Action Sports’ Highest Paid Athletes
mike lewis
- February 18 2009
- 35 comments
Surfing, skating, and snowboarding have come a long way in the purses that top riders can pull down for winning contests, but it’s still nothing compared to more mainstream sports. Shaun White’s check for winning gold at this year’s Winter X-Games was $30,000. Golfer Geoff Ogilvy’s paycheck for winning the first stop on the 2009 PGA Tour? One point one million dollars.
That said, endorsement deals are beginning to migrate to our sports in unprecedented amounts. Forbes magazine put together a list of the top-ten earners in action sports for 2008, in which they estimate that White earned nine million dollars, primarily from sponsors Burton, Hewlett-Packard, Oakley, Red Bull, and Target, making his endorsement deals more profitable than any baseball or football player other than Peyton Manning.
While many in the industry may complain about corporate sponsorships and action sports becoming more mainstream, the fact is that it’s these dollars that encourage incredible athletes to excel on a board. According to Forbes: “Corporate money has been pouring into action sports in recent years as the popularity of these sports has taken off with consumers. Participation in skateboarding increased 74% between 1998 and 2007 to 10.1 million participants, the fastest growth of any sport in the U.S. Snowboarding registered the third fastest growth over the same 10-year period, up 42% to 5.1 million participants according to the National Sporting Goods Association.”
Forbes based its estimates on interviews with industry experts and excluded Motocross racing.The top 10 earners in 2008 were all male. Top female snowboarders like Torah Bright, Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter make as much as $750,000 annually, but that fell short of their $1 million cut off.
Here’s the break down of 2008 earnings:
1. Tony Hawk - Skateboarding - $12 million
Hawk retired from competitive skating in 1999, but he has built a business empire that sold $200 million worth of Tony Hawk branded products last year
2. Shaun White - Snowboarding/Skateboarding - $9 million
White was the first athlete to compete at both the Summer and Winter X-Games. He’s racked up 10 X-Games gold medals as well as the gold for the men’s half pipe in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Following in the footsteps of Hawk, White launched his own videogame last year through Ubisoft called “Shaun White Snowboarding.”
3. Ryan Sheckler - Skateboarding - $5 million
Sheckler is a hit with teenage girls thanks to his MTV reality show, Life of Ryan, which just wrapped filming its third season. The skateboard prodigy turned pro in 2003 at age 13. Current big sponsors include Oakley, Red Bull and Volcom.
4. Travis Pastrana - Freestyle MX - $3 million (tie)
4. Kelly Slater - Surfing - $3 million
The nine-time surfing champion is both the youngest and oldest to win the title. We won $260,000 in prize money in 2008 when he captured his ninth title. Slater has won $2 million during his career. The bulk of his earnings comes from sponsors like Quiksilver and surfboard maker Channel Islands.
6. Laird Hamilton - Surfing - $2.5 million
The oldest member of our top 10 athletes at 44, Hamilton has always eschewed traditional surfing competitions for the thrill of big-wave surfing. He has built a reputation as an all-around waterman that has spurred books, movies and a clothing line. His wife is pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reece.
7. Paul Rodriguez - Skateboarding - $2 million
The skater known as P-Rod is the son of actor and comedian Paul Rodriguez. Nike signed Rodriguez to a lucrative shoe and apparel deal in 2004 and has released several signature P-Rod sneakers since then.
8. Danny Kass - Snowboarding - $1 million
Kass won silver medals in the men’s half pipe at each of the last two Winter Olympics. He has sponsorship deals with Gnu Snowboards, Nike and Oakley. With his brother Matt and several friends, Kass founded apparel company Grenade which focuses on winter gloves.
8. Dave Mirra - BMX - $1 million
8. Travis Rice - Snowboarding - $1 million
Considered one of the best boarders on the planet, Rice is a renaissance man on the snow competing in big air, slope style and pipe events. Rice counts Quicksilver and Red Bull as major sponsors and also produces and stars in popular snowboard movies like The Community Project and That’s It, That’s All.
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February 18th, 2009 at 9:56 am
What about Jake Burton? He is probably making more money than everybody combined on this list.
February 18th, 2009 at 10:10 am
shaun white is amazing, but his snowboard products don’t sell anymore. I think he is overpaid and sold out way to soon
February 18th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Did he just say “boarders”?
February 18th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Didn’t Brush sign with Ride for $1 million per year back in the day?
And how about TR’s signing bonus of a Porsche with Morrow?
February 18th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Uh… last time I checked the title of the article was “Action Sports? Highest Paid Athletes.” Not highest paid action sports’ business owners. I wish I had two more hands to give your post four thumbs down.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:05 am
i’s a shame when all the core shop die.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Sheckler’s ProActiv commerical:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1vl5-6Axi4
Shaun White for Target:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSvmRbMdPzQ
February 18th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Why is Dyrdek and BAM not on the list? I’m sure they make more than $1 million per year.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
there all americans. Terje has got to be making over $1 million a year.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
terry hackysack bro? you make more cash when 13 year-olds a. know your name, and b. can pronounce it.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
own3d!
February 18th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Does TV count? If so, then Jason Lee would be kicking everyone’s ass.
February 18th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
POW ON THE TRAILZ BROOOOO.
February 19th, 2009 at 2:49 am
BUT QUIK ONLY PAYS KELLY WITH IOU’S AND PINK PAPER MONOPOLY MONEY. THAT DOESNT COUNT!
February 19th, 2009 at 10:44 am
No chicks on the list…funny.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
“Top female snowboarders like Torah Bright, Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter make as much as $750,000 annually, but that fell short of their $1 million cut off.”
Girls dont make enough to make the list.
February 19th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
what about deer dick?
February 19th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
what about bede durbidge - second best surfer in the world? What a cluster fuck when laird hamilton is making more than him!
February 19th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
mick fanning? bruce irons? andy? these guys are 2 mil +
February 19th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
hate mate! love your work.
February 19th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Did Forbes spell Quiksilver wrong? wow
February 20th, 2009 at 8:53 am
You bet he did sell out. for 12 million Dollars! How can you blame him? He is an amazing snowboarder and has proven to be pretty solid on the skateboarder. The kids love him and his video game and he will continue make the big bucks regardless.
February 21st, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Really? I mean, Bede rips and all, but I haven’t seen him charging any 50 footers lately.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 am
James Stewart and chad reed, both in supercross made well over 3 million dollars each!
I guestimate Stewarts income last year to be around 8. Mill.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:07 am
These guys are not looking to deep.. There are at least 10 MX guys over the million dollar mark.. I guess they don’t claim MX guys which is funny, they rule the X Games.
May 19th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
alex rodriguiz is paid $26mil a year
May 26th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
core shdred and skate will die with the corporate blood-suckers now getting on the band wagon. Good to see the sport grow, but when I get older and look back on this decade it will be a sad closing chapter. thanks to target, wal-mart, the list goes on
May 29th, 2009 at 8:16 am
i think its only contest winnings, beasure im pretty sure kelly makes way more then that
May 29th, 2009 at 8:17 am
ur dumb
May 29th, 2009 at 8:33 am
WHERES CHUCK NORRIS
January 6th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Sure guy
January 7th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
How is Ken Block not on this list?