Published in the February 2008 issue of Virgin Airways in-flight magazine, Virgin Blue.

To read the entire article (the segments about the other children, everything about Tristan & Nic is below), click here to download the PDF.

    Another couple of youngsters experiencing the very good side of an industry are Californian twins Tristan and Nic Puehse. When they were five years old, the boys began wakeboarding behind their dad's boat - then, when a skate park opened up near their home, they became hooked on skateboarding. They were six years old, and they've never looked back.

   The twins, who are now 10 years old, have become so good at what they do that they've earned sponsorship deals from several companies and major skateboard, clothing and shoe brands including Powell Skateboards, Sony, Bones Swiss Bearings, Nike 6.0, Gatorade, Autobahn Wheels, S-One Helmets, Electric Visual, Jim bells Skateboard Ramps, 187 Pads and Sk8nuts hardware. They are also on flow (unofficial sponsorship) with Nixon and Tracker Trucks. Most professional sportspeople can't boast such an array of valuable sponsors, how do a couple of kids bring them in?

    "Tristan and Nic are very determined kids with a lot of self-discipline, confidence and perseverance," says their father, Michael. "From early on, they were always trying tricks that were more advanced than their skill level. As a result, they endured quite a few slams, which helped them quickly master the art of falling properly, and were also landing tricks that not many kids their age were doing or trying. Sponsorship opportunities have presented themselves both ways - companies have approached us, and we've reached out to those companies that Tristan & Nic were interested in riding for.

    Sponsorship means free gear, subsidized travel and payment for media appearances. And the sponsorships, plus the added attention they bring, have opened many more exciting doors for the twins. They include a recent agreement to star in a direct-to-DVD feature film, slated to start filming early this year. The twins are also in discussions with Disney regarding potential opportunities to work together.

    Their videos on Youtube are some of the most popular skateboarding videos of all time and Puehse Twins Skateboarding and Puehse Twins Skateboarding-Take 2 have already been viewed more than 5.3 million times. One of the most important things for his sons, and six-year-old daughter Natasha, Michael says, is ensuring a good balance between skating and other areas of life. "Balance in life is so important," he says. "I think when people see footage of Tristan & Nic skating, a common misconception is that they skate 24/7 and have no life outside of skateboarding. This couldn't be further from the truth. Right now they are skating, on average, 10 to 12 hours a week, leaving plenty of time for school - which is, admittedly, not their favorite activity outside of skating - and the other sports and activities they enjoy."

    For the boys, though, it's simply fantastic that they get to skate with all the best gear. "It's cool that we get to skate with all the best stuff when we skate and film," says Tristan. "We don't have to skate with chipped boards or holes in our shoes."

    "We've been skating for almost four years now and we go through about one board every 10 days, so we've gotten through a lot," says Nic. "Our shoes also last about the same time, sometimes less." So what do these child high-fliers want to be when they grow up? Tristan and Nic dreams of being professional skateboarders and competing at the X-Games.