New Challenges with Nyjah Huston
Talking Olympics, DJing and Los Angeles with the 13-time X Games gold medalist
Nyjah Huston didn’t have a typical childhood. From growing up in a strict Rastafarian household, to being declared a skateboarding prodigy by the age of 7, the expectations placed upon him were immediate and immense. Yet what’s so amazing about Nyjah is how quickly expectation became reality. At 11 years old he won the Tampa AM and never looked back, going on to become the most-winning skateboarder of all time, with 13 X-games gold medals and a series of other accolades that would take forever to list. Throughout his career, Nyjah has always had a signature look, whether it be the dreadlocks of his youth, or the athletic shorts and tall sock look that has become synonymous with him -- and which he was rocking way before athleisure was a thing. Now, with his attention fixed on the upcoming Paris Olympics, we sat down with Nyjah.
“LA is my favorite place in the world to skate. This city has so many cool spots and I’m constantly finding new ones even though I’ve been out here for almost 20 years."
You’ve been skating your whole life, but what would you be doing if you had never picked it up?
I don’t really know… skating has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Skateboarding has offered me opportunities outside of the sport too – I’ve been able to build my own businesses, but I also love fashion and music… who knows? Maybe I would have been a DJ in another life.
With the second iteration of skateboarding in the Olympics happening later this year in Tokyo, Where would winning a medal rank for you as a personal achievement?
I would love to win a medal for my country. Who wouldn’t? But the truth is, skateboarding is more than just a sport. It’s a way of life. After skating and competing for almost 20 years at this point, the love for street skateboarding and being thankful for how far I’ve come is more important to me than winning another contest.
Skateboarding is one of the few sports where everyday personal style can be fully expressed while doing it. How much of that were you conscious of growing up and how much it are you conscious of now?
I’ve always been conscious of skateboarding and style going hand in hand together. Every skateboarder has their own style, has their own tricks. It’s not always about who does the hardest tricks it’s also about who looks good on a board. That’s the beautiful part about skateboarding.
How would you describe your personal style? How has it evolved over the years?
I started skating as a little, little kid so my style has definitely evolved over the years as a skateboarder and in fashion. I love skating in shorts because I find it the most comfortable and free feeling. Us skaters also mix up our style depending on the spots we skate. If it’s a spot with rough ground, then you have to gear up.
You live in Hollywood, what’s your relationship like with Los Angeles? And how is it as a place to skate and train?
LA is my favorite place in the world to skate. This city has so many cool spots and I’m constantly finding new ones even though I’ve been out here for almost 20 years. My favorite skate spots are the local colleges and schools. Spots like UCLA and USC where you can just spend the whole day cruising around the campus with your buddies and hit a bunch of different spots.
Do you ever think about what you will do after you step away from competitive skateboarding?
My competitive career will come to an end at some point but I’m going to continue to street skate and film content for as long as humanly possible, so still lots to look forward to. I’ve been getting more into music and DJing lately and I do plan to take that more seriously within the next few years as well.
