Forbes is out with a list of the highest paid action sports stars for 2008, so we ought to get to the top ten right away and then proceed with the discussion:

1. Tony Hawk - $12 million
2. Shaun White - $9 million
3. Ryan Sheckler - $5 million
4. Travis Pastrana (tie) - $3 million
4. Kelly Slater (tie) - $3 million
6. Laird Hamilton - $2.5 million
7. Paul Rodriguez - $2 million
8. Danny Kass (tie) - $1 million
8. Dave Mirra (tie) - $1 million
8. Travis Rice (tie) - $1 million

(Skate=3, Snowboard=3, Surf=2, BMX=1, FMX=1)

Among the highlights:
-First off, these are all estimates made by Forbes on the basis of disscussion with "industry experts," which may or may not include agents with a vested interest in seeing their athlete high upon this list.  I take the whole thing with a plug of salt.

-Second, consider this: Shaun White earns more in endorsement money than every single baseball or football player not named Peyton Manning.  Amazing.

-The highest scoring female athletes were the fashionable snowboarders Bleiler, Teter, and Bright, each of whom were estimated to be pulling in about 750k annually

-Motocross riders were excluded from this survey.  Top riders like James Stewart and Chad Reed pull in an estimated 5 mil. annually, although some would put that number far higher.  Who knew?

-Tony Hawk Retired in 1999: His company employes 30 people and sales of Tony Hawk branded apparel hit 200 million last year.  Market research firm TRU rates him the top athlete in likability and familiarity among teens.  Yeah dude, ahead of Lebron and Jeter.  Chew on that for a minute.

-Skateboarding was the fastest growing sport in the US between 1998-2007, with participation growing 74% to 10.1 million people.  Snowboarding was up 42% over that span to 5.1 million, making it the third-fastest gainer.

-Laird Hamilton is the only person on there who doesn't compete in contests.  He's also the oldest, at 44, and I think he is to be admired for that.

-Slater could well move to the head of that list in 2010 if the rumors of his 10 million dollar bonus for winning 10 world titles are true and if he executes on the condition.