How much do pros make?
I got in an argument with my friend about how much pro wakeboarders make. I told him that they don't make more money than most people on this forum... he thinks they make six digits a year. I understand that Harley might make a decent amount because of all the contest money he gets, but what about everyone else?
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There was another thread not long back about this..... Mostly just opinions, but lots of comments nonetheless....
I forget the title, but you might try and search that one out. |
I think they definitely do alright. Phil soven has a badass house, along with Shawn Watson. And they definitely aren't driving 10yr old vehicles..
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There are a select few who do really well. But the majority of them make enough to just get by.
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Depends what level you're on. If you make it to the top 10 and stay there for any amount of time, you probably get paid more than a rider thats consistently ranked 30th or so.
SOOOOOO much depends on what you do though. There are a lot of WWA ranked pros that don't compete at all on tour. Many own, or work at, wakeboard schools, run cable parks, spend all summer doing demo days and exhibitions, judging amateur comps, etc... Also depends on whether or not your boats are GIVEN to you, or if you get discounts. If a rider is GIVEN a new X-Star every year (like Harley Clifford) then sells their boat at the end of the year, that's a 6-figure pay check right off the bat. So, I think it varies ... A LOT. I'm sure that Shaun Murray, Shawn Watson, Harley Clifford, Phil Soven and other top riders make enough to not work another day in their lives IF they invest their money wisely. |
Around me, Stephen Pierce gives lessons for $175 an hour and apparently was booked all summer. That's more than pocket money.
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With that said, it wasn't happening for him on tour. He's currently ranked 25 by WWA and probably recognized last year that he wasn't going to get podium finishes (which is the way to make big money). He's way better off giving lessons, in terms of making money going forward. Adam Fields took the same approach and his school does very well also. And I think for the industry at large, wakeboard schools and camps are a great thing. It gets kids riding and progressing on the correct path for success. |
Tom, No pro gets a free boat. Some buy it at MFG cost and sell for a little profit at the end of the season and some are loaned demo boats. No boat manufacture could afford to pay an athlete $100K, plus just to ride around in their boat. The most elite get a loaner boat and a salary with bonuses.
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I know for a fact, based on insider information through dealers in my area, that there are some pros who have been given boats that get re-sold at the end of the year. |
I highly doubt any riders are given boats free and clear. This is why you see pro boats pop up at dealerships at the end of every season. They use them and turn them in to be sold as demo boats.
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So I had no Idea Who Stephen Pierce was so I had to look him up. Here is his video. Even at $175 an Hour he could afford the car he gets into at the intro stictly from wakeboarding. At least I don't think so?
http://www.wakeboardingmag.com/featu...e-lkn-forever/ |
Harley is not given a boat and dealer cost is more than $100K on an Xstar.
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Some of us are going to have to agree to disagree on these points ... I trust the intel I get. |
Where's Bill at with this one? He's usually pretty good at clearing stuff like this up. I too would like to know how the whole boat sponsor works for the upper echelon riders.
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The boats are given to team riders, and are taken back at the end of "year," contract, etc. If the rider is resigned or under a multi year deal, they get a new boat the next year to use.
Not sure where the idea came from that they can sell the boats they are given. It's like someone took the pro rider deal and a typical promo deal, and extracted the best parts of both haha! As an aside, many times the boats that end up in athletes hands are pre production units, or variations on current designs for r&d purposes. Also many times, after one year these boats are trashed. I saw bob sovens g23 a few years back after it was returned to the Nautique factory (for a fresh g23), and it looked like it had gone through a war on the water. They don't care, because let's face it they don't have to. I'd never buy a ex athlete boat once it was offered for sale... |
It's all about the sponsorship's and at what level.
I would imagine it breaks down like this for a top-ish tier rider Board/Boot mfg - 30k energy drink - 10k Boat mfg- 20k Local board shop - 5k minor sponsors (sunglasses/speakers/etc) 5k Then you have to account for competition prize purses which vary I think the more well known top 20 riders probably average about 80k/year I'm just guessing here. 80k annually can be a lot of money where cost of living is low depending on the riders hometown.... |
I've heard that a lot of sponsor money is based on contest winning match type stuff. So if a rider takes 3rd for instance and gets $1000 he also gets some match from his sponsors. No win and no sponsor money either.
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not sure if this is true in the wake industry, but years ago when I worked at a skate shop, the local pro's would come in to grab the newest magazine to search through it and get stoked when they would get a picture in. They got paid depending on the size of the shot. So a half page was X amount, full color was XX, cover shot was XXXX. They made sure their sponsor stickers were placed just right so that those stickers were readable in those photos. The skate shop sponsored skaters and snowboarders and a color photo with the shop sticker on the board was $500, a cover shot with visible sticker was $1500. That was back in 2000-2001. So I am assuming there are these stipends for wake boarders as well.... especially considering the podium shot is always with their wakeboard with their full sponsor lineup stickered up. For someone like Harley who is always on the podium and always in magazines, I imagine that it can add up very quickly.
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Social media followings have a lot to do with it now also. This was posted in Surfer mag a few months ago, I am sure it applies to wake in some form. $2k for every 10k social media followers can add up quick.
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What I don't get about the rankings that were talking about and needing to be in top 10 or whatever is hat Rathy is listed 31st, but seems to be doing a lot "better" subjectively than a lot of higher ranked pros. So does it depend on rank... Sometimes/a little bit/maybe? Lol
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gotcha!
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Hey guys - I have had sponsored boats since 1996. My deal is a bit different than most as I was never a tour pro and never the best rider. Mine was based on the fact that I can sell boats and market to the West Coast. I personally got my boats in the spring and returned them October. The company was responsible to coordinate with a dealer for maintenance and I was on the hook to keep I clean and such. I have been involved in many dealings with pros and getting their boats over the last 20 years. Typically a boat is given in the spring and returned in October or so. Some pros are allowed to sell the boat and than the pros and mfg split the "income" of the cost and sale price. Some pros buy the boat at cost and sell it at the end of the year based on an agreement amount with the mfg. The top ranked guys are getting salaries + a commission on the sale. The simple version is that is not based on rankings - It is based on if the pro can sell boats and market boats. Some guys like Murray, harley, Zane are fantastic at macerating, social media, and boat shows, other high ranking pros are not so good. The better you can sell a boat, the more you are worth to the company. In the case of a ride that markets well, the companies view it as an outside salesman so paying them well makes lots of sense. Being high on the rankings does not guarantee a boat or a scary, but of course helps. I know Rusty has slid over the last few years, but I doubt has income has change from his sponsors. He has a great following, people recognize him to his brands and his boat/boards and product sell. Murray is another guy like that. I think Harley is a new version of that.
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As I look at this page I see rusty's face on the Roswell ad - so that is a prefect example.
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