When 26-year-old Adam Uraine set his sights on becoming a sponsored, competitive surfer, he wasn’t sure where to start.
The Oceanside resident asked surfers and surf shop owners how to attract sponsors, and they told him he needed a solid portfolio and a network of industry insiders. The best tip he got, though, was to create a Hookit.com profile.
Using the site, Uraine scored a handful of sponsors – including Monster Energy, Quiver Boardworks and Sticky Bumps – and had a Florida surf shop, CaliFlorida, sponsor his competitions. He has also received discounts from Spy and Globe and was ranked in Surfer’s Hot 100 in 2009, a “dream come true” he said – thanks to networking he’s done through Hookit.
“I was trying so hard for so long to get noticed by sponsors and the site makes it so much easier,” said Uraine, whose Hookit profile has had more than 33,000 views. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”