Skateboarding is today a big time sport and pro skateboarding can bring in a lot of money – even in the millions. While the prize money in pro skateboarding is good, the real money lies in sponsorships and in becoming a Tony Hawk type video game character. This may seem like a distant dream to those just beginning on skateboarding, but there is no reason why that dream can not come true as long as you follow the basics of learning how to go about it. And if you are among the best in pro skateboarding, you can be assured of earning enough to support you after you retire from the sport.
The starting point in your climb to the top lies in skating as much as you can – to work or school and in fact any and everywhere you can; but play safe and use skateboard parks and other safe places to practice your advanced moves. Remember that when you are learning, you are going to fall a lot so it’s important that you wear a helmet and the rest of the protective gear – as major injury could end your ambitions in the world of pro skateboarding. Spend time searching for companies that sponsor pro skateboarders – their websites will tell you a lot about what they are looking for in the people they sponsor. The only way you can show them how good you are is by sending them videos, so investing in professional help – a cameraman and editor – will ensure that your skills are shown off in the most impressive manner. Keep updating your videos as your skills increase – you will then have new material to send out to sponsors who did not take you on when you first approached them.
These videos are great for learning – watching yourself will enable you to spot flaws in your technique and errors in your style so you can correct them quickly and move up to the next level. Becoming a name in pro skateboarding is not something that will happen over night – be prepared for rejections in your quest for sponsorship and study the moves of those who got the deals you didn’t – it will help you to better understand what the sponsors are looking for. Be careful not to let the drive to the top take to fun out of skateboarding – once that goes your energy and ability to be creative on a skateboard will also go and you can’t be at the top of pro skateboarding without these qualities. Always keep in mind that your sponsorships are as much for your popularity as for your skateboarding skills and never let success go to your head and build a barrier between yourself and the people who support you.
