Pro call out: 500 points
I'd consider a professional skier to be anyone who gets paid to perform on video or compete in events. It doesn't matter if it's enough to live on. The point is that it's what they dedicate their time and energy to doing year round, instead of just playing around at a resort like the rest of us. VERY few professional extreme sports athletes get paid more than they could working normal jobs, but since their lives revolve around skiing, and their sponsors usually cover their expenses (gear, airfare, lodging), they can live off very little anyway as long as they keep performing. Any "pros" reading this, please correct me if I'm wrong. This is what I've heard mostly from professional kiteboarders, wakeboarders, and surfers, but only from one pro skier. I think most professional skiers also work summer or part time jobs if they don't want to ski bum it and live out of a van. I'd be interested to see how much extra cash Wallisch makes in a year apart from gear, ski trips, or event fees, or even if he's the highest paid freestyle skier??