There is nothing like it: the moment when you’re offered a sponsorship from your favorite company. Imagine the opportunity to have a company you support actually endorsing your unique way of riding while you promote them. With a bit of work and a lot of persistence, you can do this. The following is a basic rundown of what you can do as an individual to get yourself into a position to be sponsored.

Part I of III

Noteworthy Section from CW '07

The following is Rod’s story and history in skate- boarding as told to me. He’s been skateboarding since the mid-seventies and through the years he has played a major role in the New York and New Jersey skate scenes and in turn in the global skate scene. He’s one of the true unsung heroes and architects of modern skateboarding. And those who know him and have been lucky enough to befriend him and skate with him will tell you without a bad word one, that Rodney Smith’s fingerprint is on all that’s good about skateboarding. And no doubt it will be for a long time to come.

The series has really grown! More than 350 skaters from a dozen states gathered for the 4th annual 2006 Mid Atlantic Skate Series, held at four premier skateparks throughout Maryland and Virginia. Ledo Pizza, a chain of 70+ restaurants sponsored the series and stoked the skaters with all the free pizza they could eat at every event. Kronic Energy Drink sponsored the Kronic Energy Pro Bowl Class, a new division this year, and the skaters responded with predictable mind blowing intensity. Ben Hatchell, threw down tons of new school spinning, flipping, hammering airs that were in sharp contrast to Jesse Davis’s old school ultra high speed spontaneous ripping style. The judges had fits determining the winner, but eventually Ben edged out everyone to walk away with the $500 first place check. Wes Meadows took home $300 while Jesse and Greg

As a magazine publisher, a number of skate videos cross my desk each year. While each one has a unique quality, I had a sense there was something truly special about “Livin Free.” Little did I realize, when I started to investigate the story behind this video, that it would turn into a four-page story. While “Livin Free” is on its way to becoming a hit in the longboarding world, the story behind the film turns out to be just as intriguing. Turns out that reality doesn’t bite after all.