For most of us this is an unattainable goal or a path that we left behind an age ago. Some of us are content with doing the soul surfing, weekday working 
thing. A very small percentage of us actually have what it takes to go all the way. This could be you.

If you have the natural talent, a burning desire and the drive to work hard then you can be a pro bodyboarder. Your starting age is not too much of a factor as only a very small percentage of Pros started before they were teenagers. Here are a few tips to get you started on the right track.

Get Familiar with Professional Bodyboarding - Know that just being good won't make you a pro rider. You will need to network and market yourself to stay on top. You have to be ready to compete with many other riders for top sponsorships and may have to bodyboard when you least feel like it. You will have to travel to places like Australia, Chile, Brazil, Portugal and Hawaii and may be away from home on tour for extended periods of time.

Start off by finding out about local competitions. Enter contests that lead up to competitive awards with greater publicity. Continue to enter competitions until you work your way up to the national level. Get the attention of potential sponsors by networking at competitive events.

Write to other potential sponsors to inquire about partnerships. Include color photos of yourself in action and a detailed list of your credentials. Explain what exposure you can bring to the surf brand. Compare the offers that you receive from potential sponsors. You may receive equipment at first, which will work its way up to a travel budget and more.

Have friends and family scan the news for press and photos about you. If you see a photo of yourself in a newspaper, call and ask how much it would cost to place an advertisement of the same size. Tally up the potential cost of your photos and use this when bargaining for better sponsorship deals. All surf companies put aside money for sponsoring athletes. If you have the skills and the dedication to pursue the best sponsor for you, you will have a great chance at becoming a professional bodyboarder.

Stay clean and bodyboard mean. The best bodyboarders in the world lead healthy lives with sober habits. They train hard, are flexible and get a lot of practice in. Alcohol and drug abuse do not mix with high performance sports. This is a fact. If you cannot let go of these then be prepared to let go of your dreams.

You need many years to work on the skills it will take for you to be a pro but the hard work and dedication is well worth the reward. If you are not good enough and after five years you decide to do something else with your life then bodyboarding will still be a very pleasant way you spend your time.

Note to all potential pro stand-up surfers: Substitute the words bodyboarder and bodyboarding with surfer and surfing in this article