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and our subculture of extreme sports
the Millennials
Table of contents About extreme sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 What are the best ways to reach us?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. The all mighty internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2. Up close and personal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3. People we look up to. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Brands that are killing it.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Extreme sports in advertising. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 Let’s recap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Who I am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4
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About extreme sports Extreme sports (also known as action sports) consist of
If you would like to learn more about Millennials and our
a wide variety of activities. Motocross, skateboarding,
values, please read my white paper: Who are the Millennials
freestyle skiing, and kite surfing are just a few of them.
and what are we all about.
They share a sense of creativity, danger, coolness and
Action sports nowadays represent more than just sport as a
individuality. These characteristics are found in all action
physical activity. We mold them into a subculture, a mix of
sports and that’s what makes them different from more
sports, music, art and lifestyle elements. Action sports are
traditional sports. So why does my generation like extreme
indeed sports of Generation Y or so-called Millennials. There
sports so much? If you look closer into action sports you
is nothing more we wish but to be different from others.
will see they reflect some of our values.
So what do you do if everybody is playing football? You
• Expressive ways to form a unique identity
pick up a skateboard, snowboard, BMX bike or any other
• Sense of freedom; not bound by rules
extreme sport and start expressing yourself through it.
• Challenge of constant personal improvement
For some time now, action sports have provided an
• Belongingness through being part of a community
interesting opportunity for marketers to reach and appeal
• Emotional, spiritual and experiential connection with
to Generation Y. Let’s look at some ways you can do that,
place, time and nature
too.
Action sports reflect our values. 3
What are the best ways to reach us? We are quite easy to reach because we use many communication channels. However, we are the most educated generation to date time and we grew up in a world full of advertising and other marketing communications, so we are quite difficult to influence. In order to appeal to us, marketers must understand our values, interests and our way of life. It is important for marketers to know exactly how we use our communication channels, when we use them and which media we use. If you’re wondering how to connect with my generation, I’ve done the research for you and provided a few examples of companies that are doing it right. So, let’s get started.
We are easy to reach and difficult to influence. 4
1. The all mighty internet Yes, the internet. We cannot live without it. I was born in the
It’s easy to reach millions of Millennials on these channels,
era when the internet was still a military secret, and I admit
but keep in mind what our values are. Be genuine, be true
I did just fine. But when it became available in my small
and don’t give us any BS. Treat us like human beings and
home country of Slovenia, the whole world was at the tips
we’ll probably think you’re decent enough to give our
of my fingers. No wonder we Millennials got hooked on it.
money to.
Since we grew up in an environment where there are
The beautiful thing about the internet is that you can reach
advertisements on every corner and almost everyone
a lot of people. However, the connection is still somewhat
is trying to sell you something, we developed a strong
impersonal. That is why you need to first show us you care
immunity to traditional advertising. For instance, we have
and then if we are interested, we’ll run with it.
no patience for telephone sales. I try to be very nice to
If we like your product or service, your mission and what
these people because this is their job, but for the love of
you stand for, we are going to promote you to our family
God please stop trying to sell me stuff that I didn’t express
and friends. We are going to wear your T-shirts with pride,
any interest in buying! It is more effective to show us an
put your sticker on the back of our car and talk about you
advertisement and market to us after we’ve expressed
on social media.
interest in your product or service. Facebook, Instagram,
But the almighty internet should not be the only place you
Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat should be your premier
market to us. There are more effective ways. So how can
partners for meeting with us on the web. And what is the
you hit the nail on the head and find out exactly what we
one thing all these channels have in common? Images and
are interested in?
visual representation. That is how you grab our attention.
Advertise to us only after we express interest. 5
2. Up close and personal Here is an idea for you: extreme sports events. The extreme
marketing and peer-to-peer recommendation sites (Jäger,
sports subculture combines sport, music, art and fashion,
Martin. “Reaching Generation Y Through Action Sports:
which means there are lots of opportunities for all sorts of
Evaluation of Sponsorship Research).
products and services. At action sports events, you have an
Let me tell you another secret. Sponsoring an event
intimate venue where you can interact with us directly. As a
doesn’t just provide a platform for one-on-one interaction
bonus to you, all the people who come to these events are
with customers. It also gives corporate sponsors the ability
in one way or another interested in what is happening there,
to create an emotional attachment with us. By sponsoring
whether is the sports, music, art, fashion or the lifestyle.
an event, you show that you care about us, about our
We have already vetted ourselves as potential customers
willingness to stand out and about our values.
if you are selling something that relates. According to a
Once we have a personal interaction with your brand and
global study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the
you have shown us you care about what we care about (by
#2 best technique to reach Millennials is by sponsoring
sponsoring a cool event), now you can follow up on the
or advertising in places where we are, such as at extreme
internet. Because I know who you are and I think we have
sports events, music venues and social networking sites. So
something in common, it will not bother me if you want to
what’s #1? The EIU recommends participation in viral
connect with me and tell me about what you have to offer. In other words, if you show me something I like or need, I will buy it.
Event sponsorship is a great way to create an emotional attachment with us.
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3. People we look up to Is there something else you can do to attract our attention
athletes that for sure you and I both know.
and get on our good side? Yes, you can sign an action
In 2013, Shaun played in a Stride’s chewing gum
sport athlete as your company’s ambassador. This provides
commercial and he was embodying what it means to be
a direct link between your brand and extreme sports and
cool. The company was so fond of Shaun that they put his
its subculture. According to research, this helps for image
face on product packaging and featured him in more TV
building and increasing awareness about your brand. Plus,
commercials. According to Forbes, Shaun earned up to $9
athlete testimonials help you look authentic (Jäger, Martin.
million in 2008 in endorsement deals, measuring how great
“Reaching Generation Y Through Action Sports: Evaluation
of an impact action sports athletes have on their followers.
of Sponsorship Research).
We witnessed a huge growth in action sports over the
Athletes are role models to us. They are the people for
last decade. Retail sales of action and extreme sports
whom everything is possible. They push themselves year
equipment was $2.4 billion in 2010 in the U.S. alone, which
in and year out to go faster, higher or to perform a trick that
was 8% more than the previous year (Mintel. “Action and
has never been performed before. When I was a kid, all I
Extreme Sports - US”). BMX was introduced at the 2008
wanted was to look like my role model athletes; the same
Olympic Games in Beijing, and Slopestyle was introduced
style, music, and activities. When my role model had new
at the winter 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi in both skiing
shoes, my parents had to buy the same ones for me. Our
and snowboarding.
clothing choices communicate to others which subculture
Action sports are driven by individuals who constantly test
we are part of, and we like that being part of a subculture
the boundaries of impossible. This culture has become one
gives us a sense of belonging.
of the mainstream lifestyles that heavily influences millions
Ever heard of Shaun White? He is the owner of two gold
of individuals around the world and their consumer
medals from the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. In the
spending habits. Brands like Mountain Dew, Panasonic,
beginning of 2011, he took the second place slot on
Toyota, Nike, Red Bull and others found out that this is a
Bloomberg’s Power 100 list, which is a list of the most
channel to reach Millennials. And why is that, I hear you
influential athletes in the world. Shaun beat out Tiger
ask? Because it’s freaking cool.
Woods, Lance Armstrong, Shaquille O’Neal and well, 98
Athlete ambassadors provide a direct link between your brand and the extreme sports subculture.
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Brands that are killing it... Nike is one of the brands that successfully managed to
action sports. The videos then ran on the campaign’s
penetrate the actions sports culture. In 2002, Nike lunched
Facebook page where visitors could vote for the video they
Nike SB (SB = skateboard) line of shoes for skateboarders
liked the best. Sponsored Nike athletes like Paul Rodriguez
and later followed it up with apparel. What were the
oversaw voting.
methods that Nike used? First of all, Nike decided the Nike
Over the years Nike has released three full-length videos,
SB line would be available only in skate shops. Although
two tour videos and other promotional videos. This
Nike is not a brand owned by skateboarders, they brought
skateboarding video material helps to define the brand
in people from the skateboarding industry and the
and skateboarding culture in general. There is a strong
company started sponsoring skateboarders. In his thesis on
relationship between actual purchasing behavior and
How Did Nike Get the Swoosh into Skateboarding? A Study
photos and videos that are published either on the Nike SB
of Authenticity and Nike SB, Brandon Gomes hypothesized
website or on other social media channels.
about a positive relationship between Nike SB’s sponsorship
Nike did what a lot of people thought was impossible. The
of skateboarders and actual purchases of Nike SB shoes.
brand with almost no credit in skateboarding became one
This points out the idea that a brand’s personality can be
of the most wanted brands for skateboarders.
exemplified through celebrity sponsorship. In 2011, Nike launched a global campaign called “The Chosen”. One part of this campaign was a contest where people could submit videos of themselves performing
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Skullcandy is another phenomenon. Founder and CEO,
really took off.
Rick Alden, started out by organizing snowboarding events
Once in the minds of their customers, Skullcandy didn’t
while he continued to sell snowboard bindings. One day
stop. The company partnered up with famous artists like
while he was siting on a chairlift, his phone rang and rang
Jay-Z, Snoop Dog and Metallica. Skullcandy supports some
as he was trying to take off his snowboarding gloves. That
of the most well-known athletes in snowboard, skateboard,
was the Aha! moment when he thought to himself, “Why
motocross, BMX, surf and ski. Today if you go on the
isn’t there a set of headphones that I can use with a cell
Skullcandy website and browse the sponsored athletes,
phone and MP3 player at the same time?” Skullcandy was
you can see the music these athletes listen to. Now, if you
born from this idea (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
are a kid looking up to them, don’t you think you would
“Founder of Skullcandy, Rick Alden” ).
be interested in knowing what music your favorite rider is
The real momentum behind Skullcandy is the subculture of
listening to?
action sports because action sports and music are closely
Besides athletes and artists, Skullcandy is involved in
related. What do you do when you jump on your BMX bike,
supporting Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC). B4BC is
tune out the world around you and totally submerge into
a non-profit, youth-focused education, awareness and
the world of action? You crank up your favorite music. No
fundraising foundation designed to increase awareness
matter if you are a BMX rider, skateboarder, wind surfer or
about breast cancer, the importance of early detection and
snowboarder, you love your music. And since we want to
the value of active lifestyles (Wikipedia. “Skullcandy” ).
look the part, earphones have become fashion accessories.
The core of Skullcandy’s marketing is understanding
Rick was aware that music and action sports are lifestyle
the typical customer, whether his passion is skiing,
experiences. When Rick first tried to pitch his product to
snowboarding, skateboarding or motocross. They use
skateboarding and snowboarding shops their response was
channels like email, Facebook and other social media as
something like this: “Gee, Rick, maybe you didn’t realize we
well as their website to get the information from their
are a skateboard shop. We don’t sell consumer electronics”
costumers as to what they want to see next. They define
(Alden, Rick. “How I Did It: Rick Alden, Skullcandy”). So
their customers based on their purchases and interaction
Rick approached Giro, a brand that produces helmets for
history. “At heart we’re a lifestyle brand, and we’re really
snowboarding and skiing, with the idea of implementing
trying to communicate what the lifestyle is of the type of
Skullcandy technology into their equipment. They loved
people who wear our brand,” says Jason Bertrand, Senior
the idea and started to build Skullcandy earphones into
Manager of Customer Acquisition at Skullcandy (Buchanan,
helmets ear pads. Giro agreed to print the tag “Powered by
Courtney. “How Skullcandy looks beyond the hard sell to
Skullcandy” on their packaging and that’s when Skullcandy
create customer value” ).
Red Bull is popular not only in the extreme sports
With their own local events, one of the main purposes is to
subculture; everybody knows about it. Dietrich Mateschitz,
create interesting media coverage. The advantage of being
the founder of Red Bull, developed a unique marketing
the organizer is that Red Bull can quickly and inexpensively
concept. In 1987 when the first Red Bull Energy Drink was
change any part of their events if something is not working.
sold in Austria, it was not just a lunch of a new product.
In this way they can repeat or develop the ideas that work
It was the birth of a totally new product category called
and have good public appeal (Business Case Studies.
energy drinks. Today, Red Bull is available in more than 167
“Engaging consumers through word of mouth marketing”).
countries around the world. A total of 5.612 billion cans of
Digital media are core elements for all Red Bull’s
Red Bull were sold worldwide in 2014.
campaigns because they provide direct and relevant lines
Let’s look closely at how are they doing it. When it comes
of communication with their core youth audience. Social
to event promotion, Red Bull is king. Besides supporting
media, online blogs and their websites make it easy for
certain local events, they create their own events around
people to quickly exchange information.
the world. These events provide a platform for talented
When it comes to athlete support, Red Bull is sponsoring
athletes to showcase their skills and to push the boundaries
some of the best names in action sports. The athletes’
of what we think is humanly possible. Worldwide events
stories of success, pushing beyond their limits and coming
like Red Bull X-Fighters, Red Bull Air Race, Red Bull Crushed
back after heavy injuries are the stories that inspire every
Ice and many others help establish their brand value.
one of us. Since the athletes have so many followers, Red
The company also participates in large-scale activities
Bull works closely with professional photographers and
like Formula 1, although these are not cornerstones in its
videographers to bring to their audience top quality visual
promotional strategy. However, these large scale events
stories. On Red Bull’s YouTube channel you can find tons of
are aligned with the brand’s mantra of building talent and
videos of their athletes.
pushing sports to new levels through innovations.
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Extreme sports in advertising It’s nothing new to say that extreme sports have huge commercial value. Nike proved it when they decided to focus on action sport stars like Paul Rodrigues and Danny Kass instead of NBA players. We saw Shaun White in TV commercials advertising chewing gum. North Face, best known for fleece jackets, featured ads with snowboarder Xavier de le Rue carving down the mountain and freestyle skier Tom Wallisch riding a huge ski jump. In the future, athletes will not be asked to just show their faces to promote the product. Their commercial value is in their awe-inspiring performances. For instance, deodorant brand, Degree, saw the potential of action sports athletes in their natural environments. They created a video series titled Masters of Movement featuring mountain biker Darren Berrecloth, snowboarder Travis Rice, base jumper Miles Daisher and survival expert Bear Grylls. Aaron Callowey, the Senior Brand Building Manager at Unilever, argues that action sports are incredibly popular for both viewers and advertisers because of their participatory nature (Forbes, Extreme Sports are Conquering a New Frontier: Your Living Room). He is right. If I see a mountain biker going down the hill, I think to myself that I can do that, too. Taking a bike from my garage and going to the nearest mountain is more possible for me than playing ball in the NBA league. There is a great potential in using real people with real stories and real skills.
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Let’s recap The fan base in extreme sports is growing and the majority of us are Millennials. If you understand what we like, how we think and where we come from, you will understand that tapping into this market is not about creating just another commercial. If you want to be a part of the extreme sport culture, you need to respect certain rules. The fan base has to see that you are not here just for the money, but that you are prepared to support the scene. This gives you credibility. If you want to be a part of our subculture, you need to show you care. I went to a marketing workshop recently called MarCAREting. I was expecting to hear how Facebook and internet presence is the key. Instead, I was told that companies need to actually care about their customers. It’s not about you (the brand) it’s about them (the customers). Brands needs to communicate their message, why they do what they do, the story behind the business. Consumers don’t want to know at first about your premium services or products. The Why, the Story, the Mission is something that I, as a Millennial, am curious about in a brand. Put a bit of You into it. We are all people, aren’t we? So this is me. My name is Uroš Rojc. I come from a small Slovenian village surrounded by vineyards, 15 kilometers from Italian border. I am a Millennial. I grew up with extreme sports and I will be an extreme sports fan ‘till my time runs out.
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Who I am You know how in every primary school there is a chubby kid that everybody picks on? I was that kid. Can you remember the weird taste in your mouth when the person you love above everyone in your life says: “I am seeing somebody else.” Did you ever drown your pain in a bottle of wine or whisky? What about numbing your self with all types of drugs just to tune out the pain? I went through all of that and boy it was fun, but I was on a highway to crash and burn in a fireball that could have been my life. Thanks to my friends and family I discovered another way. As a son of a guy who was making surfboards at home in his free time, there was no way I could avoid learning how to windsurf even if I wanted to. I was involved in extreme sports in one way or another for as long as I can remember. Imagine standing on the top of a mountain. Snowy slopes all around you. It’s cold and it’s windy, but you don’t mind. For a moment, there is nothing else but you, your snowboard and the mountain. Then you drop. Every second of going down the mountain counts, you use it to carve your own line. That was the moment when I realized that life is intended to be lived, not to be merely endured. While holding the windsurf sail and feeling the strength of the wind, I realized my life is in my hands and in my hands only. When preparing to drop into the quarter pipe on a BMX bike, I realized it’s good have fun with your life. There is an enormous potential in extreme sports. It’s an active lifestyle. It’s the sense of belonging. It’s cool and hip, and I could go on and on. For me, extreme sports were a way out. When kids were picking on me in primary school, I got my frustration out on my bike by going down the hill as fast as I could. When I was going through alcohol and drug problems, BMX and snowboarding helped me to get in touch with my true self again. This is why I want to show the world the potential that lies in extreme sports and active lifestyles. I create extreme visual ideas for advertising agencies, sports apparel and equipment manufacturers, as well as sports event promoters and organizers who want to offer teenagers and young adults ways to build a positive self-image. With my understanding of extreme sports, I know how to visually represent the energy and the unique line each individual has. I am not looking for the wow, I create the “WOW”. If you like what you just read and you want to have a conversation about how my photography and intimate knowledge of Millennials and Extreme Sports can help you to elevate your brand, feel free to contact me at info@urosrojc.com or text me at +386 41 979 833.
I grew up with extreme sports and I will be an extreme sports fan ‘till my time runs out.
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References Active Marketing Group. “The Action Sports Market” (2007) AdRoll. “Marketing to the Millennials: Outdoor Retailer Edition” (2013) http://blog.adroll.com/marketing-to-the-millennials Alden, Rick. “How I Did It: Rick Alden, Skullcandy” (2008) http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080901/how-i-did-it-rick-alden-skullcandy.html Alliance. “Generation Y, Sponsorships and Action Sports Introduction” (2012)
http://www.enteralliance.com/?p=2176
“Action sports cross-over and off-season” (2011)
http://www.enteralliance.com/?p=2184
“A roll model for action sports marketing” (2011)
http://www.enteralliance.com/?p=2064
“Do you speak the language of action sports” (2011)
http://www.enteralliance.com/?p=2062
“Action Sports and Generation Y Background” (2011)
http://www.enteralliance.com/?p=2186
“Women in Action Sports: Still overlooked segment” (2011)
http://www.enteralliance.com/?p=204
Bennett, Gregg; Lachowetz, Tony. “Marketing to Lifestyles: Action Sports and Generation Y” (2004) Bennett, Gregg; K. Henson, Robin; Zhang, James. “Generation Y’s Perceptions of the Action Sports Industry Segment” (2003) Brugger, Christian. “The Expansion of the Action Sports Industry Segment” (2013) https://zenportfolios.ca/studententrepreneur/2013/04/09/the-expansion-of-the-action-sports-industry-segment/ Buchanan, Courtney. “How Skullcandy looks beyond the hard sell to create customer value” (2014) http://www.responsys.com/blogs/nsm/cross-channel-marketing/skullcandy-looks-beyond-hard-sell-create-customervalue-video/ Business Case Studies. “Engaging consumers through word of mouth marketing” http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/red-bull/#axzz3XqJhCrBV Chief Marketer. “WINNING GEN-XTREME” (2005) http://www.chiefmarketer.com/winning-gen-xtreme/ Gomez, Brandon. “How Did Nike Get The Swoosh into Skateboarding? A Study of Authenticity and Nike SB” (2012) http://surface.syr.edu/ms_thesis/3/ Gschwandtner, Gerhard. “The Powerful Sales Strategy behind Red Bull” (2004) http://www.sellingpower.com/content/article/?a=9437/the-powerful-sales-strategy-behind-red-bull Jacobs, Matt. “7 brands that Millennials love (and why)” (2013) http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/34037.asp#singleview Jäger, Martin. “Reaching Generation Y Through Action Sports: Evaluation of Sponsorship Research” (2012) https://dshs-koeln.academia.edu/MartinJ%C3%A4ger/Papers
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Jones, Lola. “Extreme sport growing in popularity” (2008) http://xtremesport4u.com/extreme-land-sports/extreme-sport-growing-in-popularity/ Mintel. “Action and Extreme Sports - US” (2011) http://reports.mintel.com/display/542915/# O’Neil Devon. “WHITE RANKS SECOND ON POWER 100 LIST” (2011) http://xgames.espn.go.com/article/6063251/white-ranks-second-bloomberg-power-100 P. Russell Michael. “Marketing to Millennials: Market Strategy 101” http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Editorial/Feature/Marketing-to-Millennials-Market-Strategy-101-79647.htm College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Founder of Skullcandy, Rick Alden” (2012) http://clasalumni.ucdenver.edu/pinnacle/features-archive/founder_of_skullcandy,_rick_alden Red Bull. “The Company Behind the Can” (2015) http://energydrink-us.redbull.com/company Sinkinson, Talia. “PR Win: Fuse Marketing Explains How Top Brands Reach Millennials, Teens and Youth Consumers” (2014) http://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/article/winning-pr-campaigns/pr-win-fuse-marketing-explains-how-topbrands-reach-millennial Smith, Chris. “Extreme Sports Are Conquering A New Frontier: Your Living Room” (2012) http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2012/05/02/extreme-sports-are-conquering-a-new-frontier-your-living-room/ Smith, Chris. “Is Shaun White The Most Successful Action Sports Star Of All Time?” (2013) http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2013/01/26/is-shaun-white-the-most-successful-action-sports-star-of-all-time/ Vega, Tanzina. “Nike Tries to Enter the Niche Sports It Has Missed” (2011) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/business/media/02adco.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2& Wikipedia. “Skullcandy” (2009) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skullcandy
Copyright © 2015 Uroš Rojc photography. All rights reserved.
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Contact: Uroš Rojc www.urosrojc.com info@urosrojc.com +386 41 979 833
U R OS R OJ C
PHOTOGRAPHY
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