Cody Townsend Reveals A Perk Of Being Sponsored

Being a "sponsored" skier means a lot of things these days, from minor fame to possible paychecks.

What's the best perk of being a sponsored skier, though? To me, this clip of Salomon athlete Cody Townsend sums it up pretty well.

I know, I know, it's pretty obvious: the best part of being sponsored is the whole free skis thing. Not only are you avoiding paying for skis, but you can also tromp across rocks without worrying about breaking the bank.

I mean, what skier wouldn't want to get hooked up by a brand like Salomon? Or, in this hypothetical scenario, the brand of their choosing.

Although, as I've grown and my dreams of becoming a professional skier have died, I finally realized that maybe, just maybe, being sponsored isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Or, at least, it's not for everyone.

Why, you ask?

Well, for one, it railroads you into only skiing on a certain brand's skis. As a fan of variety (it's the spice of life!), I'd probably struggle with that one.

Two, you're not getting free skis (and paid, if you're lucky) for simply existing. Sponsored skiers are effectively walking billboards, meaning they need to rep their respective brands every chance they can get. This means dreaming up new movie concepts, frequently posting to Instagram, and otherwise being a public figure. In short, it's a lot of work and could make skiing feel like more of a job than a pastime.

But free skis are free skis. And this is all coming from someone who was only talented enough on snow to hold down a sponsor for a whopping single season in high school. If I had the skills, I highly doubt I would've turned down becoming a pro, given the opportunity.

Knowing I had an unlimited quiver would make me feel better about treating my skis like hot garbage, that's for sure.

While Cody is using the Salomon QST Echo 106 for many of his tours, these rock skis are Salomon's lighter, more uphill-oriented MTN 96 Carbon, a bold choice for this line.

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