ig Magazine on US sales and marketing partnerships. I'm trying to translate my corporate / sponsor experience into some programs that will help Dig to thrive. Second, things have finally come together for me to do something I've wanted to do for a long time: athlete management. I am working for Jamie Bestwick as his manager and am having a total blast doing it. Jamie and I obviously worked together on the Levi's program, and this fall Jamie asked if I would consider managing athletes (rather than brands). I jumped at the opportunity, and although it's only been about a month, I think it's probably one of my most favorite jobs ever. Finally, I have several programs written for brands that are at the pitch stage. If I have my way, we'll have some new sponsors in BMX next year. What other sports do you cover and how does BMX compare?
Kathy: I have worked in Skateboarding, Surfing, Snowboarding, MotoX and BMX as well as with properties like CFB, Woodward, etc. I definitely think there's a place for all these sports, and any time one sport gets a higher profile (ie:
snowboarding in the Olympics), it increases the visibility of all action sports. I will always have a soft spot for BMX since my first action sports program (Target) had 8 BMXers out of 10 total athletes (plus Shaun White and Nate Adams). I think working with Mat Hoffman right out of the gate really spoiled me. He is a legend, and so passionate about his sport. That really influenced me and I've been a big supporter of BMX ever since. I also just love BMX as a fan. I think the athleticism, creativity and commitment required to ride well is really unique among all pro sports. By comparison, baseball just seems so boring! Is the Levi’s BMX program coming to an end in 2011?
Kathy: Unfortunately, yes, it looks that way. I'm actually glad you asked because it'll give me a chance to say a couple of things that I've had to bite my tongue on for several months while we waited to get the final word from Levi's. First off, Levi's gave 100% to this program. They allowed me to dictate a
lmost every decision, trusting that we'd build a program that supported BMX in a way that felt like it came from the inside. The core team of people that I worked with on this program all come from BMX: Steve Buddendeck, Cory Muth & Will Stroud. The athletes suggested adding a flow team and they were allowed to chose 8 additional riders. The amount of freedom that we had to direct this program is really unprecedented. If you ask any of the Levi's athletes, I am confident that they will tell you that the one and only bad part about the program was that it had to end. Unless you've worked inside a corporate atmosphere, this is something that you won't understand, but it is true: it is rare that a sponsorship lives longer than 2-3 years. 
If you can get 4+ years out of a brand, it shows that they were really committed to more than just the advertising, they felt an affinity for the lifestyle around that sponsorship. To put it in more basic language: Levi's really loved BMX. Another thing that I want to point out is that I spent almost every dime of our multi-7 figure budget INSIDE of BMX. When we printed t-shirts, we went to Square One. When we needed an announcer, we hired Catfish. When we needed photos or video, it was always someone with a BMX background (Kosman, Fudger, Kyle Carlson, etc). We placed advertising on all the major BMX websites and ran print spreads for 4 years. We did a DVD deal with Dig magazine. We produced an hour long BMX feature and ran it on FUEL. We sponsored Props for 2 years. What I'm trying to say here is that there are a LOT of people in BMX that paid for houses, cars, weddings, babies, plane tickets, etc... on the money they made off Levi's. I get really frustrated when I hear someone dismiss Levi's as "another corporate sponsor who walked away." That's not what happened here. It was not something that was done lightly, and I think that we should encourage more sponsors to dive into BMX by showing that while we're sad Levi's went away, we're all better off for having had them involved. Outside people may think BMX is a fad, how do you explain to them that it’s here to stay?
Kathy: Look at the number of bike companies out there: there's just no chance that it's a fad. It's been around for ages and has had the same ebb and flow as any action sport. I think that programs that overlook BMX are really missing out on an amazing community of athletes. I am, and will continue to be, a huge supporter of BMX sponsorships. One way for us to show people that BMX is here to stay is to find a way to support it financially. There are a couple of
things that the core has to do, especially support brands that support BMX. Make sure you align your spending with the brands that make BMX a success. Another one is get a magazine! I know that now this sounds biased (as I work for Dig), but I have been saying this for a decade--it is so hard to convince sponsors that BMX is big when our magazine sales are low. It is such a cheap way to support the sport you love: buy a couple of subscriptions! You can have Dig & Ride delivered for less than $50 a year total. So worth it in so many ways. BMX Racing has made it to the Olympics. Do you think this would be a good thing for BMX freestyle too?
Kathy: I know that people have pretty strong opinions about this one; so do I. I think it would be great for BMX to have a presence at the Olympics. The key is: don't let it take over the sport. Ideally, BMX will influence the Olympics rather than the Olympics influencing BMX if that makes sense. I feel like BMX resists growth because they're afraid it'll somehow destroy their sport. I think it's the opposite: the bigger we get, the more control we'll have over how the sport (contests, sponsorships, etc) are run. If we're small, we have to kind of take what comes and just work with it. All you have to do is look at skateboarding to see how much more control they have over their sport. Whether you like what they're doing or not, the athletes are really calling the shots there. In BMX, the big contests and sponsors are the people with the loudest voices. I'd like to see that power back in the hands of the athletes.
Do you work with any girl (BMX) athletes?
Kathy: I don't as of now. To be honest, BMX from a sponsorship perspective is all about the guys. But, don't take that to mean that I don't think they have a value. I am so impressed by the women in BMX--to have the confidence & commitment to compete within this heavily male sport is impressive. We talk about 12-year old boys being too intimidated to ride for the first time at skateparks, I can imagine how it might have been for these women when they started. I have nothing but respect for them.
How do you think the girls should unite and work on getting their presence out there a bit more?
Kathy: I think one of the best things for the female riders is to get a bike sponsor. If the bike companies are willing to align with the women, then it opens the door for more sponsors to do the same. Also, there need to be more rider-owned events that have a women's division so that there is a platform to get some coverage for the female riders. I think uniting would be good to support the scene, but won't do much for them in terms of money or sponsorship to be honest. I think that the way this is most likely to happen is with one break-through rider. One woman who is so good that she can compete with the guys. Until that happens, I think it'll be tough to make BMX marketable as a female sport. It's just way easier to sponsor a surfer or snowboarder if you want an action sports woman. BUT, this doesn't have anything to do with the scene--if women like riding, they should ride.
In what way do girls (athletes) work better in marketing/promotion?
Kathy: It's just so different. I think women understand the implications of everything they do a bit more. For example, when I've done photo shoots with action sports athletes, the women show up clean and pretty--ready to go. The guys show up like a bunch of homeless dudes! (I can hear Corey Martinez and Morgan Wade laughing at this). Seriously, though--I love working with the female athletes--they tend to give a lot more feedback, they are really motivated on the business side of the sport and tend to be more careful about how their image is being used, which means they're just a little more involved in all aspects of the marketing.
Do you have any advice for the BMX ladies out there?
Kathy: If you want to make a career out of BMX, you can do it. Just don't get your mind trapped by exactly how that is going to happen. I would love to see more women involved in BMX at every level. I think we definitely bring a different perspective to the sport and can find unique ways to leverage and grow BMX. If you're 100% committed to making money specifically as a rider, figure out what makes you marketable. "A female BMX rider" isn't going to do it. If you can find a brand that you know is a perfect fit for you, figure out why they'd be better off having you as a sponsored rider, and particularly, why you'd be a better rep than the guys. There are obvious answers here, ie: it's a women's product, it's a product that aligns itself with changing stereotypes, it's a brand that promotes individuality, etc... There is definitely a way to do this, but you have to be committed and have laser-focus on what you're going after.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.