How Do Pro Skiers Make Money?

We spoke with professionals Nick Goepper and Madison Ostergren about how they make money, where the money comes from, and everything else you've always been scared to ask. Enjoy!

Are you self-sufficient from your professional skiing career or do you have outside income?

Nick Goepper : " I am self sufficient from my professional skiing career. I have made enough money at different times to diversify some investments and benefit me for the long term."

Madison Ostergren : " I am self sufficient from my professional skiing. I have been a full time athlete for over four years now and consider myself a four season athlete (climbing and mountain running in summer too), which I think helps with my full time career.

I don't have any other outside income. I also have an athlete manager (Christine Reppa- Team Reppa) . She handles my negotiations and contracts with sponsors as well as handles all of the nitty gritty financial things that I always had a harder time doing, so I am able to focus strictly on my body, athletic performance and the creative side of my job. She's awesome!"

How long did it take for you to get to that point/when did you feel completely supported as a pro skier?

Goepper : " I have felt completely supported as a pro skier since I was 16 years old. Part of it was due to my sponsors early on.... Volkl, Red Bull, Smith Optics, Under Armor, Windells Academy, etc. Also I was a winner. As a competitive skier, the 1% are lucky enough to make some money. I have always held myself to that standard and I also enjoy the pressure. If you are outside of the Top 3 in contests, it is very difficult. Nowadays with a content driven industry it is a little different but same concept still applies."

Ostergren : " It took quite a few years to become a fully supported skier. I worked really hard every day for many years networking, getting my name out three, building my social media following, working with photographers and filmmakers, talking with sponsors, and elevating my skiing to be able to be fully funded."

Where does your income come from?

Goepper : " My income primarily goes as follows.... Prize money/bonuses, sponsor salary, miscellaneous income like speaking engagements, stuff like that. I have always structured my mentality to "earn" my income and it keeps me motivated. For example, I wont ask for a ton of salary from a sponsor but I will ask heavy on bonuses from contests and content objectives so it forces me to perform."

Ostergren : " My income comes solely from my sponsors."

Madison, you are sponsored by Volkl, Helly Hansen, Vital Proteins, Osprey Packs, etc. How did you achieve these sponsors? Did you have to "pitch" yourself or did they reach out to you?

Ostergren : " It depends. My manager has helped me with some of these contracts, but a lot of them I had built relationships on my own before I started working with her 3+ years ago. Six-ish years ago I started pitching myself to companies/ brands hoping they would see value in me as a skier, and since then I have formed strong bonds with the companies and feel I have a great relationship with all of them!"

Nick, you are sponsored by Volkl. How did you achieve this sponsor? Did you have to "pitch" yourself or did they reach out to you?

Goepper: " I didn't "pitch" myself, I begged . I love Volkl. I hope they read this. I was 14 years old and I was breaking skis and reached out to my local midwest rep for replacements. I got in touch with the Team Manager Chris Adams and he sent me skis. I've been with Volkl ever since. There is a part of me that really loves the loyalty aspect and longevity."

Nick's video about his "ski of choice," from Volkl, of course, below.

Do you feel secure in your income or do you worry about losing income as professional skiing is such an intense career?

Goepper : " I had some good years when I was 19, 20, 21 and made enough money to provide myself a solid base for my 20's. Also Red Bull was very supportive from a performance stand point and helped me achieve my dreams.

I don't worry about my income (even though I have very little right now) because like Michael Jordan said "Every thing I do on the court makes the off-the-court stuff happen". If I focus on what I love, skiing and content, financial support follows. I'm experienced enough to know that."

Ostergren : " I definitely worry sometimes about losing income, I think that is the scary part of this career. I feel pressure from myself to continue to grow and be relevant but I also feel that there is some indirect pressure to feel like you have to always be charging, relevant, leveling up, in this ever changing social media world we live in.

But I have a lot of love and trust in the brands I work with and it's a mutual relationship and partnership with respect and trust, so that feels good."

What do you do to maintain finances in the off-season and to prepare for after your ski career is over? Do you have future plans?

Goepper : " I've really taken an interest in personal finance and I control most all of it myself. I invest in 3 things primarily. Real estate, crypto, and myself. I have some rental properties in Cincinnati and some Bitcoin that has been crushing lately.

I was freaking out about post-career life until I bought my first rental property: a little duplex in Cincinnati, my home town. Once I took on that project and proved to myself I could do it, it gave me all the confidence in the world for post-skiing life."

Ostergren : " I do a lot of training. I try to ski in the summer as much as I can but I also enjoy the summer season to work on other activities. Climbing and trail running are ways I feel like I am able to transfer skills into ski mountaineering. Endurance, climbing technique and headspace. I go to the gym a lot and try to make sure I am staying strong throughout the year so I'm able to achieve my goals come winter.

I also make sure I am really dialed as a backcountry skier, so I have taken all the Avalanche Courses (Avy 1-2, Pro 1), as well as AMGA Ski Guide Course and AMGA Alpine Skills Course, WFR etc. So I can be as knowledgeable as possible when I am in the mountains. I try to set aside time every year for "school" aka: learning and courses."

What do you think are misconceptions people have around the ski industry/what do you want people to know about being a professional skier?

Goepper : " In my opinion, for better or worse, its a lot like other industries in America. If you want to set up your future, be in the 1%. Whatever that is. Get a lot of followers, do cool shit, film in the backcountry, tell great stories, win competitions, etc. Separate yourself from the pack in a unique way.

Nobody gives a shit if you get "top ten" in an event, learn a new trick thats already been done, or are part of some ongoing trend. You have to be winning in what you do. Shoot for the moon and land among the stars type of thing. Brands don't want to be associated with average, and brands are the ones that pay.

The last thing I would say is that as long is there is something to win, or content that can be consumed, you can do it! It doesn't matter if you ski race, jump out of helicopters in Alaska, ski mountaineer, or are hell bent on winning the Olympics in halfpipe. People and brands want to relate to stories. With social media you can tell your own story, and its beautiful.

You could say the sponsor money is all gone or some negative stuff about the industry, but more people are skiing now than ever. Look at any lift line on a weekend, even with $200 lift ticket prices. There is a huge market of consumers.

The opportunity is there for anyone to "make it". Its happening every day. BE DIFFERENT and be really good at what you do and people will take notice."

Ostergren : "Being a professional skier isn't just about skiing/ performance, it's about being your own brand, advocate, and marketing yourself. I work really hard to grow my platform, create content, write blogs, I just started a Youtube series with my ski partner Jimmi Ryan . The media world is always changing and you have to be on it and always adapting.

I also work closely with the brands creating and designing products, which is awesome. The biggest thing for me though is always pushing myself to grow and get stronger, leveling up from one season to the next, which can be frightening because when I look back at what I was doing even 2 years ago, I have improved and grown so much, and am doing a lot more intense and bad ass things.

This makes me happy and I feel like I have found my niche in the industry but I also don't want to be put in a box. I like skiing in all conditions and love skiing resort bumps, groomers, backcountry, freeride, mountaineering etc. It's important to me to be able to be a well versed skier that can do it all."

"I work really hard to do this. I don't think people/normal consumers actually realize the insane objectives and shit that I (and my ski partner have done).

It's gnarly stuff, sometimes life or death. But I think this is what makes me feel most alive."

Related: Jay Peak, Vermont, To Reopen for One Day of Skiing and Riding on June 22nd

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