If you’ve been keeping up to date on my four-part column regarding all things “sponsorship”, you should already know what it’s gonna take to go from getting the attention of your local rep to making it to the big time. For this last look at how to play the game, we’re going to look at what not to do. Here’s a list of specific situations to avoid.

Sponsor hop: Nobody wants to be known as a sponsor *** (or town bike). Getting aligned with a brand that suits your style and image from the get-go is key; you don’t want to be known as the rider who’ll take a pay cheque from any random company in search of a bigger and better deal. This will inevitably lead to a rider not making as much as they could, but is longevity and “keeping it real” not worth more than a single pay-out? This is a question you’ll have to ask yourself. Remember that crappy sponsors that pay the bills are for the end of your career, not the beginning. If you turn pro for Ed Hardy or some other such brand, you’ve pretty much already “made your bed” and can bet you won’t be riding for a Rome or a Capita for the rest of your career.

Destroy your gear on film: Focusing your board during a contest or film session is not the best look for your sponsor’s product. Remember the equipment that “regular” people are spending so much money on isn’t supposed to break.

Let your team manager one up you: Its one thing to get one up’d by the hungry am on your team (note: don’t let this happen either), but quite another to get shown up by your ex-pro shred team manager. Better start sending out the resumes if this happens at a photo shoot.

Ride someone else’s product: That “one more try” after you broke your board and strapped on your buddy’s will end up being the shot that gets published, even after the photographer promises it will never see the light of day. Trust me.

Blow a filming opportunity: For those that don’t know, riders don’t just get parts in the big films these days because the crew likes them. Typical sponsor costs per rider can be anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 just for the chance at a two-minute part. Having your sponsors cough up this dough and then not coming through with enough tricks for a solid part is sponsorship suicide. In other words: Don’t be lazy, untalented, or get hurt… ever. Easy, right?

Of course the fun and games must come to an end at some point, and these days it seems to be happening sooner than ever. Be it an injury, a recession, a fall-out or any number of other reasons, eventually you’ll be getting the axe. Hopefully you had a back-up plan when you dropped out of school when you were 16 to live the dream.

Here are a few real-life examples of sponsored riders from the “what not to do” category.

Jon Roth on dropping Billabong for Volcom: Speaking of looking for the bigger better deal… Would you change your outerwear sponsor from Billabong to Volcom even though your debut, double-page ad in Transworld Snowboarding was about to drop and it’s too late to stop the presses? Well, Jon Roth knew what felt right and it was Volcom and the family Stone. Some feathers were definitely ruffled over this one, but Roth knew the Stone suited his personality, so he took the jump, made some life-long friends down there, and never looked back.

Mark Sollars and parting ways with Nomis: “No matter how close you are with a company, it's always business first. When I did that Gene Simmons Family Jewels show, I thought it was just going to be a fun experience and I’d make some money. I didn't think about it too much, because the show was completely fake so I figured I'd just run with it. [Note: Mark “played” a character on the show who got sponsored by Gene’s clothing company.] Little did I know Nomis was going to take it seriously and believe the episode. I kinda fucked myself on that one I guess, so remember that business always comes first even.”

Speaking out too much: I’ll leave the rider’s name and the snowboard company in question out of this one… Rumor has it is that said “hot young up-and-coming” rider dissed his sponsor’s logo at a sales meeting with the head honcho in the room. The head honcho didn’t care who this young punk was and cut him. Isn’t it part of a rider’s job description to make a brand better? I guess when offering feedback as a rider, try your best to make it “constructive criticism.”

Dustin Craven and footwear: Apparently wearing Nike shoes when sponsored by ThirtyTwo boots (part of Sole Technology, which includes Etnies, Emerica and Es shoes) is a no-no and lead to Dustin getting dismissed from the company. Want to bet he didn’t even bat an eyelash?

And as an added bonus, you know you’re going to get cut when:

A new team manager is hired and he’s younger than you.

You can’t spin every rotation up to 1080, both frontside and backside, off either your toes or heels.

You still warm up with “safety tricks” when the camera’s out.

You see groms at the hill wearing next season’s samples before you.

You turn 25 (actually, make that 23).

Well, hopefully you’ve learned a thing or two about how the snowboard world actually works. All the best, strength and honor, and we’ll see you on the slopes or the tradeshow floor handing out your “sponsor me” video.

And in case you want to see what some of Canada's snowboard industry members can still do on a snowboard (including Dez Price, Rob Dow, Daryl "Trini" Trinidad, plus pro skater Cory Shepard and more), check this video out:

Related:

Sponsor Me! Part One: Shop Hook-Ups

Sponsor Me! Part Two: Rep Hook-Ups

Sponsor Me! Part Three: National Hook-Ups

Dave Cashen Punches The Clock

Daryl Trinidad on Making Moves in the Industry

When to Call It with Rob Dow

When to Call It with Jesse Fulton