From streets to stadiums: Nyjah Huston taking his revenge on the Paris Olympics
Emmy Schouten
Nyjah Huston (29) is one of the best skateboarders in the world. This 6-time World Champion and 13-time X Games winner is a world famous skateboarder. We’ll take you on his journey to Olympic gold.
Escaping the mountains
Nyjah has his skateboarding DNA from his father. At a young age, his father was his biggest inspiration. Skateboarding training was part of the daily routine. But father and former skateboarder Adeyemi was a complicated man. He moved Nyjah and his 4 siblings to a isolated mountain top in Puerto Rico. Adeyemi did not trust anyone, and his kids rarely left the house. This made skateboarding training extremely difficult for Nyah. His father was extremely though on him. Nyjah’s mother ultimately got custody and took the children back California. In the Cali streets his love for skateboarding returned. His talents were unmatched. Nyjah quickly became one of the best skateboarders of the West coast. His technique is flawless. With unlimited creative skills Nyjah keeps surprising every tournament.
The most successful skateboarder
At only 11 years old, Nyjah competed in the X Games. The youngest skateboarder ever. From the moment he entered the concrete, all eyes were on him. You cannot think of the X Games without Nyjah anymore. He has won a total of 19 X Games medals, 13 of them are gold! On top of that, he has 6 World Championships and won the 2021 Dew Tour. His legacy is huge. Time100 already declared him one of the most influential athletes ever. Nobody has won more prizes than him. His success in skateboarding is insane. He collaborated with brands Nike SB and Monster Energy. He even designed his own shoes: The Nyjah (2). The best skateboarding brands are lining up for Nyjah. His following is gigantic. With over 8 million followers on social media, everybody knows who he is.
Tokyo disaster
With all this success, Nyjah was expected to be the first to take home gold on the Olympics. However, there was no crowd and everything felt off. This combined with the pressure to put skateboarding on the Olympic map got into his head. Normally Nyjah feels no pressure at all. Skateboarding is all about fun and trying out new things. But now he felt all eyes on him. It got into his head, causing him to make multiple falls in his routine. This cost him the gold. Nyjah became 7th, a huge surprise in the skateboarding community. Everybody was shocked, Nyjah was unrecognizable in his routine. Will the chilled and laid-back Nyjah make a comeback in Paris?
The comeback
After Tokyo, Nyjah injured his knee. Badly. He couldn’t skate for 4 months. It made him realize that he couldn’t risk missing out on the Olympics in 2024. He changed up his training and took it to another level. Practicing at least 3 hours a day, following a diet and working on his cardio. He is better than ever and ready to take home gold. Watch him July 27th at La Concorde Paris!