I've never heard of filling out an application to get sponsored. I wonder how many applications Kelly Slater had to fill out.
what you gotta do is just be a surf shop rat as a young grom and surf everyday and theyll naturally sponsor you (depends on how young you are), and if you do well in local contests and you rip hard theyll hook you up with companies.
I surf quite a bit with a friend of mine, who is from Cocoa Beach FL. Moved out to OB about 10 years ago. Now, he is about 34 years old... The dude RIPS. I mean, kills it... Scary good. And his primary surf sponsor was a place called "Emerald Island" or "The Emerald Room" or something like that. It is where the new Sun Diego is in Mission Beach.... But basically, a few of the major local shops in SD shut down a couple years ago, leaving quite a few rippers un sponsored, so my buddy put together a DVD of his footage and a surfing resume... Went to Southcoast/OBsurfshop/Sundiego etc... and I believe he was picked up by 2 out of the 3... He was mostly picked up becuase all the locals already know him... But picking up a sponsor at age 34 is no easy task and my friend proved that. Although he surfs circles around the local-pro groms, there is no market for a middle aged shortboarding monster. its all about the kids.
Dude! FREE MONSTER STICKERS OMG.. I CANT WAIT TILL I CAN GET SPONSERED SOME DAY IT WOULD BE SO SICK TO PUT MONSTER STICKERS ON EVERYTHING
Sponsor? Does it really matter if you're sponsored or not? I couldn't give two cents if I was sponsored. It just doesn't matter to me. I just don't see the big deal unless you're getting paid. Just the joy of surfing is all I need to convince myself I am a good surfer.
Remember when you used to buy all your boards from Kimmel, Guarino, and Noonan and keep there sponser stickers on the boards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!