Last summer I went to an all-day seminar by a woman who helped professional athletes promote themselves. About halfway into her talk people were squirming in their seats at many of her suggestions and she said “I’m getting the impression that in the climbing and skiing world it’s not socially acceptable to promote yourself or your sport, so how do you guys (and girls) expect to make a living doing this?” That’s a good question and is why many people guide, write, sell photos or become ski bums - it is very difficult to make a living as a full-time backcountry skier. Sponsorship goes a long ways, but is miniscule compared to other sports. I remember driving by a mansion in Rhode Island which belonged to a famous golfer and thinking what a financially poor choice becoming a ski mountaineer was. Oh well..!
Continue reading ‘StraightChuter.com Raison d’être – Selling Out?’
As an avid skier, I’m always interested in what skiing friends are up to in different parts of the world and often check out their websites. In the winter this is great, but it in heat of the summer, it becomes apparent that skiing is a seasonal sport and there is not a lot going on. I didn’t want to write about repairing my roof, building a swing set for my daughter or going on a car camping trip as they are things that skiers might do in the summer, but are not skiing. I wanted the main page to be skiing, then skiing and/or skier related topics on the forum.
Continue reading ‘StraightChuter.com Raison d’être – Content’
Note: I’ve got posts scheduled over the next four days, but physically I’ll be in Crested Butte crushing wildflowers with a 3″ Mountain Unicycle wheel and have limited computer access.
In 1999 I went on an ill-fated trip to Tibet which was sponsored in part by MountainZone.com. On the trip, we used digital cameras (which were new & exciting at the time) and had a chance to learn a little about setting up websites. When I got back, I bought my first digital camera and set up PawPrince.com (named after my dog, who was a princely beast) mainly just for the fun of it. At the time, it seemed magical to be able to put together trip reports and share them with friends from all over the world.
Continue reading ‘StraightChuter.com Raison d’être - Part I’