Most of my friends who are good at skateboarding or surfing have 2-15k followers, regardless of whether or not they're sponsored. They do almost no personal br

Most of my friends who are good at skateboarding or surfing have 2-15k followers, regardless of whether or not they're sponsored. They do almost no personal branding, they're just well-known in their area. I imagine it's the same for most sports with a lot of participants, save those with a high financial barrier to entry (e.g. racing cars).