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 “Should I use more hashtags, #bro?”Photo: Rutledge

Insta-famous

(begin sarcasm) “Wait, what’s that? You have how many followers?!? And you got how many views?!?! WOOOAAHHH!!! (end sarcasm) Yes, having a lot of followers is cool – and in this day and age it might just get you some better sponsorship opportunities, but if 15 minutes of fame is fleeting, how fleeting is the instantaneously changing world of social media fame? Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for promotion of the sports and lifestyles we love and reaching out to a new audience. And social media has proven a valuable, fun way to get content out there, interact with fans, and more. Just be careful when you’re tagging 30-plus people in that next post because at some point it looks desperate.

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WPTC + Big Air Jim LaRiche = Good show  Photo: Cortese

No Wake Park Triple Crown

The world is a crazy place right now, but you know what it could use some more of to spread some love and stoke? Legit park riding contest series. It was definitely a bummer to lose the WPTC this year, especially given all the progression that continues to take place with park riding, but we’re confident it will be back at some point.

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 “because I’m totally pro, bro…”  Photo: Rutledge

Flow vs. Am vs. Pro

The term “pro rider” gets thrown around as much as Donald Trump’s hair in the wind, but we’re here to bring some clarity to actually being a pro. If you are on pro-form and still paying for boards you should not be claiming you are a pro rider. This is the same category as being represented by a regional rep. Being an Am means companies are helping you, but you are not yet competing in the pro ranks. You often deal with the team manager for product and not your regional rep. Sometimes companies will use you for events and promote you, but you haven’t fully proven yourself, which makes you an Am. Being a Pro is competing on the pro level in contests, being on the global team, getting a monthly income from the sponsor, and maybe even having your name on a board. If you’re not really a pro, but you’re claiming to be one, you can actually make yourself and the sport look bad.