# Nyjah Huston

Nyjah Imani Huston (/ˈnaɪʒə ˈhjuːstən/ NYE-zhə HEW-stən; born November 30, 1994) is an American professional skateboarder. With numerous sponsorships and competition prize winnings, Huston is one of the highest paid skateboarders in the world. Huston won gold medals at the SLS Super Crown World Championship in 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2024, and has won 15 gold medals at the X Games since 2011. Huston won his first Olympic medal, a bronze, in the 2024 Olympic men's street event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Nyjah is widely regarded as one of the greatest skateboarders of all time. He is also widely regarded as the greatest contest street skateboarder of all time.

## Early life

Huston was born in Davis, California. Raised in a strict Rastafarian lifestyle by his father Adeyemi, Huston and his siblings were vegans and were homeschooled by their mother Kelle. Adeyemi was a skateboarder and made his son start skating when Nyjah was only five years old. Huston had stated that his father was very controlling and wanted Nyjah to skate every day. In 2004, his parents purchased an indoor skate park in nearby Woodland, California to allow Huston more practice time. In 2006, his father abruptly decided to move to Puerto Rico with his family, causing problems with Huston's board sponsor Element Skateboards because he was unable to participate in demos. While in Puerto Rico, Huston's parents separated and his mother moved back to California with Nyjah's siblings. Because Adeyemi was his manager and videographer at the time, Huston stayed with his father in Puerto Rico and did not see his mother for a year. When Kelle was granted full custody upon divorcing Adeyemi, Huston moved back to live with his mother and siblings.

## Skateboarding career

Huston first garnered attention when he signed a sponsorship deal with Element Skateboards and joined their team. During his debut era with the company, Huston appeared in numerous Element video productions, such as both volumes of the Elementality series, and competed in high-profile contests, such as the Dew tour and the Vans Downtown Showdown. However, Huston eventually launched his own skateboard deck company, I&I, in 2009
Between 2010 and 2020 Huston finished in the top 2 of the Street Skateboarding World Championships every year, winning 6 gold medals and 4 silver medals in this time. He has also seen much success in the street classification at the X Games, in which he has won 12 gold medals since 2011. This competition success is largely the reason that Huston is one of the wealthiest professional skateboarders in the world; his net worth of 2022 is $12 million. In addition to his competitive success, Huston is also known for his technical ability and style on a skateboard.
Aside from his success in competition, Huston has also been featured in several popular skateboarding videos, including his own video parts in the series "Elementality" and "Rise and Shine". He has also collaborated with several major skateboarding brands, including Element Skateboards, Nike SB, and DC Shoes.
I&I was a short-lived company and operated for approximately two years with a team that consisted of Huston, Richard Jefferson, and Anthony Williams. During the period of the company's existence, a number of magazine advertisements were published and an online promotional video that featured the three team members was released. The primary aesthetic influence of the brand was Rastafari and the I&I logo incorporated the pan-African colors of red, yellow, and green.
Following the closure of I&I, Huston returned to Element and released a solo video production entitled Rise & Shine in 2011—the video was available for purchase on the iTunes website and later received the "Best Video Part" award from the Transworld Skateboarding magazine. During this stage of Huston's career, the skateboarder also joined the DC Shoes company as a team rider, following a significant period of time without a shoe sponsor—an unusual occurrence for a professional skateboarder with the degree of exposure that Huston had attracted. In response to the DC Shoes announcement, Huston explained that "I think it was all a buildup of things over the past year. DC has always been my top choice for a shoe sponsor but I think it took this past year for them to see what I've accomplished and how I did in the contests and my video part and all that for it to finally come through."
Following Huston's decision to skateboard for DC Shoes, other DC team riders expressed their perspectives in online promotional material produced by the shoe company. Long-term DC team rider Josh Kalis stated in the introductory video for Huston (also featuring Mike Mo Capaldi), "And then there's this other dude out there, literally buying shoes from a skate shop. He could get shoes from anybody that he wanted, but he was buying DCs." Capaldi expressed his opinion on Huston in the same video, stating his belief that Huston is "probably the best skateboarder I've ever seen—he does everything in, like, two tries."
After Huston's gold medal victory at the 2013 X Games Street League contest in Barcelona, Spain in mid-May, Transworld SKATEboarding magazine announced that no other skateboarder has won a greater amount of prize money. On the final night of May 2013, the DC Shoes Co. held a launch event for the first signature model skate shoe of Huston's career at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, U.S., with Pete Rock in the role of DJ. The model is named the "Nyjah Huston Signature Shoe" and the promotional advertisement features Huston executing a trick at set of stairs at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, U.S.
An announcement on June 25, 2013, revealed that, due to a rib injury, Huston was unable to compete in the Street League contest at the Munich X Games in late June 2013. Huston's mother Kelle Huston reported that her son "bruised and scraped the right side of his torso" in a skateboarding accident, but an article from the Street League website stated that Huston would be fit to compete in the next contest round in July 2013 in Portland, Oregon. Also in 2013, Huston made a statement to Thrasher Magazine in which he questioned the appropriateness of female skateboarders. He later apologized for his remarks.
Huston was added to the competition lineup for the 2013 Kimberley Diamond Cup in South Africa, held from September 28 to 29. Huston won the Kimberley Diamond Cup and the one million rand cash prize.
Huston qualified for the United States Olympic Team in the Street Skateboarding discipline for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - the first year for skateboarding at the Olympics. He qualified for the Olympic final out of his heat (heat 3), but did not win any medal. After high scores in his runs and landing the first of five best trick attempts, Huston subsequently fell four times in a row to finish seventh. In his return at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Huston managed to get the bronze.

### Sponsorship

As of January 2021, Huston is sponsored by Nike SB, Diamond Supply Co., Ricta Wheels, Thrasher Magazine, Monster Energy, SoWellCBD.fr, Doritos, Mob Grip, Mountain Dew, flatbread Neapolitan pizzeria, Urban Plates and Adapt Technology. As of January 2021, Nyjah Huston stated via social media that he is no longer with Element Skateboards. In June 2021, Huston launched his own skateboard brand, Disorder Skateboards.

## Awards

Huston won the inaugural "Kentucky Unbridled Spirit Award for Action Sports" in 2006.
At Transworld SKATEboarding magazine's 2012 awards event, Huston's performance was given the headline "Nyjah Huston Cleans Up at Annual Transworld Skate Awards" by the Yahoo! Sports website. Huston won three awards at the event: "Best Video Part" (for Huston's Rise & Shine video release), "New Era Readers' Choice" (the only award chosen solely by the readers of the magazine and Transworld website), and "Best Street".
Huston has been nominated several times for Thrasher Magazine’s prestigious "Skater Of The Year" (SOTY) award.

## Video game appearances

Huston is a featured character in the video games Tony Hawk's Project 8, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, Tony Hawk: Ride, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5.
Huston also appears in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, a remake of both Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 by Vicarious Visions, released in September 2020.
In July 2020 Huston collaborated with Play'n GO to develop his own branded game Nyjah Huston Skate for Gold. It is one of the first skateboarding-themed games to be released by the online gambling industry.
Huston is slated to appear in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, a remake of both Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 & Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 by Iron Galaxy, to be released in July 2025.

## Philanthropy

In 2008, Huston and his mother Kelle founded the charity organization Let It Flow, which aimed to provide clean, safe, and accessible water to communities in need. Following their personal experiences in Puerto Rico, the pair started by selling reusable water bottles at a local farmers market and, as of December 2012, the organization builds clean-water wells, fixes wells that are inoperable, and builds sanitation stations for people in urgent need of clean water. Let It Flow built its first sanitation station in Ethiopia. As of August 2024, Let It Flow appears to no longer be active.

## Personal life
### Family

Following his return to Element, Huston revealed that his father's controlling behavior had led to estrangement, further explaining that his father refused to return video footage of Huston's skateboarding following the separation. He no longer adheres to a strict Rastafarian lifestyle, cut off his dreadlocks and has identified hip hop as his favorite musical genre to listen to.

### Legal issues

In 2017, Huston was arrested for assaulting a man at a party and was sentenced to 24 months probation after pleading no contest to one misdemeanour count of disturbing the peace. In 2022, Huston was sued for allegedly assaulting a man in an altercation; Huston countersued, claiming he was assaulted.

### Residence

As of December 2019, Huston lives in Laguna Beach, California.

## Competition history

| Year | Competition | Venue | Rank | Event | Notes |
| 2004 | Damn Am | Costa Mesa, California | 4 | Street | — |
| 2004 | Damn Am | Costa Mesa, California | | Best Trick | Small Rail |
| 2004 | Damn Am | Costa Mesa, California | | Best Trick | Big Rail |
| 2005 | Tampa Am | Tampa, Florida | | Street | — |
| 2005 | K.R.3.A.M. Am | San Juan, Puerto Rico | | Street | — |
| 2005 | West 49 Canadian Open | Toronto, Ontario | 4 | Street | — |
| 2006 | Global Assault | Melbourne, Australia | | Street | — |
| 2006 | Dew Action Sports Tour Right Guard Open | Denver, Colorado | | Park | — |
| 2006 | Dew Action Sports Tour Panasonic Open | Louisville, Kentucky | | Park | — |
| 2006 | Dew Action Sports Tour Vans Invitational | Portland, Oregon | 4 | Street | — |
| 2006 | X Games XII | Los Angeles, California | 8 | Street | — |
| 2006 | Vans Downtown Showdown | Los Angeles, California | | Best Trick | Stair |
| 2007 | éS Game of SKATE | San Diego, California | | Street | — |
| 2007 | etnies Goofy vs Regular | Lake Forest, California | | Street | Goofy Team |
| 2007 | X Games XIII | Los Angeles, California | 11 | Street | — |
| 2008 | Maloof Money Cup | Costa Mesa, California | | Street | — |
| 2008 | X Games XIV | Los Angeles, California | 8 | Street | — |
| 2009 | Maloof Money Cup | Costa Mesa, California | | Street | — |
| 2009 | X Games XV | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2010 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | | Street | — |
| 2010 | Maloof Money Cup | Costa Mesa, California | | Street | — |
| 2010 | SLS World Tour | Glendale, Arizona | | Street | — |
| 2010 | SLS World Tour | Ontario, California | | Street | — |
| 2010 | SLS World Tour | Las Vegas, Nevada | | Street | — |
| 2010 | X Games XVI | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2011 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | | Street | — |
| 2011 | SLS World Tour | Seattle, Washington | | Street | — |
| 2011 | SLS World Tour | Kansas City, Missouri | | Street | — |
| 2011 | SLS World Tour | Glendale, Arizona | | Street | — |
| 2011 | SLS Championship | Newark, New Jersey | | Street | — |
| 2011 | X Games XVII | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2012 | SLS World Tour | Kansas City, Missouri | | Street | — |
| 2012 | SLS World Tour | Ontario, California | | Street | — |
| 2012 | SLS World Tour | Glendale, Arizona | 4 | Street | — |
| 2012 | SLS Championship | Newark, New Jersey | | Street | — |
| 2012 | X Games XVIII | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2013 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | | Street | — |
| 2013 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | | Best Trick | — |
| 2013 | X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013 | Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil | | Street | — |
| 2013 | X Games Barcelona 2013 | Barcelona, Spain | | Street | — |
| 2013 | X Games Los Angeles 2013 | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2013 | SLS World Tour | Kansas City, Missouri | | Street | — |
| 2013 | SLS World Tour | Portland, Oregon | 8 | Street | — |
| 2013 | SLS World Tour | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2013 | SLS Super Crown Championship | Newark, New Jersey | | Street | — |
| 2013 | Kimberley Diamond Cup | Kimberley, South Africa | | Street | — |
| 2014 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | | Street | — |
| 2014 | SLS Pro Open | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2014 | X Games Austin 2014 | Austin, Texas | | Street | — |
| 2014 | SLS Nike SB World Tour | Chicago, Illinois | | Street | — |
| 2014 | SLS Nike SB World Tour | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2014 | SLS Super Crown World Championship | Newark, New Jersey | | Street | — |
| 2015 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | | Street | — |
| 2015 | SLS Pro Open | Barcelona, Spain | | Street | — |
| 2015 | X Games Austin 2015 | Austin, Texas | | Street | — |
| 2015 | SLS World Tour | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2015 | SLS World Tour | Newark, New Jersey | | Street | — |
| 2015 | SLS Super Crown World Championship | Chicago, Illinois | | Street | — |
| 2015 | Kimberley Diamond Cup | Kimberley, South Africa | | Street | — |
| 2016 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | 4 | Street | — |
| 2016 | X Games Oslo 2016 | Oslo, Norway | | Street | — |
| 2016 | Red Bull Hart Lines | Detroit, Michigan | | Street | — |
| 2016 | SLS Pro Open | Barcelona, Spain | | Street | — |
| 2016 | X Games Austin 2016 | Austin, Texas | | Street | — |
| 2016 | SLS World Tour | Munich, Germany | | Street | — |
| 2016 | SLS World Tour | Newark, New Jersey | | Street | — |
| 2016 | SLS Super Crown World Championship | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2017 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | 5 | Street | — |
| 2017 | Red Bull Hart Lines | Detroit, Michigan | | Street | — |
| 2017 | SLS Pro Open | Barcelona, Spain | | Street | — |
| 2017 | Dew Tour | Long Beach, California | | Street | — |
| 2017 | SLS World Tour | Munich, Germany | | Street | — |
| 2017 | SLS World Tour | Chicago, Illinois | 4 | Street | — |
| 2017 | SLS Super Crown World Championship | Los Angeles, California | | Street | — |
| 2017 | X Games Minneapolis 2017 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | | Street | — |
| 2018 | SLS Pro Open | Los Angeles, California | 4 | Street | — |
| 2018 | SLS Pro Open | Huntington Beach, California | 7 | Street | — |
| 2018 | X Games Minneapolis 2018 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | | Street | — |
| 2018 | X Games Sydney 2018 | Sydney, Australia | | Street | — |
| 2018 | SLS World Championship | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | | Street | — |
| 2019 | X Games Shanghai 2019 | Shanghai, China | | Street | — |
| 2019 | Dew Tour | Long Beach, California | 7 | Street | — |
| 2019 | SLS Pro Tour | Los Angeles, California | 8 | Street | — |
| 2019 | X Games Minneapolis 2019 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | | Street | — |
| 2019 | X Games Minneapolis 2019 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | | Street Best Trick | — |
| 2019 | SLS World Tour | London, United Kingdom | | Street | — |
| 2019 | SLS World Championship | São Paulo, Brazil | | Street | — |
| 2021 | Dew Tour | Des Moines, Iowa | | Street | Olympics qualifier |
| 2021 | Street Skateboarding World Championships | Rome, Italy | | Street | Olympics qualifier |
| 2021 | Summer Olympics | Tokyo, Japan | 7 | Street | — |
| 2021 | SLS Championship Tour | Salt Lake City, Utah | | Street | — |
| 2021 | SLS Championship Tour | Lake Havasu, Arizona | | Street | — |
| 2021 | SLS Super Crown World Championships | Jacksonville, Florida | | Street | — |
| 2022 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | 5 | Street | — |
| 2022 | X Games Southern California 2022 | Southern California | | Street Best Trick | — |
| 2022 | X Games Southern California 2022 | Southern California | 5 | Street | — |
| 2022 | X Games Southern California 2022 | Southern California | 10 | Real Street Best Trick | — |
| 2022 | Street Skateboarding World Championships | Rome, Italy | | Street | — |
| 2023 | Tampa Pro | Tampa, Florida | 9 | Street | — |
| 2023 | X Games California 2023 | Southern California | 4 | Street | — |
| 2023 | X Games California 2023 | Southern California | | Street Best Trick | — |
| 2024 | X Games Ventura 2024 | Ventura, California | | Street | — |
| 2024 | X Games Ventura 2024 | Ventura, California | | Street Best Trick | — |
| 2024 | Summer Olympics | Paris, France | | Street | — |

## Videography

* Element Kids: Tricks (2005)
* Element: Elementality Volume 1 (2005)
* Element: Brent Atchley Pro Debut Video (2006)
* Globe: The Global Assault (2006)
* Element: Elementality Volume 2 (2006)
* eS: eSpecial (2007)
* Element: This Is My Element (2007)
* Silver: Silver In Barcelona (2008)
* Thrasher: Double Rock (2009)
* Element: Rise & Shine (2011)
* Rap Video by The Game (featuring Chris Brown, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne): Celebration (2012)
* Cameo Kid Ink ft. Chris Brown - Show Me (2014)
* DC Shoes: Nyjah - Fade to Black (2014)
* Thrasher: OMFG (2015)
* Most Expensivest: "Snacks on Snacks on Snacks" 2 Chaniz ft. Nyjah Huston (2018)
* Thrasher: "King of The Road" - Season 3 (2018)
* Nike: Til Death (2018)
* Monster Energy: NYJAH HUSTON | Aspire - Inspire: Ep 05 (2021)
* Savage Fenty Show Vol.3 (2021)
* Disorder Skateboards' "DISRUPTION" Video (2022)
* Monster Euro Tour – Episode 1 (2022)
* Disorder Skateboards: Shine On (2022)
* Nike: Need That (2022)