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Old    birdy            01-14-2004, 6:07 PM Reply   
Hey guys,
Has anyone had any experience starting up a college wakeboarding group? I'm thinking about starting one and am looking for some tips for advertising, getting sponsorship possibly or any other helpful tidbits. I went to our extracurricular sports office and they said they wouldn't be able to do any funding. I'm not looking to start a competitive wakeboarding group as of yet...but I'm hoping that's what it might become further down the road. Thanks!
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-14-2004, 6:38 PM Reply   
Bridget,

I have a lot of experience with college ski/wakeboard teams, including fundraising, advertising, equipment, traveling, etc. E-mail me at the address in my profile with any questions you have.
Old    xtremebordgurl            01-15-2004, 9:24 AM Reply   
Bridget, what school are you at? I'm trying to do the same thing down here at Lynn U. ... haven't been very successful yet...
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-15-2004, 10:01 AM Reply   
You just need to set up a meeting, and start advertising it on campus, posters, sidewalk chalk, etc. Maybe get a spot on the campus radio station. You probably won't get school funding the first year, but impress them and then get it the next. Our school likes to match what we raise in funds. We raise funds many different ways, tournaments, parties, magazine sales, etc. We also go out and get sponsors. If you are not competing regionally it is going to be harder to get sponsors, as many companies don't see a reason to sponsor people just going out and riding, it really doesn't do them any good. You need to prove why you are worth being sponsored.
Old     (butterflybdr540)      Join Date: Apr 2001       01-15-2004, 11:58 AM Reply   
You can have Free Rides and make money for the club. Get people to donate free gear, have a raffle. If you have a little money personally have Ts made, even if they are one color and double your money to buy stickers, etc etc..

Promote Promote Promote.. Get people stoked.
I founded and did a major part in building www.gulfcoastwakeboarding.com It is a pain but it has taken a turn for the better in the last year and a half. We now have a full board of officers, by laws, the whole nine.

Good Luck

If you need help email me brandy@texaswakeboard.com

B
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-15-2004, 12:04 PM Reply   
These are very good recommendations. Get a cool sticker/t-shirt design and that will make a lot of money. You can get t's made for as little as $5 a shirt, especially in a college town. Make some cool stickers, also around $5 for vinyl cut type. We charge about $5 a set to ski. It usually covers gas, etc. Try to get a local dealer to bring a boat out and demo, maybe bring equipment as well.
Old     (butterflybdr540)      Join Date: Apr 2001       01-15-2004, 12:08 PM Reply   
You can get ts cheaper than that front and back. one color. www.nationalsportswear.com

We paid like 3 bucks per shirt or something and sold them for 10. That is a great profit to start on. We ordered a minimum of 50. Not a really large start up cost. Also you should get a sponsor to pay for it. Offer their logo on every sleeve to pay for it and you sell them.

What else. Make your own flyers. Have a parent or someone copy at work. There are cheap ways to get out of it. Do colored paper and just black logo and writing to get your name out. Tag the cars at the lake that have wakeboard stickers or trailers with flyers. Not too often because it gets old. Carry them on you at all times. Drop them at board shops, sports shops etc. You never know who may want to try to learn to board. Be prepared to teach them and be stoked always!

B
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-15-2004, 12:48 PM Reply   
That is very good advice. I might look into that website for t's myself. We have a pretty good budget so I didn't have some of the thoughts you had above. Getting your parents to get copies at work is classic. Also, at local events ask the organizaer if you can have 5 minutes on the mic, tell everyone about your team and what is going on. Also, hit all the campus open houses etc., this is a great way to get your name out. If you have access to boats, get a permit and put them outside the Union or other popular spot on campus. We usually put two boats in the Union courtyard and probably 70% of the 25,000 students on campus walk by them in a day. We talk to those who stop and tell them what we are about.
Old     (butterflybdr540)      Join Date: Apr 2001       01-15-2004, 12:53 PM Reply   
Cool. I did not do this in college I did it in Houston Texas. Its a big city.

Its alot of fun. I am open if you ever hit any walls.

B
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-15-2004, 1:03 PM Reply   
'I did it in Houston Texas. Its a big city.'

That's an understatement! Recruiting also varies where you are, places with warm climates like Houston, Florida, California etc. have a lot larger population of wakeboarders, the sport is still just catching on here in Kansas. I started wakeboarding in '94 or '95 I think, I bet I didn't see another wakeboard in Kansas until at least '98.
Old     (butterflybdr540)      Join Date: Apr 2001       01-15-2004, 1:19 PM Reply   
Yes well you don't know much about Houston then. We are referred to as the "City of Concrete" The scene was nothing 4 years ago really. We would go out and ride on the upper San Jac and there was one other boat maybe 2, but one was ghetto style..

Its still catching on here but when it does it will be huge.
Its alot bigger in Austin and Dallas, but we are on our way! ;)

B
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-15-2004, 1:59 PM Reply   
I am not really familiar with the Houston wake scene, I just know there are many beautiful private tournament lakes that surround the city. Austin is a great city, Dallas is too. I would really like to be running a ski/wake team at UT, it would be much easier to compete.
Old    morribd            01-15-2004, 3:42 PM Reply   
Bridget, a group of us are in the process of starting a wakeboarding club/organization at Auburn University. The main thing I would say is to find about 10-15 people that share your passion and then find out from your school's Student Government Association what steps need to be taken to become a registered club. Also check out www.wakedevils.com and look at their club consitution.
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-15-2004, 3:56 PM Reply   
You can also get a great constitutions from the National Collegiate Water Ski Association @ NCWSA.com. USA Water Ski has some good resources too.
Old    birdy            01-15-2004, 8:13 PM Reply   
Thanks guys for all of the advice. I'm at Mankato State University in southern MN, a first semester transfer student, so it'll be a great way to meet new people and especially new boarders. It'll make winter pass by faster too! Next week, I'll try putting together a preliminary meeting to find some true die-hards on campus. Keep the advice flowing!
Old    birdy            01-15-2004, 8:22 PM Reply   
Brian~

I tried bringing up the constitution on www.wakedevils.com but the site wouldn't allow it...just thought I'd let ya know.
Old    morribd            01-15-2004, 8:42 PM Reply   
Bridget,

I would suggest right clicking on the pdf symbol and selecting "Save target as" and just save it to your desktop and then opening it. Or just left click on the word symbol and do save instead of opening. If nothing else I can email them to you.
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-15-2004, 9:33 PM Reply   
Bridget,

I will try to find our bylaws, I think I have them on disk somewhere, we re-wrote them a couple years ago. Also, I have a friend at the University of Minnesota that started their team last year, he was also previously an officer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served as the Midwest Region's Director of Team Development for a year, so he has a lot of experience with new teams. I will get you his e-mail address.
Old     (butterflybdr540)      Join Date: Apr 2001       01-16-2004, 5:39 AM Reply   
I have our by laws if you need something to go by.

Email me.
Brandy
Old    birdy            01-16-2004, 10:19 AM Reply   
Brian~

I was able to print off both of the constitutions...thanks!

Old    birdy            01-16-2004, 10:20 AM Reply   
Nick and Brandy~

If you guys have the time feel free to send your group's law to my email address.
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       01-16-2004, 10:50 AM Reply   
Bridget,

I am still trying to hunt them down, but if I find them, I'll send them to you.
Old     (butterflybdr540)      Join Date: Apr 2001       01-16-2004, 11:28 AM Reply   
Ill send ours to you. Remember though we are not in college but it can give you an idea of what you are looking at and positions.

B

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