 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey Guys and Gals,
My name's Alasdair and I was recently selected for the British Snowboard Team to head out to Austria to train and compete in SBX this season.
I'm reaching out to you guys for some support as the GB SBX program can't help fund its team as the funding isn't available, which means it's purely Athlete funded.
I have a crowd fund set up over at Go Fund Me, if anyone would like to help by donating anything like £3 - £10 I would be extremely grateful.
https://www.gofundme.com/2pnt58uc
Thanks,
Alasdair
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hey there!
Would you mind sharing a bit more about your achievments so far? It'd be great to learn something more about you. Do you have any videos?
Crowdfunding is not easy but I believe that if you provide some more information about yourself you'll reach your goal.
Good luck!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yeah Crowdfunding is hard man,
I'm 28, from Dumfries, been snowboarding 15 years - Got my BASI level 2, my ISIA Technical and freestyle certificate - Set up my own snowboard school in Scotland called The Northern Movement .
Headed down to Hemel Hempstead on the weekend there for British Team Selection. Feeling pretty confident because I'm pretty damn tidy on a snowboard thanks to my BASI and ISIA qualifications. Got ask to join the national team and head out for the season to train and compete.
No video or content yet - That will come, there will be boat loads of it  .
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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*No video or content yet - That will come, there will be boat loads of it*
Really?? How is that even possible in this iphone / gopro era?
You'll need to hugely self-promote - get your self a website set up and some content on there. Look at the websites for other extreme sports/winter sports athletes for examples. sing about your achievements e.g. where have you placed in freestyle competitions etc? What can you offer to sponsors? How can you sell the lifestyle/brand of being a GBX SBX athlete?
It is a crowded market out there so you really need to stand out and put some effort in to getting people engaged with you, and what you hope to achieve.
TBH I can't see a compelling reason to give money based on the gofund me page - hopefully a few of your friends and family will help you out. It is a shame things like this aren't really funded and it becomes the preserve of those with family who can pay, but winter sports has never been well funded.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@kat.ryb, Thanks for your suggestions.
I know my Gofund me page is a little on the weak side. I am looking to improve it, I was only selected on Saturday and have 3 weeks to raise funds, hence why things are a little all over the place. But I have no content, no backing, and my family don't have the finances to support me. Hence Why I'm doing what I can in the little time I have by reaching out on as many platforms as possible with what I have got, so I can go kick ass over in Europe and then the Olympics in 2018.
But trust me when I say, I am one extremely skilled snowboarder that will absolutely slay it when the time comes.
Cheers
Alasdair
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@The Northern Movement, No disrespect but I think you should put a slightly better proposition to people who you're basically wanting to give you their hard-earned cash than "hey I'm a great prospect, no history but am damn tidy and going to be big so I'm your man" which is how it comes across to me.....can you not at least get some testimonials from coaches/ Hemel/ Team GB etc, and how you intend to spend the money, idea of costs etc?
Not trying to be rude btw, but if you're too busy to put a proper business case together don't expect the results to be what you want....in my experience people don't likely give their money away without a good reason....?
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@Markymark29, I know how it sounds dude haha, gotta big myself up and it's not about being too busy, I'm very busy, doing this. I just take imperfect action, because waiting around and planning gets nothing done, especially when I am on a short time scale.
Cheers for your opinion though dude,
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hey Alasdair,
How long have you competed at SBX? I believe that the Aberdeen Snowsports club has ran some races at Glenshee over the last few years. Have you been involved with these, and if so how did you get on?
It would be great to hear about your history in the sport of SBX and how long you have been training to reach your Olympic goal. Where you have placed at British trials, have you competed in Europe before, did you come to the sport from another discipline?
If I was going to give some financial help I would want to know these things as opposed to your BASI level as im not sure its too relevant to competing and racing. Just my thoughts though and hopefully some constructive feed back.
Good luck with the fundraising and the season if you can get across to do it.
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Hi @yuppie, I've not actually competed SBX, I know about the Glenshee boardercross competition, but I didn't get a chance to enter as it gives previous entrants and academy and national team members first dibs on entries and leaves very little for the remaining spots, I have had to also teach that day as well.
It just depends how much you know about ISIA technical exam, and how it can relate across to SBX. SBX is a blend of all aspects of snowboarding, if there is anyone on here that passed their ISIA on a snowboard, they would know how difficult it is, but would understand how having it gives a lot more skills than most riders.
In the trials there was no placement, It was more - do you have the ability, can you be coached. - Si who was judging, said - you're beyond the level required so I am putting straight into the national team, and there's an opportunity for you to go full time to train and compete.
Cheers for your feedback though @yuppie,
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Good work on getting selected but seems rather odd that a 28 year old with no race/competition experience is asking for funding to train on the National Team. There are lots of younger SX skiers without funding who have been competing for years for instance. Maybe an angle to take in funding campaign is to highlight your sporting achievements in other areas to show crossover and your potential to become an Olympian. Did you compete at a high level in other sports when younger?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Good luck..!
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@albob, thanks mate
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You know it makes sense.
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Good luck mate, well done on being selected.
Can you get any funding from these fellas
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@rogg, Hey Rogg, cheers mate. Nah most likely not, the new charity is aimed at helping the under 18's come through.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Work damn hard in all and any regular jobs - go out and kill it in competition and then sell your story. Sending out a begging message when you are apparently without any track record at all in Sbx just gets my back up for starters.
I've been self selected to join a select crew of heliskiers pioneering lines in Alaska. Can you gofundme?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Dave of the Marmottes sounds awesome dude. It genuinely does, and I would, if it was going to help promote snowboarding in the UK.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Dave of the Marmottes, +1 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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FIS points are a by-product of competing, and Yes I genuinely want to push myself for the next 18 months to see if I can make Olympic selection, if not 2018, I will have enough behind me to push for 2022. Is that an issue for you? or just like everyone else instead of actually supporting you just want to pick holes?
France doesn't actually interest me, I run a snowboard school in Scotland, and I have a good reputation here, I'm also a committee member at Lowther hills to help grow snowsports in the south of Scotland, but long term, yeah would like to get my ISTD and become a trainer to help get more snowboarders in the UK becoming instructors.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@The Northern Movement,
Sounds super and good luck!
It is a bit weird that you have absolutely no footage of yourself on a snowboard though.... really?... Nothing?
It is probably worth chucking together a little presentation of yourself with any odd footage edited in.
Make the whole thing a bit personal.
The good news is that you should be able to right-off the £1050 for the camp as a business expense!
For those interested the courses and training costs and camps are listed here:
http://www.teambss.org.uk/news-info/news/british-ski-cross-and-snowboard-cross-camps-and-snowboard-cross-trials
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@flangesax, I'm just generally low on footage, I'm usually the one with the camera. Got some stuff from 2014, and 2 or 3 clips from 2015.
Thanks for the support though.
Think those prices are from last year.
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@The Northern Movement,
I've just looked at your facebook page for the school.
You have 2 videos there.
If you use little bits of this footage cut in with you presenting yourself and your case then you;ll get yourself a taster video to present.
If you are serious about this then get on it asap.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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With your qualifications I expect you can ride a boardercross course pretty sweet, flowing and pumping the compressions...but if you've never competed how do you know you can handle three other guys cutting you up for the optimal route down? Do you have the racer instinct and brutality to beat your competitors?
I wish you all the luck in the world it's great to see Brits waving the flag for snowsports.
One final question though, and I think everyone has stayed fairly polite so far...but WTF do you need £12k as stated on your crowd sharing page for???
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| Quote: |
One final question though, and I think everyone has stayed fairly polite so far...but WTF do you need £12k as stated on your crowd sharing page for???
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Think he has included his accommodation, eating, drinking, buying a new snowboard etc expenses....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| The Northern Movement wrote: |
FIS points are a by-product of competing, and Yes I genuinely want to push myself for the next 18 months to see if I can make Olympic selection, if not 2018, I will have enough behind me to push for 2022. Is that an issue for you? or just like everyone else instead of actually supporting you just want to pick holes?
France doesn't actually interest me, I run a snowboard school in Scotland, and I have a good reputation here, I'm also a committee member at Lowther hills to help grow snowsports in the south of Scotland, but long term, yeah would like to get my ISTD and become a trainer to help get more snowboarders in the UK becoming instructors. |
Instead of getting snippy with some quite reasonable feedback from people who are quite into snowsports maybe you do want to consider your plan. At the moment it all sounds a bit Eddie The Eagle - there's a great movie to be made of your triumph in Pyeongchang built on a back story of plucky training montages in the Lowther Hills and the Braveheart way you stayed true to your homeland compared to the Fancy Dan Froggies and Merkins with their custom made training courses. But the odds of making it seem slight compared to basing yourself somewher centarl in the Alps, working as many casusal jobs you can and training and competing in every waking hour.
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