To most skaters, getting paid to ride a board is a dream come true. But gaining sponsorship is about as likely as getting paid to pick your nose. Every year, hundreds of “sponsor me” tapes are sent to skate companies where they are viewed, laughed at, and dubbed over with old episodes of Scooby-Doo meet the Harlem Globetrotters. There is a high level of skill required in order to become a sponsored, professional skater and companies are not dumb to this level. Only a few of the really good videos get picked up for a spot on the “flow team,” which is the equivalent of saying, “Your skating is just good enough for us not to dub Scooby-Doo, but we’d rather watch the reruns.”

What you find here is a short list of necessary skills that any skateboarder seeking sponsorship should be able to accomplish. It may be possible to obtain sponsorship without performing these tasks and being able to perform them does not guarantee sponsorship, but if you can’t perform all of these tasks, you might as well not bother sending in that “sponsor me” tape.

1. The Kickflip: This is not some rinky-dink, miracle-flip that surprises you when landed. In order to go pro, you need to learn how to do the kickflip. On flat, vert, down stairs, up stairs, flip in, flip out; it’s the cornerstone of any professional career and you need to be able to do it anywhere.
2. The Nollie: Unless you can nollie pop your way over a police barricade, you probably won’t impress any sponsors with a regular nollie. However, if your scoop looks like an epileptic ostrich with Down Syndrome, you might want to spend a little more time working on your nose.
3. Crooked Grind: After the noseslide, the crooked grind is the genesis of technical ledge work. But a noseslide is ineffective when attracting sponsor attention. The juxtaposition of angles between you and the ledge make the k-grind desirable. Even a lazy crook requires enough precision to wean out the better skaters from the slappy sallys.
4. 360 Flip: The tre-flip is one of those tricks that can make an eight year old spazz look like the next Ryan Sheckler. Those who can’t land it are envious of those who can. It’s hard to make a 360 flip look bad, unless, of course, you suck and can’t land one.
5. Backside Tail: An awkward turn, sliding backwards, limited visibility; the back tail has all the makings for either a catastrophic fall or a remarkable, technical trick. This is one of those maneuvers that require total commitment. You can’t half-ass it. Learning to back tail adds an element of style to any repertoire.
6. Something Different: Nobody will notice you if you don’t bring something new to the table. Make up a new trick that no one has ever seen. Throw a hammer in an unlikely spot. Anything that’ll push the envelope and get you noticed among professionals. Use your brain and get creative.