Ever wondered how much do pro skateboarders make?
In recent sports history, pro skateboarders like Tony Hawk have catapulted the sport into the mainstream limelight. Hawk, who is worth millions, had humble beginnings like many other skaters.
Usually, a professional skater starts in the ranks of amateur skating, which is a stark contrast to the bright lights that many are used to seeing Hawk perform under. A great majority of skateboarders don’t make it to the professional level.
However, when they do, what is the payday? Are all professional skateboarders worth millions? Are Tony Hawk and a handful of other famous pro skaters just exceptions?
We’ll answer these questions in the following article. Keep reading if you ever wondered how much pro skaters make.
Money Sports
If you factor in endorsements and all of the other revenue that comes with pro skating, the sport itself is worth nearly $5 billion. Yes, that’s billion, with a “B.” Decades ago, pioneers who paved the way for present-day skaters probably would have never imagined the sport would be worth millions, let alone billions.
However, here we are, where the Olympic sport of skateboarding is a powerhouse professional sport worth billions of dollars. That money has to get distributed somewhere, right? Skateboard industry jobs and the employees who fill those jobs get some of the money. How much of it ends up in a pro skaters bank account?
Wide Potential for a Professional Skateboarder
The median salary for a pro skater is anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 per month. However, this is just an estimate of salary ranges. It’s possible for one pro skateboarder to get paid millions just from one brand endorsement.
The world of skateboarding revolves around many brands, so there is a lot of potential for endorsement deals. This is only one way of earning, though. What other revenue streams do top tier professional skaters have?
Famous Pro Skaters Earn Multiple Streams of Income
There are four major ways pro skaters can get paid. There are other ways that might throw money into the pot, but these four primary methods are their bread and butter.
1. Decks
All professional skaters have their own brand of skateboard decks. They earn revenue from the sales of these decks.
2. Wheels and Trucks
Skateboarding truck and wheel companies pay professional skateboarders that use their equipment during professional events. The skater might endorse the product in a magazine or internet ad. Technically this is a form of brand endorsement.
The money a sponsored skater can earn from wheel and truck deals varies on the company they endorse and how often they do ads.
3. Shoes
Some pro skaters have their own line of skating shoes. Many of them just endorse shoes for certain companies.
Skaters with their own brand of shoes will make more than a skater doing a normal endorsement. When a skater owns his own brand of shoes, he gets a percentage of those sales. On endorsements, skaters normally just earn a flat rate.
4. Other Major Endorsements
Skaters could sign deals with other major brands to do endorsements. This could include various clothing lines, skate equipment companies, food and beverage, and many other industries. This will make up a lot of their earnings.
Pro Skater Competitions
You might be asking yourself at this point, “what about pro skating competitions?” Truthfully, pro skaters don’t earn nearly as much off competitions as they do on endorsement deals.
Younger skaters that are coming up in the pro skating world rely on earnings from competitions a lot more than a skater that has been a pro for several years. Eventually, the earnings from their brand deals surpass that of the competition. A number one placement in the biggest competition, like world cup skateboarding, might earn a pro skater $100,000. They can earn that in 30-seconds from one brand deal.
How Much Do Pro Skateboarders Make?
Well, unless you skipped straight to the conclusion, you know the answer by now. Truthfully, those who skate professionally have been propelled to the status of basketball and football players. The days when a pro skater starved trying to make ends meet are over.
Nobody knows what a pro skater truly makes per year because it varies. It’s not hard to believe that most of them easily clear seven figures.