Nyjah Huston takes silver in Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street at X Games 2025, reflects on growth, handling pressure, and looks ahead to the LA Olympics and the future of skateboarding.
Nyjah Huston, a professional skateboarder and X Games medalist, shares his journey and insights. He talks about the intense pressure of competition and how he controls his mindset to treat each run like a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Nyjah emphasizes the importance of mental focus, using visualization to stay present before high-stakes performances. He also reflects on the evolution of skateboarding, both personally and within the sport at large, including the challenges of competing at the Olympics and the future of skate culture.
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Nyjah's Memorable Olympic Run
Nyjah described his memorable Olympic run in Paris where he landed one of his best contest runs.
He recounted the intense finale and how competitors pushed each other to incredible trick performances.
insights INSIGHT
Balancing Pressure and Longevity
Nyjah feels pressure internally because of his long career and competitiveness.
His focus now is more on enjoying the sport and longevity rather than just winning.
insights INSIGHT
Olympic Nerves and Skateboarding Uncertainty
Competing for your country enhances nerves but also heightens excitement and energy.
Skateboarding results are unpredictable due to the technical difficulty and variability of mental and physical states.
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As our inside look into the 2025 X Games continues, we sit for a special conversation with Skateboard icon Nyjah Huston, who we first had the chance to meet a few years back on The Pivot, and although we get to sit with him again now, it feels as it's a completely new person, as his talent is still top tier, but Nyjah's energy and life perspective is on an entirely different level.
As the background noise of Salt Lake City’s mega ramp echoes around them, this episode gives a front-row seat to Nyjah's inner workings—his mental framework, his resilience, and how he envisions the next chapter of his legendary career. Nyjah brought a unique blend of technical insight, raw emotion, and phenomenal perspective sharing with Ryan, Channing and Fred about how life and his sport continues to evolve as he has changed as well.
A few of the things we chat about:
Controlling the uncontrollable Nyjah opened up about the razor-thin margin between victory and failure on the street course. He shared how he trains his mindset to treat each run as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—because in competitions like this, "you get one shot."
High-stakes mental focus In his signature calm tone, he walked listeners through his mental prep before high-stress runs. Emphasizing visualization and emotional detachment, he explained how he stays in the moment: “I don’t think past tricks. I just skate.”
Trick evolution in real time Nyjah detailed how he and his team approach trick selection during events—balancing hype-worthy high-risk lines against guaranteed clean runs. He spoke on adapting instinctively to course flow and weather variables.
Injury, recovery & longevity Having faced setbacks recently , he revealed new rehab routines, strength protocols, and mental wellness check-ins—enhanced by his ongoing work with spiritual mentor Chervin Jafarieh.
Chasing gold, redefining legacy Reflecting on his fierce Olympic & X Games pedigree, Nyjah admitted he's at a crossroads—driven still by competitive hunger but also exploring the freer, street-skater version of himself. He hopes to build a legacy that balances medals with creativity and personal expression.
Beyond pro skating The conversation also veered into life off the board—his newer ventures in fashion, music, and philanthropy. Always disciplined, he credits a humble, growth-minded support team for keeping him grounded beyond the ramp.
Tap in now for this special conversation live from the X Games! It's filled with a lot of gems around personal growth, focus, commitment and competition.
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