Professional Skateboarders

While some people believe that skateboarding is what deviant little kids do while they skip school and act in a generally rebellious manner, this is not the case; well, this is not always the case. The figure of the professional skateboarder pretty much surfaced along with the creation of skateboarding itself. A pro skateboarder is someone who essentially skates for a living, doing what he or she loves while making money for it.

Some examples of professional skateboarders are Rodney Mullen, Reese Forbes and, of course, the ever famous Tony Hawk. There’s also the professional skateboarder Paul Rodriguez, the professional skateboarder Andrew Reynolds, the pro skateboarder Jason Lee and the pro skater Reese Forbes. Black pro skateboarders include Kareem Campbell, while female pro skateboarders include Elissa Steamer; women pro skateboarders also include Lauren Perkins.

Tony Hawk is among the pro skateboarders that have actually become household names; Hawk even has his own series of videogames. These pro skateboarding figures may have started out as deviant little boys (and girls), but have now become famous and even respected for what they do and have done. Obviously, not all pro skateboard personalities can be as rich and famous as Tony Hawk, like not all baseball players can be as rich and famous as somebody like Derek Jeter.

If a skateboarder is good, though, he or she can get sponsorship deals, join a skate team, compete, win prizes and live comfortably with his professional skateboarding activities. The most important thing to keep in mind when looking for a career in professional skateboarding is to make yourself known, most often by competing and winning; you also need to distinguish yourself. If you want to know how to be a professional skateboarder, simply attend as many competitions as possible and you’ll learn what it takes.

Once skateboard companies take note of a rising star, they start introducing him to the media by creating ads around him, releasing videos showcasing his talents and possibly allowing him to go on tour. But the money doesn’t come so much from the tours, or the actual skating, as the advertising campaigns for skateboarding gear, especially shoes. Popular pro skateboarders have either created their own skateboarding companies, which sell boards but also shoes and clothes or they’ve joined the teams of skateboarding companies to promote products.

As for the average salary for a professional skateboarder, this varies. Skaters that are moderately good can earn anywhere from fifty to one hundred thousand dollars a year, while very good skaters will earn anywhere from 500 thousand to one million dollars a year. This is just for skating and promoting company products. Most pro skateboarders are very young when they first turn pro, as are the skaters who are targeted by the advertising campaigns.