  = super wad born into anasazis

I think it's a shame they appear to have moved away from trad climbing but that might just be a coincidence and I have a tinfoil hat.....

[tomtom]

If they are only sponsoring couples, maybe Dense and Dobbin could hook up for mutual pleasure benefit?

[a dense loner]

Sorry I always forget McClure's sponsored by 5.10 since he imports, reps or whatever it's called these days, for la sportiva.
Anyway you know what I meant. They've dropped a climber whose done E10, 9A and bouldered ok this year. I find this fascinating

[Doylo]

I heard Caff left in a show of solidarity with Robins and Pasquill.

[a dense loner]

Good man

[GraemeA]

Yeah, they've dropped loads of people. Not sure why, someone told me Big Stone were having issues but no idea if that's true or not.

Big Stone don't exist anymore, they are now Arcteryx UK.

5.10 is being dealt with by a new agency headed by Mo Overfield ex-Big Stone

[Tommy]

I heard Caff left in a show of solidarity with Robins and Pasquill.

Oh yeah? 

[Grubes]

Out of interest who is still sponsored by 5.10?
According to their website it is only Pete and Ste Mc

[a dense loner]

Yes could we have a list of the sponsored athletes up since everyone I bump into seems to claim to be sponsored by 5.10. Imagine looking at the results from the foundry comp then cross referencing them with 8a.sponsor and finding everyone's sponsored but no one is, excepting the king and queen of the wave

[galpinos]

The four athletes they've kept are two couples.

Dave and Mina, Tom and Pete?

[a dense loner]

Ok the 12 athletes they seem to have kept includes 2 couples

[dave]

I mist admit I didn't realise fiveten sponsored any athletes. If they could get Mo Farrah and Jess Ennis on the team that'd be a right publicity coup.

[Paul B]

Sorry I always forget McClure's sponsored by 5.10 since he imports, reps or whatever it's called these days, for la sportiva.

What are you on about?

[T_B]

Ste organises the 'athletes' sponsored by Lyon Equipment doesn't he? Presumably that's what he means?

Anyway, as to Five Ten 'dropping' athletes, it's not Five Ten is it. The brand has a new distributor so it's not really accurate to say "they've decided to keep so and so, but not so and so". New distributor, new marketing budget and new look at who is putting out tweets, video etc and therefore has the potential to give them the biggest exposure for least cost.

[Wood FT]

right nice one, better get tweeting about what you've had for dinner or how well training went if you want some free shoes kids.


obviously it's just business, fuck business. 

[gme]

obviously it's just business, fuck business.
[/quote]

Did anyone honestly believe that any companies sponsor people to help them get better. Its just not the case and never was. Companies give people stuff in return for exposure and return on the investment made. Its business.

Therefore those with the highest profiles get the best deals. This can be the best climbers but often isn't, just as likely to be the ones who are in the mags/blogs/internet the most as this is where the buying public see them. Most climbers dont know the difference between E8-E10, 9a -9b, 8A-8B they are all just dreams that they are unlikely ever to attain, so to them anyone climbing those grades are amazing. So they are influenced by who they see and read about.

If you want a good sponsor deal you have to give the person paying you a return, and if that means prostituting your self then get on with it or just buy your own stuff. They are not rewarding you for being good they are rewarding you for advertising there product.

[Doylo]

Doesn't matter if you climb 9a, one blog every 6 months isn't going to cut it!

[Oldmanmatt]

Not sure about that "sponsor people to help them get better" statement.

There has to be a trade off, of exposure, for sure; but the two things go hand in hand.

(I just spent a load on helping with traveling costs etc for one of our sponsored climbers to head off to Spain and took on another young climber (we currently sponsor 4 and part sponsor another)).

For us, that means giving them free access to facilities and the cost of some vests and hoodies. A couple of them do some coaching for us in return (those smart enough to realise their climbing career might be limited and it could be an idea to think about later too).

These things cost (including lost revenue) more than a reasonable ad spot on local radio; which would reach far more "newbies" than a hundred UKC, 8a articles and therefore have a greater return.

This is going to be true for gear manufacturers too. The majority of their income/sales will be their entry level products, surely? Things not associated with "stars" only known within rather select circles? So there has to be some desire to further the sport on which they depend, no?

[Johnny Brown]

Companies give people stuff in return for exposure and return on the investment made. Its business.

Sure. But in this case they seem to have made a fairly grave error in judgement by rewarding quantity over quality, or assuming punters cannot discern between the two. Given a choice between wearing the same boots as the only guy to have on sighted several E8s, or some guy who blogs regularly about his girlfriend, who would you choose?