How in the Hell Does Kirt Voreis Not Have a Bike Sponsor? 50

sspomer
11/11/2016 6:41am

Kirt Voreis, the man who has probably done more to inspire modern mountain bike riding than anyone else on the planet, does not have a bike sponsor.  Two weeks ago, #allhailvoreis posted this instagram video with the hashtag #sponsormevid.

 

​Kirt crushed World Cups years ago, he brought tailwhips and barspins to big wheels (on a full suspension bike mind you) and his creativity and ability to make anything on two wheels fun is unparalleled. Just cruise through his Instagram accounts (@kirtvoreis_allride or @trik_mountain_bike_skills), you'll be entertained and may actually remember what you just viewed, not to mention get stoked to ride. He's not spamming us to death with epic rides and the social media lie of a perfect life that make us numb. Kirt is showing us what riding a bike is all about...fun.

I'm not Kirt's agent. He doesn't even know I'm writing this at 5:30 in the morning, but Voreis without a ride kept me up last night. MTB brands that have turned down the chance to pick up Kirt, you are BLOWING IT. Bring some reality back to MTB. Stop putting all of your money towards selling the dream of perfect singletrack, filmed by a drone in some remote location that only seven people will ever actually ride. Stop worrying about follower numbers and worry about the actual followers and future of mountain biking. Take a tiny slice of your pie and invest in the spirit of Kirt Voreis so a generation of boring, predictable MTBers can be inspired to do great things. #endrant #allhailvoreis #makeMTBfunagain -gordo

Some ancient food for thought.

photo by Sven Martin

photo by Dennis Yuroshek

photo by Dennis Yuroshek

 

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Related:
Kirt Voreis
Vital's Voice
50 comments

View replies to: How in the Hell Does Kirt Voreis Not Have a Bike Sponsor?

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M4RT15
8 years ago
Sometime in late 2009, I ended up at Ray's for the first time. It happened to be their opening weekend for the season, and we expected to run into some big names up there. Having recognized Voreis, I introduced myself, and he immediately launched into friendly, energetic conversation, as though we had known each other for years. We shared some hilarious stories about the old days of the sport (something involving Palmer urinating in public), and took some laps around the jump line together before parting ways. Since then, I've crossed paths with quite a few of the top guys in the sport, and none have struck me as so genuinely HAPPY to be living the life as Kirt. Dude is also one of the funniest people on earth. Someone sign this guy!
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MrPrometheus
8 years ago
AllRide I have a frame with your name on it, quite literally



Had the privilege of spending a week with Kirt at Sumer Gravity Adult Camp both on the bike and in the evenings. It was an amazing week and Kirt is definitely chasing and living the dream. We got the chance to talk in detail about his AllRide dreams and accomplishments to date and I have to say I was blown away. I hope someone steps up and enables him to continue. We need more people helping at grassroots level and to be icons for the sport. Few people do it as well as Kirt. So while I sit behind my desk grinding away to make enough to retire early and have enough to help bankroll dreams like Kirt is after the best I have to offer is the the dirty old Giant that keeps on ticking. I wouldn't give her away for anyone but if you need her Kirt let me know. Something tells me you are on the hunt for something in the current decade class though.
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2NABIKE
8 years ago
And I'd like to add that his wife Lindsey makes Kurt an even more desirable person to have on their squad. I had the good fortune to meet and ride with her for a bit as my wife took one of her clinics a few years back in Moab. Just the nicest person you could meet and a fantastic mtb teacher. Good luck~
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Joe_Graney
8 years ago
Kirt, would be stoked to have you back on a santa cruz, so reach directly anytime. joe@ goes to my inbox.
shouldn't have to come to this!
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bizutch
8 years ago
Kirt, once you get set up, give me a shout. The Windrock I talked you into hitting back into the NWD days is now running massive shuttle buses all weekend long and Neko Mullally and Sean Leader are running the show.
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AllRide
8 years ago
I hope i get out that way! Those trails are legit, cant image how rad they are now. Thanks for invite.
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bizutch
8 years ago
Dear Joe, I used to race in Pro/Semi-Pro DH . My bikes are now older than dirt and my kids are such good athletes, that all my money goes to them, not bikes. I just won the local Masters Class race at Bailey in my first race back in a long time. Sponsor me. Not because I'm one of the best...but because you're just that awesome. Oh, and I name drop pro riders names all day. Example: "Man, I used to watch Luca and Walker chasing each other around the BMX track as Lil gross and said Those dudes will be provided someday. "
That...and you just feel bad for me.
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Scrub
8 years ago
VitalMTB making things happen! Kudos to Joe and Vital for keeping the wheels rolling!
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Howse
8 years ago
I repaired a shock for him at Crankworks 2016.... He was one of the most appreciative people I helped out the entire two weeks. Thanks for being an awesome person Kirt.
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mrmizzle5
8 years ago
The Loosedogg and Ratboy fox trip to cali were the most enjoyable bike related social media posts I had seen in a while. Wish Phil Atwill was in on it. Make mountain biking fun again.
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AllRide
8 years ago
Spomer, thank you for always having my back!

The story is, I haven't had a bike sponsor for about 3 years. When budgets cuts hit Specialized marketing in 2013, my AllRide tour and Allride Jr development got dropped. I was super bummed but wanted to stay on the brand so I got a frame from friends that worked there in hopes budget would come back. I sent out proposals but teams were filled and I was branded. It was really no prob because I have great sponsors like Sram, FOXMTB, Clif Bar, and Camelbak that stepped up and kept me going. I do feel obligated to have a bike sponsor to finish that circle of sharing content and promoting my brands together, so a frame sponsor was needed. This past year Drew from Declinemag had a Canyon laying around so I figure I try something new and kept the shred alive! Season is done and I had fun. No pity for me tho, I've been dreaming for 22years, and will keep dreaming sponsors or not! I love this shit!

Thanks for kind words everyone and thank you Spomer for watching out for Homies!!
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Big Bird
8 years ago
Please tell me you still have the DeChutes sponsorship. You're a generous man in more ways than one, Respect.
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jojotherider
8 years ago
Ah, i get that. Not impossible though. I wasnt ever interested in canyon bikes until that berrecloth guy signed up. Riders with longtime fans like you have will follow you to the brands you ride for. This isnt news, though.
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bizutch
8 years ago
Which is funny, because I always associated you with Yeti. Some of the first DH stories I would read were about Yeti helped you, Giove, etc onto bigger programs.
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Mwood
8 years ago
This is why I will always keep coming back to Vital, true reporting on the real world of two wheels bicycles that go downhill fast.
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bokdoos
8 years ago
He's definitely a rider that still inspires me. Some brand should at least flow him some frames. Robot bike co how about you?
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T-Dawg
8 years ago
Kirt is a real OG and godfather of today's mtbing. Maximum respect to him. People like him and Lenosky belong in the MTB hall of fame. But unfortunately that's life in the biz today. The progression curve is so steep that people who were Legends six or seven years ago, are getting schooled by 15-25 yr old kids that have no sponsors and just riding for fun.
For better or worse- you can blame the internet and YouTube. Back in the day, people thought bunnyhop tailwhips were impossible on mtb, but now seems pretty common. The "monkey see-monkey do effect" is powerful.....(where it seems impossible until you get on YouTube and dozens of other people doing it). It reminds me of a many years ago when I was trying to learn 360 bunnyhops, and they seemed impossible---then I was on YouTube and was blown away that some fat 16-17 year old kid in Arkansas was doing them easily on a Walmart bike. I credit that fat kid for giving me the intense motivation to learn that trick. It's bike Darwinism........just ask Blackmarket bikes and Atomlab.
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bizutch
8 years ago
His AllRide tour used to be incredible. He was on Santa Cruz bikes and ran a bike demo across the country and tied it into all sorts of street rides, group rides, filming sessions, etc. He and Lindsey went from town to town ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. He is the hardest working ambassador there is. Imagine those demo trucks you see laced with goodies being driven by a man who pulls up, dials everybody in, then hits the trail with them, meets them at the skatepark later...you name it. I talked him into hitting up Windrock and then riding the Urban Sprawl street event in Asheville the next day. He was wiped out from travel, working on bikes, taking tours and filming his piece for NewWorldDisorder 8 at Windrock...and still made time to hang out with the kids at Urban Sprawl. I think he's had the greatest niche of any rider out there. Bryceland rides like him..but could never outwork him. http://www.bikemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AllRide_USE.jpg
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Mr. P
8 years ago
Attention bike marketers: I do not watch burm slashing, edge of the world, drony, triple can-can bar hump videos. They are all the same; boring. But if Kurt is in a video, I watch. I watch because his videos are not "let's make a video like the other guy" videos, I watch because Kurt brings the every-rider flavor of fun and riding to videos. He makes me want to get together with my hooligan buds and ride! Get this man a ride!
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badbietz
8 years ago
If you guys want to help him out go follow him on Instagram and other Social outlets. That is one metric the bike companies look at when someone isn't posting results in contests or big vid parts.
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tcmtnbikr
8 years ago
Funny, my question would be how would he have a bike sponsor? There are a ton of washed up used-to-bes that still want to ride their bike for a living. The return on investment isn't there for a guy who isn't racing or competing at the highest level and garnering the eyeballs to go along with it.
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sspomer
8 years ago
i whole-heartedly agree w/ you about plenty of washed up riders who want a paycheck and not deserving it. kirt, however, based on his talent, creativity and the content he's putting out NOW seems incredibly more valuable and relevant than a mid-pack DH or EWS racer (sorry, not trying to hurt feelings). his personality is contagious too as he seems to get along with anyone he's around. that alone would be extremely important to me as a brand. the ROI is that he leaves an extremely positive impression on everyone he meets (cam mccaul, ratboy...too many pro and non-pro to list were inspired by him and still are). IMO what he does stands out among the noise of social media which is so hard to do these days. we all know brands are paying $$$ to "consultants" to help them figure out how to stand out among the noise. voreis does it. he makes fun on a mountain bike seem attainable, whether jibbing curbs or ripping singletrack. he's ridden every kind and style of bike, so i would think his feedback in product development would be valuable. after reading my rant above, he wrote me to let me know he has some possibilities lined up, but nothing certain. i have no idea what he's asking out of a sponsor, it's way late in the contract game, so there are plenty of unknowns in this. clearly i'm a fan, so take my opinion for what it's worth, i guess.
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Maxipedia
8 years ago
There are a lot o legitimate deals out there for people who don't race or don' have the results, but are awesome ambassadors for the sport. Because being a good racer doesn't make you by default the best ambassador. To be honest, the ”frameless post on Instagram feels a little bit too much. People become sponsorless all the time and while they are sending resumes to the companies they want to work with, they simply ride something else. Wasn't it a popular thing for some riders (not only from this slice of action sports, but generally) to strap on a pair of Oakleys when they lost their goggle sponsor? Didn't Kobe Bryant make a huge fashion statement in his ”sneaker free agency year” between Adidas and Nike? I'm sure there is somebody out there very willing to sponsor Kirt, just they don't know he is on the market and I'm pretty positive this helps.

I really wish Kirt the best with all my heart, even though my only experience with him wasn't a very nice one and I will mention it, while at it. We were in Kaprun in 2002, Romanian kids to see their dream live for the first time and we wanted to talk to everybody. My buddy met Mike King during the day, so we went looking for him in the evening. When at their pits, Mike was super nice and didn't mind us a bit, he really enjoyed it, Kirt came along and said something like ”Where are these guys from? Romania? I bet they can't even speak English, haha!”. I don't need to mention Kirt was a hero for us too and we knew of him riding on the Specialized team with Palmer and his Yeti days before. Hell, we even had Mountain Dew/Specialized stickers with his name; I actually still have them... But Kirt's AllRide tour was one of the best things to happen to American MTB ever, I need to give him that!

Much luck!
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AllRide
8 years ago
Sorry I was a butt hole 14 years ago! The funny thing is why the hell would I even say that? Ive been around the world and know not everyone speaks english. I probably was breaking the ice with you, sorry you took it the wrong way.

This was supposed to be positive post. Ive said this before, When you are in catalogs, have magazine ads, develop product, coach, and get pro podiums, you are doing your other sponsors a disfavor by promoting something for free. Providing content, writing articles, volunteer trail work, etc, is how I hustle for my sponsors. Insta ballin is what I do! Don't hate the player, hate the game!
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Maxipedia
8 years ago
Kirt, it's all water under the bridge now and I don't mean to harm you in any way. I believe you did, you do and you will still be doing a heap of positive stuff towards the mountain biking community. You crushed our hearts a little bit that night, but we weren't even stuck in that event, we were still stoked on your riding, your ambassadorship and your work generally in the years to come. Sorry I bought this up for transparency's sake, but the essence of the message was one of support and that I trust you coming around and finding proper support for what you are doing. I mean it with all my heart!

So here's a bunch of love and good luck wishes straight outta Transylvania! :D
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AllRide
8 years ago
All good! Thanks for the stoke! Hope to meet up someday to show you the respect I failed to give the first time!!
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Whattheheel
8 years ago
This is bullshit!! Let's start a gofundme account and let Kirt pick what he wants to ride!! I got a twenty spot at the very least for ya Voreis!!
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Ahab
8 years ago
Holy cow. FIX THIS. Richie Schley has frame sponsor AND a Mercedes deathtruck, and all he ever gave us was dead sailor drops and bad tabletops. Voreis delivers the fun and skill and makes people want to ride.
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Maxipedia
8 years ago
Ahab, I totally agree with you, but keep in mind that Schley's sponsors cater to the German market, a market that always lagged a little bit behind in terms of coolness. Just like in my country there are Boney M and Dr. Alban concerts that are taken seriously, in Germany you can be a bike brand a brag about having Schley on your team. Mag key-taglines ”Das ist Freeride PUR!” ”Der Freerider schechthin” and other cheap ass crap like that.
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Roots_rider
8 years ago
Schleyble Top. Calling it a table top is a disgrace to all the OG riders who could make it look good. Also, does he only have one Benz? I'd assume he has a US one and one for Europe...
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briceps
8 years ago
Kirt's attitude would fit really well on a brand like Transition I think! Sponsor this man!
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Triber66
8 years ago
Wow, why didn't I think of that?! And also, consider the fact that they make a dirt jumper, and downhill bike, all his bases will be covered. Couldn't agree with you more!
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