The World of Pro Skating

• Pro skating has become a popular extreme sport. The majority of skateboarders skate because they enjoy the sport. A skater becomes a professional skateboarder when he makes money participating in the sport. A select few at the top can make a good living skating and even become rich. Pro skaters make money through sponsors, product endorsements, competitions and shows.
  
  

Sponsors

• Pro skaters can get sponsors just like car racers do. A sponsor pays the pro skater with either free products, money or both. Sponsors sometimes pay the skater's traveling expenses for skating events. A pro skater usually wears clothing that displays a sponsor's name, or he uses the sponsor's products.
  
  

Product Endorsements

• A lot of money can be made doing product endorsements. For product endorsements, a pro skater endorses a product through advertisements. Some types of product advertisements include product displays, print ads and television commercials. Companies find it profitable to pay pro skaters to do product endorsements because they work well. Fans of a pro skater are likely to buy any product he endorses. Tony Hawk is a good example of a pro skater who endorses products. He even has a popular video game designed after him.
  
  

Competitions

• Pro skaters make money by winning skateboarding competitions. Usually, at least the top three to place in a competition win money. Generally, the larger the competition, the higher the prize money. Winners in competitions are more likely to gain sponsors and product endorsements. A skater who wins a lot of competitions can increase his popularity and will usually make more money than other less popular skaters.
  
  

Shows

• Participating in skateboarding shows is another potential source of income for pro skaters. Many events, especially events that are geared toward young crowds, will pay for a skating show to attract visitors.
  
  

Career Longevity

• Professional skateboarding is a physically demanding sport. Skating tricks can and often do lead to injuries. Because of the physical nature of the sport, it is generally considered a young person's sport. If a skater is one of the lucky ones, in the usually short span of his pro skating career he can make a lifetime's worth of money. If he gains enough popularity and gets the right product endorsements, he can continue to make money long after his career has slowed down.