I think it’s safe to say that almost every skateboarder dreams of making a living skateboarding in some way shape or form.
When most people think of making money skateboarding, they tend to think about getting sponsored, and winning a ton of money in contests, but those aren’t the only paths out there.
Even though that’s definitely one route you can take, there are plenty of other options if you want to find ways to work in the skate industry.
Professional Skateboarder
So the most obvious way to make money skateboarding is to go pro for a company.
This is what most kids dream of when they think about trying to make a living skateboarding because it’s without a doubt the most glamorous option out there.
Professional skateboarders have sponsors that allow them to travel the world, go to all of the best skate spots and skate parks, all while paying them a nice monthly salary. For most skateboarders, it’s pretty much a dream job.
Now if you want to go this route, it’s definitely doable, but because it’s one of the best jobs in skateboarding, it’s also one of the hardest to get. I’d even argue that it’s harder than becoming an astronaut or a scientist. I’m not saying it’s impossible, and if you want to go pro then by all means you should go for it, but just know that it takes a lot of commitment to even get to that level.
Once you’re pro, you usually have a variety of obligations like filming for video parts and getting photos, showing up to signings and appearances, doing demos whenever you’re on tour, and entering in skate contests.
The one downside to being pro is that your career is usually a lot shorter than most other careers, so if you do take this path, you should make sure you know how to manage your money.
Skateboard Filmer / Photographer
So another way to make money skateboarding is to become a professional skateboard filmer or photographer.
As a skateboard filmer or photographer, you get a lot of the benefits that pro skaters get, but you don’t get as many drawbacks.
Filmers and photographers still get to skate almost every day, they get to go on trips all over the world with some of the best skaters, and they even get paid to film and take photos of it all.
The great thing about it is you don’t have to be the best skateboarder. As long as you’re good with a camera, you can still make a living traveling around skating.
With the way things are going, it does seem like people need filmers way more than they need photographers these days. With that said, usually, if you can do one you can do the other, so as long as your skills are diverse you should be fine.
Becoming a full-time skateboarding filmer or photographer is almost as competitive as becoming a pro skater, so you really need to be good at what you do, and it also helps if you know some people in the industry. The good thing is that unlike being a pro skater, if you can’t make money in the skateboarding industry, it’s a little easier to pick up freelance gigs as a filmer or photographer.
Start A Company
The next way to make money skateboarding is to start a company.
The skateboarding community has a pretty strong entrepreneurial mindset, so starting a company can be a good way to make money as a skateboarder.
When it comes to starting a company, there are a few paths you can take.
You can start your own brand selling hard goods like boards, you can sell soft goods like clothes and apparel, or you can even sell products in the food and beverage space.
This is a cool idea because you can start off with keeping things local, and it’s something you and all of your friends can get behind. Even though you won’t be completely hands-on with skateboarding by starting a company, it’s still a job that can allow you to be around skateboarding regularly.
For some people, it might take a little while to get going, but it’s something that you can always start small with and gradually build up as you go.
I will say, new companies are started all the time, so there is a lot of competition, but if you can find your own path within the skateboarding world, it can be a really cool way to make money skating.
Team Manager
For number 4 we have becoming a team manager.
People often forget that for every skate team out there, there’s always a team manager.
A team manager’s job is to manage a skate team, send out products to the team members, coordinate things like skate trips, and just make sure everything involving the team runs as smoothly as possible.
In a way, they’re almost like the dad of the skate team.
The things they’re responsible for are pretty broad, and there’s no set list of things that a team manager handles, they’re more so just a jack of all trades.
In addition to managing the skate team, team managers are often a filmer or photographer as well, so sometimes they’ll even be filming or shooting photos of the team members when they’re out skating. Aside from that, a team manager can also be the one editing videos for the team, handling the social media for the company, or really just taking care of whatever miscellaneous things need to be done.
Becoming a team manager will allow you to constantly be around skateboarding in pretty much every way possible, so if you want to make money as a skateboarder, it’s a great job to have.
Sales Representative
Next up we have sales reps.
Sales reps are basically the salesmen of skate companies. Their job is to help get the skateboarding company’s products into as many skate shops as possible. Once they have a working relationship with a skate shop, they make sure the shop always has stock of the best skateboarding accessories, and they also showcase any new products that the company makes.
Sometimes the idea of being a salesman can get a bad reputation, but in skateboarding, the vibe is a little different, and it’s not the same as some guy in a suit and tie trying to sell a product. People forget that skateboarding brands are actual companies, and just like every other business out there, they need to make money, and sales reps help that happen.
When kids think about having a career in skateboarding, jobs like these never even cross their minds, but they can actually be a cool way to earn a living while still being around skateboarding.
Warehouse Employees
The next way to make money skateboarding is by getting a job working in a warehouse.
Every skate company out there needs a warehouse to use for storing and shipping out products. This means they also need someone who can work in the warehouse to help keep things organized and to help ship out all of the orders.
At first, this job might not sound as exciting as some of the others, but it does have some benefits
First, you most likely will get a ton of free products just for working there. Also, skateboard company warehouses almost always have something in them that you can skate. Sometimes it might be a nice mini ramp in the back, and other times it’s a full-on skatepark.
This means you basically work in a place that gives you free products, and also gives you access to a private skatepark that is usually indoors.
Aside from that, you also get to make connections with other skateboarding in the industry, so if you’re ever trying to make your way into a different role, working in a warehouse isn’t a bad place to start.
Staff Writer
The next way to make money skateboarding is to become a writer.
Skateboard magazines and websites are constantly posting content about what’s going on in skateboarding, and in order to do that, they need someone to write it.
Writing jobs are a little harder to come by now that magazines aren’t as popular, but they’re still out there, even if there aren’t as many. Being a writer is similar to being a filmer in the sense that you might end up working as a freelancer rather than a full-time employee, which might sound like a bad thing, but you can always pick up side gigs writing for a variety of companies.
This is a really interesting job to have in skateboarding because you get to interview some of the coolest people in the industry, and even though you might not be skating every single day, you’ll still be pretty closely involved with skateboarding.
Skatepark Builder
The next way to make money skateboarding is by becoming a skatepark builder.
Now the title skatepark builder can be a little broad, but what I mean by this is anyone who works for a company building skateparks.
There’s a handful of skatepark companies out there, and they’re hired by people, brands, and governments to build skateparks all over the world.
A lot of their business comes from building skateparks for cities and towns, but they also build skateparks for private citizens, and they even build ramps for contests and events.
Working for one of these companies means you get to travel around the world, skate some of the best skate parks you can imagine, and go to some of the biggest events in skateboarding.
It’s not the most traditional skateboarding-related job, but if you want a career that lets you be around skateboarding, it’s a good option to consider.
Can you make money skateboarding?
Despite popular belief, yes, you can make money skateboarding.
People tend to think that the only path to working in the skate industry is getting sponsored, but there are actually a lot of options out there.
Making money skateboarding doesn’t have to be limited to turning pro and winning a ton of money in Street League.
There are plenty of different paths you can take, and if you want to find a job that lets you stay in the skateboarding community, there are a lot of ways to make it happen.