Bothell’s Sky Siljeg, 16, recently won his first pro skateboarding event — the “Rock the Cradle” World Cup contest — while in Houston for a benefit for the “Johnny Kicks Cancer Foundation.”

As a result of this win and points from the season, he is currently ranked the No. 2 bowl pro in the world.

• REPRINT: Sept. 5, 2007

Siljeg keeps rolling, winning on the skate scene

Skyler “Sky” Siljeg clearly can’t sit still.

He may be off his board, but that doesn’t mean the youngster isn’t in skating mode.

In the living room of his Bothell home last Thursday morning, the 13-year-old boarder nicely balanced himself backward on a chair while his mom, Pam Miller, smiled and asked her boy to take it easy.

A few minutes later, he swiveled in another chair — apparently mirroring some skating maneuvers.

When Siljeg actually jumps onto his board, people — a lot of people — take notice.

Siljeg impressed crowds and cruised by the competition to win the recent 2007 Concrete Rodeo men’s championship for the second consecutive year. He also snagged first in bowl skating and took second overall at GromFest ‘07 in Whistler, B.C. In all, he traveled to Arizona, California, Canada, Idaho and Oregon this summer.

Currently, he is 27th in the North America Bowl Pro rankings.

“I just feel good about myself,” Siljeg said about his skating. “It’s actually kind of fun getting tweaked out on air … it feels like you’re going to fall, but then you make it clean.”

His favorite trick is the “Miller flip,” a 360-degree backflip handplant combination that often sends Siljeg 15-18 feet into the air.

Added Miller, who travels with Siljeg on most of his trips: “What they do is like ballet. I can’t imagine what they’re going to do in 10 years.

“Sky’s adamant about wearing his helmet and pads. They can go, ‘Wow, that was cool,’ but if he wasn’t as skilled as he was, he’d get hurt good.” (He’s had his front teeth knocked out twice.)

If Siljeg keeps shining, he’ll be a pro within the next few years. He currently has about 20 sponsors on board, including Jones Soda, Quiksilver, Pro-Tech, Randoms Hardware and Tracker Trucks. He rides for team Vans. He writes a “Kids on Board” column for Scholastic Online and has appeared in numerous magazines and advertisements. And, he’s also a businessman by securing income on his “Sky” board line, which is manufactured and distributed by Aggressive Development.

Siljeg can’t help but smile at all that’s happened to him over the last five years or so.

“It’s been kind of weird … I don’t know. It was a slow climb — I met one guy (noted photographer Scott Starr) and he introduced me to five million people,” said Siljeg, sporting brownish-blonde hair that travels down his back and is topped off with a dark blue Vans Off the Wall hat worn, naturally, backwards. “It’s kind of cool — when I get to a trade show, out of 5,000 people, I know most of them.”

Siljeg — who stands 5-foot-1 1/2 inches, weighs 95 pounds and wears size-10 shoes — has won about 100 trophies and medals over the years. Probably the most impressive is the Concrete Rodeo, whose participants average age 17 to Siljeg’s 13.

He may skate in the big competitions and have spent time with pro skaters Steve Caballero and Shaun White and legendary boarder Larry Bertleman, but Siljeg is just as stoked skating at the Bothell park where he started. He also spends time on his backyard miniature half pipe and at other local skate spots.

“It’s kind of hard to describe, but I have a good time skating with all my friends, goofing around and trying some new, weird trick,” said Siljeg, who also snowboards for Snow Connection. “We have contests to see who can do higher air or who can do the longest grind.”

Chances are, Siljeg is one of the top shredders in those competitions, as well.

— ANDY NYSTROM

An even earlier story can be located on Jones Soda’s Web site.