Video: What it Takes to Win a Reality TV Show: An Interview with Pinkbike Academy Season 3 Winner

 Yeah its almost like reality TV shows are BS! OMG what a shocking revelation! LOL

 @scott-townes: to be fair if you care enough to watch the show you can’t help but become invested in the contestants as people. So being outraged at perceived unfairness is a normal reaction.

 For Tarmo to have to ask that question says everything that needs to be said.... and PB editing it into the show was really weird.

 @scott-townes: I am not sure anyone is shocked but the over emphasis of overall package to then edit in Tarmo commenting about previous followings was just strange. It would have been a better look to not include that and not mention the overall package shit. Keep your knickers untwisted my fwend.

 @kingbike2: It was just super strange to effectively have Tarmo and Eric be the pretty clear favorites in almost every respect but then to suddenly have the criteria that basically followers and social media were the main deciding factors. Well obviously, the largest following pre-show would win. Would have been nice to know that ahead of time lol

 @DBone95 , @scott-townes They might have put that in the episode as a way of letting us know they weren't really happy with the final decision either. At the end of the day, Orbea is the one picking who they are going to sponsor, not Pinkbike. I'm sure Orbea knew who they were going to pick before the other contestants even got on a bike. It was a very simple marketing decision.

 @Planet-26: You know, my wife said the exact same thing and I have to admit it makes sense.

 @kingbike2: I care enough to read the comments and was outraged at whatever everyone else was outraged at in the comments.

 @scott-townes: even funnier to watch someone waste their time commenting (multiple times no less) on something they deemed pointless.

 @scott-townes: you my friend are adorable.

 There seems to be a big miss this season. I’m obviously an armchair quarter back here, but it may have made more sense if Orbea initially mentioned the type of rider they were looking for and PB chose the cast based on this criteria. Especially since the last two seasons were more race focused, viewers and people auditioning were likely expecting the same criteria. Therefore, the cast and events would have been similar to Max, which would have resulted in a more complete product. More clarity on all ends.

From your friendly neighborhood armchair expert.

 @kokofosho: Every year I watch PBA I can already tell who will be the winner based off the amount of followers they have on social media platforms. Now that could be influenced by the behind the scenes stuff from the show or it may be coincidence, but ultimately the winner has to be marketable an the complete package for what the sponsors are looking for that season.

 I think it’s so funny that season one started with some really solid sponsors and now they are down to insta360 cams and MRP forks… things have gone really down hill. The quality of the insta360 cameras is absolutely garbage! Hopefully they can bring the show back to its former glory but I doubt it. Especially with Outside behind it now.

 Just saw the ending last night. What a crock, lol...

 This at least sounds more entertaining.

 I would turn off my Ebike filter and watch hell out of that.

 Yea…

#tarmogotrobbed

 @scott-townes: 50,000 people don’t care to see what I’m doing on a bike so I can’t hate on him. Congratulations, Max!!

 But those 50,000 follow him because of his skills. It would be different if he had the followers because (s)he "hot".
You either get them by being skilled, or in the case of far too many because the person is good looking, and often a chick (and that's obviously not to say women can't ride, or all women are like this. So don't even go there with the sexist bs, you know exactly who I'm talking about). Just being honest. I didn't watch the season so I can't say whether he should have won or not, but he certainly deserves every follower he has imo, and more. He rips

 @Kayco: The game is explained here:

www.pinkbike.com/news/the-pinkbike-podcast-episode-157-remy-metailler-on-content-creation-scary-lines-and-how-to-be-a-pro-freerider-in-2023.html

Don't hate the players unless they are taking your paycheck (which I doubt).

 @suspended-flesh: my comment was just in response to the title of the video - don’t think “what it takes” is that big of a mystery

 I get it but ultimately a reality show to find a fast or potentially fast racer and give them a contract and team support to see what they can accomplish is interesting, a show to find an ambassador/content creator, not so interesting, at least not to me.
I hope they come back with something better next season.

 @owl-X: you are awarded 1 scold point.

 @owl-X: bringing the kids into it, eh?

 @owl-X: lol chill

 @owl-X: Tell me you're from Washington State, without telling me you're from Washington State xD

 @Trail6: ..... Verstappen? /S

 For all the talk about “full package,” seems like they picked the guy with only about 2/3rds of the package. I guess Tarmo only had that much as well, but it seems like it would be easier to teach a racer to grow his social media than it would be to get a free ride guy to race faster. I don’t know.

It seems like they set out from the beginning bound and determined not to pick the race guy. They were going to pick the social media influencer no matter how many hoops they had to jump through to justify it.

Since that was the case why not make all the contestants content people? Don’t even race. Just make it a content competition for the season.

 Yeah, also I am super curious what a freeride guy will be riding now, orbea clearly doesn't have a dh/freeride rig.
Hopefully he won't go the same was as remy , yoann and all those guys hitting their lines on Enduro bike with small helmet (facespank)!

 honestly if they said from the beginning that they are looking for a social media/ content creator athlete, everyone will have think differently !
And then it is fair and Max deserve the win for this category ! I think the blame is more on the concept of this TV show than on the result.
Max sounds an awesome guy and he will make great content and showing more about the sea to sky area, which is good.
Also everyone is surprised because Orbea isn't freeride at all !

 This PBA season really showed racers don’t sell bikes. And if they do the ROI is hard to figure out / justify during an economic climate full of budget cuts.

Well done, Max. Best of luck!

 Sign them then. Don’t host a sham “competition”

 And if they structured the show as an influencer competition rather than a racing competition it would be fine. They changed the intention of the show without changing the format to suit and created a meaningless ballsup.

 @Starsky686: don't you think brands/Pinkbike get value also from the show itself? here we all are arguing about it after all haha. Engagement has value!

 @Starsky686: and forgo all of this engagement and impressions? That sounds like thousands of missed impressions / marketing gains.

 @dalrose: so content for the sake of content in other words. Engagement in this way has short term value but it's not sustainable. This season was "the island boys" of pinkbike, interesting only to the braindead and repulsive to everyone else.

I watched the first two seasons with relative commitment. This season I watched only when I was bored I didn't get through one episode without skipping most of it, and skipped straight to the end of the last one because this season just lacked anything to keep my attention. I doubt I'll attempt to watch another season. Not much value in it as far as I'm concerned.

 @wolftwenty1: Just my opinion, but I would buy a bike from a professionally backed racer before I'd buy a bike from a random person hucking on IG. ....

 @cky78: that’s fine and all but there is no way to measure that. For better or worse the instagram reach is measurable / defensible for ROI calculations.

 @st-alfie: 99% of PB and bike media is content for content sake. Don’t be so naive. The show has always been whack…but clearly has had enough engagement to continue the investment. PB isn’t doing this shit ‘just for fun’

 @wolftwenty1: genuinely curious how IG followers are a measurable criteria... I guess I just don't "get" social media. lol

 @cky78: it’s not just social media. In short you and everyone else had a digital profile that follows you all around the internet. Things like following certain accounts, clicking though on certain Links, etc is measurable. Then these companies extra plate conversions and make assumptions on how ‘reach/engagement’ impacts sales. I love loic but him standing on a podium has no measurable ROI. Bigger issue here is that it’s largely measurement for measurement sake and it’s somewhat accurate at best. That said when it comes to budget time execs like to see real measurement around things that are classified as ‘performance marketing’. Racing support is an investment in brand marking which is a long term play and you have to believe in brand in general. Many execs at companies don’t see it that way.

 @wolftwenty1: what business does anything "for fun"? quickest way for a ceo to get fired by board or shareholders haha.

 @wolftwenty1: content for content sake would suggest that there is no ambition behind a media project, so I would disagree. I would say almost all content falls into one main category, marketing. If the marketing isn't done with some sort of integrity and substance it risks alienating the audience from that brand. The comments would suggest that Orbea has put off a reasonable portion of the pinkbike crowd in this very way. I'm sure they'll continue to make money off it, but if their marketing showed they had some passion for the sport rather than just the business, they would make money without pushing any of the market away.

No one ever said anyone was doing this just for fun. We all realise its advertising and to suggest anything but is retarded. That doesn't mean that people can't see through the bullshit.

 @st-alfie: fair enough. It’s all bullshit if you ask me. None of these projects have ambition beyond marking and selling more. Once you just accept that ask yourself…perhaps it wasn’t targeted at you.

 @dalrose You hit the nail on the head. Yeah, Tarmo was definitely the fastest competitor. But the most marketable? No... If you're racing and consistently finishing among the top 10 fastest riders on the planet. Yeah, race results are enough. But if you're a mid-pack elite racer, you better bring more to the table than just racing. Sponsors are looking for who's marketable. Not just who's fast.

 @wolftwenty1: I agree to a certain extent, although you can definitely tell the difference between marketing done solely by paper pushers and marketing done with input from people that are passionate about what they are trying to sell. Orbea seems to be of the former variety.

 Nae idea who max is but Remy, Pilgs etc have the content market sewn up and the money is in YouTube views for the rider, not sure what Orbea hoped to achieve but looking at the comments it's seriously backfired on them. The loss of their already minimal reputation due to the outcome of this series must be a bad for Orbea to see.

 @wolftwenty1: thanks for taking the time to explain further.

 Yeah and Max's content is the same hits that Yoann and Remi do. So why wouldn't Orbea look at that and think thats the man for the job because they're seeing how much attention those two get.

 @st-alfie: idk dude, there are good you tubers who make amazing content and litterally just f*ck around talking nonesense to fill in the 30 mins to get more ad revenue, they make a lot of money thanks to that and its quite sustainable aslong as you can keep veiwers you can keep earning.

 @inside-plus: there sure are. All made possible by the braindead f*cks I mentioned earlier. Simple people allowing simple people to become successful.

 @st-alfie: Nah not at all lol. The actuall content is really good. They just fill it with faf becasue YT pays more for longer videos. If you watch HeavyDsparks vids, they're full of BS like them putting fuel in their vehicles, eating, talking about where they're going to eat, talking about what the videos gonna be about and on and on, while the content itself is still really interesting, they've got to fill in time to make longer vids since it pays more.

 @inside-plus: yeah I've come across heavydsparks stuff. All that shit makes it unwatchable to me, so I dont. I have no interest in seeing people go about their mundane everyday tasks. I have even less interest in sitting through all the rubbish just so they can make money from filling their videos with it. It's a slippery slope down to the Kardashians from obnoxious content like that. If people didn't support it it wouldn't be so prevalent and the internet would be full of people's watch-worthy activities without all the bullshit.

 @suspended-flesh: max can chuck his meat for sure… but my little sister has better body position and bike control…

 @huculaker: OK, but technique can be learned. Some are born to huck meat, some aren't. I guess Orbea was looking for a rider to expose their meat, so to speak.

 @tmwjr777: I wonder how many people bough Commencal Supremes for the race results vs the affordability vs technology etc?

 @tmwjr777: Wasnt the whole point though to give someone the opportunity, training and support to take them to the top 10? Jesse didnt just jump to #1 in the world, it took years of grind and support to get there.

Also, perhaps his marketability in NA might be low, but he opens the brand up to an entirely new market with his Finish roots and other European markets.

Orbea keep saying they're looking for a long term relationship, but Evan Wall produced the goods but was not kept on. This shows me what they say and what they mean are not the same thing.

Tarmo could very well be a top 10 finisher in 2-3 years with some development and a solid team around him, but I guesse Orbea will never know...

 @huculaker: your little sister has better body position when chucking meat? Maybe youre a bit too close to your sister, or maybe I'm reading too much into this.

 @st-alfie: nah she keeps her wheels on the ground, not sure what you’re after there sir!

 @st-alfie: *spits out coffee*

 It’s pretty clear in that last episode that they were struggling to find new ways to keep the elimination dramatic.

 Sooooo would you take an enduro or a rallon....i think that's what its called. Well done Tarmo, enjoy being on one of the biggest companies out there, you shred buddy!

 Wooden Wheelie Machine Background

 I haven't watched a single episode of this crap, but you present what appears to be a logical argument so here's an upvote

 "People want to support brands who value a core racing pedigree."

They do? I can't imagine this is remotely true for 95%+ of the people who buy mountain bikes.

 Exactly.

 Nailed it.

 I hear they have this guy called Geoff Gulevich who might be doing that in the Instagram world already. Kinda like saying Orbea already have Marten Maes

 Here's what I don't understand: IF Orbea wanted someone putting out content like Yohann or Remi, why not just sponsor one of them? Yohann and Remi already have a pretty solid following. Or maybe BC POV? This, to me, seems like a "plug and play" solution, rather than a PBA which has left some people bitter.

IF Orbea really wants to sell bikes they need to be more readily available in Local Bike Shops.

As far as PBA is concerned, well, I wanted to see these people ride. They really did not focus on that at all.

just my humble opinion

 @WillStax: They have complex ride/sponsorship deals already and also have their own choices to make.

 It's not a race but an overall meritocracy.

 Sure, but if someone watched the show closely enough to memorize the color of bike each contestant was riding, then they probably already know who won the thing.

 Could not take my eyes off that thing...whatever it is.

 www.parktool.com/en-us/product/frame-and-fork-straightener-ffs-2

 I don't doubt this is part of their ploy with him, and could be a good fit like Flo racing EWS-E and doing well could help sell some bikes. But he will do it in US and Canada. If people don't understand how big e-bikes are with the moto world it may explain why they are so baffled with his selection.