Many people who are industry always ask is there a simple guide on how to become a pro skater? Well put simply, there’s no correct answer, but we’ve interviewed some pro skaters and have done research to give you a simple guide on how to become a pro skater.
It’s essential to understand what a pro skater is firstly. A pro skater is someone who earns a living from skateboarding. This is typically from you attracting an audience to watch your skating videos or read you blog, then a business paying you to endorse their products.
So, we have created a simple and short guide on parameters that build up from a regular Joe skater, into becoming a professional skater. These include long term goals that you should work towards and how you can change your lifestyle to make yourself more known to a skateboard company.
How To Become A Pro Skater
1. Skate More – Develop Your Skating Skills & Abilities
Initially you should aim to develop your skill set and tricks arsenal, as pro skaters are technically able, when it comes to their tricks and performance. A lot of skaters become known because of their abilities as a skater, really good skaters who can preform more difficult tricks get noticed by other skaters and companies.
This means that the more you skate, the better the chances you have. This is because you become more comfortable on your board and you’ll have better chances of executing skateboard tricks. This could lead you to preforming better tricks and more frequently, meaning there is a better chance of becoming a pro skater.
Overall spending a lot of time skating is the only way you can increase the chances of you becoming a pro skater. Even if you skate for an hour or two a day, or making it a daily routine, then you’ll be able to develop your tricks and skill set.
2. Take Care Of Yourself – A Pro Skater Is An Athlete Too
Professional skaters have a lot of pressure as an athlete as you are always putting yourself at risk, whilst achieve consistency with your tricks and performance ability. Skaters injuries are endless, although there are methods to reduce your chances whilst having a skating sessions, for instance wearing a skateboard helmet.
The problem with being a professional skater is that, to push your boundaries and your own performance abilities you have to risk your health and body, in order to perform these dangerous tricks. This means that one tricks attempt, could lead to an injury that could put your skateboard career on hold.
Other ways to reduce the risk of injury could be wearing padded shorts to protect your thighs and hips, plus you could use lighting to make yourself more visible at night too! By utilising the skating safety equipment on the market, you can reduce the chances of you obtaining an injury.
3. Enter Skate Competitions & Become Known Locally
You need to also become known in your community, as people will spread your abilities through word of mouth. Entering local competitions will also boost your name around your region, through the use of blogs and by potentially being sponsored by a local skate shop.
In addition to that, at many of these amateur skateboarding competitions, there will be skateboard company representatives, who will be scouting for potential skaters to sponsor and add to the team.
Bear in mind that skating an event is different to skating on your own and practicing. This is because being watched by a crowd can be stressful and up your nerves. its important to skate companies that you can preform under pressure!
4. Build Your Personal Brand & A Following
After showing your performance ability as a skater, you next need to show a brand how you can sell their products through your personal brand. This means are you able to get views online, do you connect to your audience well? Successful skaters always have big personalities.
The most essential point here is to build a loyal and strong fan base. This is what sponsors and skateboard companies will be looking out for as they’ll want you to advertise and endorse their products through your social media.
A great example of someone who’s built their personal brand through social media and has achieved sponsorship is Mike Berdis, so check out his Instagram here as a great example!
5. Build Connections In The Skate Industry
If you begin to develop a following and have potential reached pole position in local competitions, you may recognise that brands may start to approach you. Although you can also actively message brands about sponsorship’s, by directly messaging them, we’ve created a article here on how to approach this and the best companies to contact regarding this here.
Remember that it isn’t always about money, as brands are usually very happy to offer their products for free in exchange for exposure for their products. Often by directly emailing a company and asking for a free product in exchange of promotion on your social media accounts is a great method of getting your foot into the door.
Conclusion – It’s Not Easy To Become A Pro Skater
Ultimately, it takes a long time and a lot of effort to become a pro skater, there’s no easy method to becoming one, otherwise everyone would be sponsored. However by following the recommendations that we’ve mentioned, it’ll increase your chances massively in becoming a sponsored pro skater.
Skilled skaters who know how to market themselves online are the most likely to become sponsored, as they are the most organic and attractive method of skateboard brands to advertising. Just remember to try and establish relationships with skateboard brand representatives and keep building your online profile and skill set!
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