The Life T K A T H T K L T E K T E T S K Endangered Species THE IMAGE OF AN ATHLETE STANDING ATOP A PEAK OR A PRO PADDLER kayaking whitewater can be a powerful way for a brand to capture the imagination of consumers. Sponsorships have and will continue to be a large part of the outdoor industry. But much like the retail world, the outdoor industry in general is dealing with an ever-changing landscape disrupted by social media and instant online access. To find out where things are headed with athlete sponsorships, we sat down at the Show with three outdoor powerhouses. Owner of guide service Mountain Professionals, Ryan Waters is the first American to complete the Explorers Grand Slam (reaching both the North and South Poles and all the Seven Summits). Eric Larsen is a noted polar explorer and the author of On Thin Ice, which documented his expedition with Waters to the North Pole in 2014. And Jane Mauser is the director of marketing at Mountain Safety Research (MSR) and a former professional snowboarder. What's the biggest change you have seen? RW: The days of two or three people heading into the wild and off the grid, fully sponsored by companies, is mostly gone. Companies want traffic being driven to their Ryan Waters websites and that means continual contact and updates. EL: It's really become much more of a partnership where you need to work with your sponsors and build around their needs, not just your own. You must provide value to your sponsoring brands. JM: It's really not changed that much from back when I was an athlete. Money has always been tight. These days it's about develop- CA R LO N AS I S S E With the rise of influencers and the power of social media, is the traditional sponsored athlete a dying breed? By Hudson Lindenbergerhttp:// http://registration.experientevent.com/ShowOTR193?&MarketingCode=FTRORWM20 http://WWW.OUTDOORRETAILER.COM