Skateboarding is one of the most popular things for young people to do these days. It used to be a rebellious act, but now it is a full-fledged extreme sport.
Recent numbers show that there are more than 12 million skateboarders in the world, and more than 80% of them are younger than 18 years old. It has a good hold on the younger markets and has reached them well. Some of these skateboarders do it for fun or as a way to get around, but only a small number of them go on to become professional skateboarders.
The skateboarding business is a big one. Skateboarding has become a multi-billion dollar business because there are so many people who want to do it. Because skateboarding is popular with young people and easy to get into, there is a lot of money to be made from selling products, advertising, and putting on events.
What does it mean to be a professional skateboarder? Well, just like in any other sport, going pro means making money through the sport. If you get paid for your skateboarding abilities and skills, then you are a pro skateboarder.
Many of the best skateboarders, like Reese Forbes, Kareem Campbell, and Ron Bertino, came from simple backgrounds when they started their careers. Commercialism gives the sport of skateboarding the much-needed financial value it needs. But how does skateboarding make money?
Many people think that one of the best ways to make money skateboarding is to enter and win skateboarding tournaments. Yes, there is some money to be made by regularly going to these tournaments, and they do help skateboarders get known, but the real money in professional skateboarding does not come from winning tournaments. Most of the money comes from endorsement deals with skateboarding companies.
A professional skateboarder would start out on the streets, where he would try over and over again to learn new tricks and stunts. The sponsors are keeping a close eye on these tricks and stunts as they are shown off in tournaments. If a company sees that a skateboarder has a lot of skill and a good future, they might give him free stuff to use. This move is also good for the company, since the skateboarder will sort of "endorse" their products. When a skateboarder becomes popular and gets everyone's attention, endorsement deals are usually talked about, and money will start coming in.
Not skateboards themselves, but skateboarding shoes and other clothing are the real cash cows in the skateboarding business. In fact, other shoe lines have lost money because "urban" shoes that fit the lifestyle of skateboarders are becoming more popular.
If you really like skateboarding as a sport, you might dream of becoming a pro skateboarder one day. There's nothing wrong with having these kinds of dreams, since being a professional skateboarder can bring a lot of good things. Going pro can bring you money and fame, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you enjoy what you do.
