Professional Skateboarders

Pro skateboarders make money hand over fist. If you doubt this statement on professional skateboarders why not run a search for “Tony Hawk” and be amazed by the products this superstar is endorsing, the videos he has made, books he has penned, and how to sites he is quoted on? Granted, in the world of pro skateboarding he is considered a phenomenon and without equal. In addition to a pro skateboard company and his own clothing line, he got into video gaming and today professional skateboarding wannabees are playing around the globe the games inspired by Tony Hawk’s exploits on the board.

This kind of success is not common with the average professional skateboarder, but it is possible! Patrick Ladd is currently building a career in professional skateboarding by having made his way through the amateur ranks and now is on the Plan B pro team. Although somewhat beholden to his sponsor, as a pro skateboarder he is free to change allegiances if he so desires. Another example, of how to be a pro skateboarder is found in the life of Kerry Getz who, in spite of his anger management issues, is considered one of the premier boarders. Participating and winning medals at the X Games led to fame, and eventually fortune which he turned into his own skateboard store.

While it is true that the ranks of professional skateboarders read like a who’s who of the male gender, there are several successful female pro skateboarders who are taking the world of skateboarding by storm. When it comes to women pro skateboarders, the name Cara-Beth Burnside is synonymous with X Games, and her sports exploits have won her lucrative sponsors as well as a signature shoe designed for skating.

The younger Paul Rodriguez, professional skateboarder, shows that there is nothing comedic about professional skateboarders, and that minorities have a shot as well. Currently riding for Plan B, he is the poster child for those who make the point that yellow, brown, and black pro skateboarders can be just as successful as their white counterparts. The pro skateboarder Andrew Reynolds has used his fame to start his own clothing line and skate shoe line.

These endorsement deals and other peripherals make it hard to adequately guess the average salary for a professional skateboarder, since in addition to being professional skateboarders the negotiation skills of the individual factor into the decision how much of a cut they may expect when showcasing clothing lines, lending their image to endorsements, and doing other things in addition to being professional skateboarders.