ESPN have a rad article up this morning about the earning power surfers, skaters and snowboarders have through their social media – Facebook and Twitter. A lot of companies are now putting into their contracts that riders need to Tweet about their products a certain number of times a month and get bonus’ based on the number of followers they receive. It is a really interesting new development for athletes and is going to account for a growing percentage of their income – it is also likely to add a new dimension to becoming a pro. If you have the audience, you have some pulling power with the brands. Check the full article over here – well worth the read.

Just FYI – Tony Hawk is the biggest ‘action sports’ athlete on Twitter. The above table might be a bit low – according to the article he’s now at #50.

(Via ESPN)