vlaze.com

Skating superstar Ryan Sheckler is on the cover of the latest issue of ESPN: The Magazine as part of their X Games 2008 preview. The 18 year old phenomenon is already a millionaire, has won the Dew Cup three times, won the Street Gold Medal in last year's X Games, and has even starred in a reality show. But sometimes Sheckler is accused of being a “sell out” by some skate enthusiasts, while others credit him for taking street skating to the big time. Sheckler told the magazine that he doesn't mind the people who criticize him, saying “every time somebody calls me out or tries to start something, it’s motivation. I want to give them more reasons not to like me.” Others in the industry praise Sheckler for raising awareness of the sport, like pro street skater Jerome Rogers, who said that skateboarding should go mainstream and that “I'm all for it growing up and being taken seriously. Ryan is helping do that, and he gets hated on the hardest.” Whatever you think of the teenage superstar, Ryan Sheckler is here to stay, and he's raising the level of awareness of a sport that has been marginalized for years