It's official: YouTube skater Ricky Glaser is no longer just an influencer in the skateboarding world as he is now a professional skateboarder.
In his recent YouTube video, Glaser breaks it down: being a pro is not just about having a certain number of followers or landing some official endorsement.
He said: "It's someone who has become good enough at skateboarding that they can make a living from it."
And now, with his own signature board and company to back it up, he’s doing just that.
Some skaters think going pro should come from getting the nod from a company, having your name printed on a board by someone else, or putting out a full-length video part.
Glaser’s just flipping the script and he’s okay with people having their own takes.
Now with his own company, I like Sk8, he’s officially put his name on a board and set up a way to support himself through skating.
There’s no massive announcement from a legacy brand. No champagne-soaked “going pro” party clip.
Just Glaser doing things his way, straight from his own platform.
It’s kind of wild when you think about where he started.
Most people first got to know Glaser through Braille Skateboarding, where he showed off his tech tricks and creative ideas.
Since then, he’s built a solid online presence and earned respect from kids. But his split from Aaron Kyro and Braille meant stepping away from a steady role in an already-established skate media machine.
Now, Glaser’s on his own and making the most of it. Without a traditional sponsor backing him, he’s turned to what he knows best: being creative, consistent, and real with his followers.
Launching I like Sk8 is more than just slapping a logo on a t-shirt or pressing a few decks. It’s how he’s making skating his full-time thing, on his own terms.
Plenty of skaters have started brands before. What makes Glaser’s move different is how public and transparent he’s been about the whole process.
He’s not pretending to be something he’s not. He’s clear about where he stands and what this means to him.
It's not about proving anything to the skate industry. It’s just about skating, building something real, and finding a way to make it work.
So yeah Ricky Glaser is officially pro. Maybe not in the most traditional sense. But it’s 2025, and the rules aren’t what they used to be.