Whether you're a skateboarder looking to "make it" or you're just out there skating for fun, after you're done reading this column, you're going to have a new appreciation for two of Canada's top professional skateboarders that are still doing it big. At first glance, most people walking down the street wouldn't think that Paul Machnau was someone capable of making a well-documented skate career based heavily on gnarly rail skating. After many years of successful domination and designing signature products, Paul was kind enough to share a couple of his secrets to staying healthy, staying on the board, and staying in the magazines.

Up next is Canada's newest contest slayer, Jordan Hoffart. "The Hoff" as he's known, is a hard one to avoid. With consistent media coverage inside magazines, inside videos, on TV and all over the internet, Jordan is without a doubt one of the hardest working Canadian skaters in history. Another thing that makes Jordan so damn good is his willingness to help out those less fortunate. If you're wondering why you haven't made it in skateboarding yet, read Jordan's tips on how to make it in skateboarding outside of Canada and why anyone would want to enter contests like the Dew Tour and X Games.

Machnau, pop shuv. Caissie sequence.

Paul Machnau
You've been killing it for years on your skate.  What's the secret to having a long lasting skateboard career? 
Motivation, dedication, body maintenance, progression, and the pure love for skateboarding. Not burning any bridges along the way, and trying to promote my sponsors the best I can. Without them I would have had to get a job and my skills would have been replaced with a beer belly!

How do you deal with bad injuries and come back stronger then ever?
Kelvin Tam!  He is my physio terrorist. At least that's what he calls himself... He knows how the body works and gets me back on my board faster than I ever thought possible. Plus, I have been learning how the body maintains and heals itself as well. I now stay active as much as possible when off my board, plus I'll stretch, ice and eat right whenever I can. Other than that, I try and get back on the board, even just to roll around as soon as I can after an injury to keep up the mental side of skating. The longer you sit around off your board, the faster your mind turns on you.

What's the best way to get published in a magazine if you're looking to get a skate career started?
I don't know... make friends with photographers? I'd say just skate as much as you can. Go to contests and events, film for videos, and progress. If it's meant to be it will happen for you. Unless you know someone working at a mag, or who owns a company, you gotta go out and get it yourself.

Jordan Hoffart
You're stronger than ever and have been killing it down in the USA for the past couple of years. What's the secret to making it outside Canada in the professional skateboarding world?
Move to California and network with the skateboarding community ‘til you can't stand it, then go network some more. All skateboarders nowadays are mind blowingly good, but what's gonna separate you from the rest is a positive attitude and your willingness to work and market yourself off the board. Also, when your team manager says jump, you gotta jump (for all you manual kids, the same goes for tech skating). When you want to go shoot a photo, call staff photographers, as the skateboard magazines are much more likely to run their photos before branching out to freelancers. When you do call a photographer, have a gnarly trick and a couple gnarly spots planned out; you gotta remember they have pro's way higher on the list to worry about so for them to even return your call is a blessing. You've got to make it worth their while!

At the same time don't call out some outrageous trick that you have no intentions of trying just to get them out for the day; nobody likes a liar. Always bring a filmer... always. You don't want to have to go back and nose blunt Staples again. Be organized with your photos and footage -- a computer always helps -- and most importantly leave your excuses at home. Excuses will cripple a career quickly. There are literally a thousand kids that want what you want and will do it better for less. Basically, you gotta sleep, eat and breathe skateboarding, and be willing to work as hard as possible for as long as possible. Skateboarding doesn't owe you anything.

As a Canadian living in the USA, how do you get past the stereotypes of being marketed as a "Canadian"?
Act American! [laughs] Your best bet is to not subscribe to any labels. And refuse to be marketed as "the Canadian". Don't get me wrong, I've got mad love for Canada and definitely rep my 'hood. There are ways to do it tastefully without looking like that farm-raised kook that screams, "I don't know what's going on in my red long sleeve shirt under my white tee with my bent brimmed Molson hat, faded blue baggy JNCO jeans and a pucka shell necklace." Not that there is anything wrong with that... Simply put, most of the people I encounter don't even know I am Canadian.

What benefits are their to entering big contests like the Dew Tour and X-Games if you're trying to make it as a professional outside Canada?
Airtime = free exposure to a much larger fan base. Most of these kids that come and/or watch the big pro contests on TV are the same kids that are begging their moms to buy your boards and other signature products. You want them to get on your side since you'll eventually have kids to feed.

Part 1 of California with Jordan Hoffart (and Part 2)

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Related:
21 Song Salute with Machnau, Wilson and Yankou
Torino 2006: Hoffart and Sharp Welcome The World
Go Skateboarding Day with Quiksilver and Jordan Hoffart