There are two generally recognised classes of individual skateboarding sponsorship. Amateur and Professional. Both can come in different variations and can be agreed contractually in both verbal or written form.
Skate shop sponsorship Skate shop sponsorship is sponsorship by a local professional skateboarding industry
retail company. Skate shops may sponsor both amateur and professional skateboarders.
Amateur sponsorship Amateur skateboard sponsorship involves the light provision of merchandise and equipment along with the occasional payment of
travel and
accommodation or living expenses when representing a sponsor in an out of town competition. Amateur skateboarders are not paid to skate and many are too young in any event, as per law. A sponsored amateur skateboarder may receive some personal
promotion as a brand "team member" and will commonly exchange marketing rights to their image for skateboarding equipment and other merchandising and or skateboard products.
Company flow sponsorship Flow sponsorship is similar to shop sponsorship in that it generally involves the sponsorship of an individual by a small to medium commercial skateboard company or enterprise. However, flow sponsorship usually involves the provision of free merchandise (no cost to the sponsored individual) but the offer is not traditionally consistent or long term.
Professional company individual sponsorship signing
merchandise.
Professional sponsorship is sponsorship attached to royalty payments and comes with a regular
salary in all but the worst of contract formats. Contracts vary but coverage of living expenses which allow the skateboarder to travel and practice to be able to compete on a full-time basis without the need to work full-time, may be factored in. Healthcare, image rights, bonuses, product design and art work licensing are commonly covered in professional skateboarding contracts. Sponsored skateboarders receive monthly packages of sponsored merchandise (including additional merchandise for promotional uses) and equipment (including
customized "pro model" equipment) as well as
branded clothing and other promotional items which feature the sponsored skater's name or personal
logo. Professional skateboarders may receive
royalty payments collected against products sold by their sponsor(s) which display the skateboarder's name or logo. ==References==