With non-contact extreme sports gaining popularity following the global pandemic, avid followers of scootering and skateboarding have likely heard the name Delaney Ball. Freshly 18 years of age, the accomplished trick scooterist has a world cup under her belt alongside other vigorous competitions and worldwide recognition.

This spotlight under some of the largest platforms in extreme athletic events has expanded Ball’s responsibilities further than just competition.

“I have sponsorships with Tilt, The Vault pro scooters and Hella Grip,” Ball said. “I have also done brand deals where I have worked with companies to design photos and videos to show off their projects on social media.”

With these big-name deals under some of the most highly respected skateboarding and scooter brands in the world, Ball dedicates a solid portion of her time to product promotion and design.

“I work with a product designer, Michael Spizzirri, to get my ideas out of my head,” Ball said. “He works to create samples and then I pick what I like.”

Taking inspiration from her own clothing, Ball often designs items based on clothing items she wears more frequently.

“When we were going through the process of designing women scooter apparel, I got inspired by the cropped shirts that I wear so we selected that blank,” Ball said.

Following the choice of apparel, Ball must decide what design represents her vision best through different fonts, colors and layouts.

Though the process may sound easy, Ball’s dedication to success requires more than a simple conversation. Her most anticipated design required a significant amount of time and flexibility.

“My most recent thing that I collaborated with Mike on was designing my pro model wheels. I flew to Chicago to meet with him in person and he wrote down all of my ideas,” Ball said. “I got to choose what color I wanted the wheels to be and selected pink. After that he used Solidworks and made some 3D models where I was able to see what they would look like. He also took a copy of my signature and it was etched into the wheel.”

The production of each item is only the beginning for Ball, as promotion and marketing requires photoshoots and video footage to ensure success in advertising. As a young student balancing courses at Palo Alto High School alongside college applications, Ball’s ability to not only compete during the year, but additionally dedicate the necessary hours to product development may seem overwhelming. Ball, however, disagrees.

“Working on product design with these companies is one of my favorite things because I get to see my vision in real life and I get to see consumers with products I helped design,” Ball said. “It feels especially unreal to see a product with my own name on it because it reflects back on me and my work. I want to make sure that everything that has my name is my best work.”

Following the inclusion of other extreme sports such as surfing, skateboarding and climbing in the Tokyo 2022 Summer Olympics, the International Scootering Federation recently submitted a request to join the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. If the request is approved, viewers around the world can expect to see Ball repping her own products in her home state on the international stage.

Featured Image by Chris Martin under TiLT scooters