Laguna Beach's Nyjah Huston returns to skate as X Games celebrates 30 years
A numbers game might favor Nyjah Huston at this weekend's X Games.
The action sports showcase turns 30 years old this year.
Huston, the highly decorated skateboarder, is also 30. He celebrated his golden birthday (when the date of one's birth coincides with one's age) on Nov. 30.
'It's the 30th anniversary, is it really?' Huston said Tuesday morning during an informal press conference with other Monster Energy athletes Kevin Peraza, Jackson Strong and Ryan Williams, held on Zoom. 'Damn, that's sick. No one told me that, but 30 is my number and it's my year.'
Huston, who lives in Laguna Beach, won't mind if his golden birthday was a prelude to more gold at the X Games. He's going for it this weekend in Salt Lake City at the contest, which starts on Friday and wraps up Sunday.
He has 15 X Games gold medals since his debut, tying him with Shaun White of snowboard and skateboarding fame for the second-most all time. BMX bike rider Garrett Reynolds has the most, with 16 golds.
'I grew up watching X Games,' Huston said. 'It's probably the first contest I ever remember watching, watching guys like [Tony] Hawk, Bob Burnquist, PRod [Paul Rodriguez], people I still look up to, to this day. To be up there in that most-medals-ever conversation is special. But I think my favorite part about it is that I don't feel like I'm done yet, and I feel like I've still got a decent amount more in me.'
Huston earned an Olympic bronze medal last summer in Paris in the men's street event.
At 30, he definitely is a veteran in the sport, widely considered the best skateboard street competitor of all time. In May, he won his 27th Street League Skateboarding title in Miami, and Huston is the reigning SLS Super Crown World Champion.
The sport itself still excites him as much as ever.
'Bro, did you watch the street contest out there in Osaka?' he asked his fellow athletes with amazement during Tuesday's news conference. 'I don't know if you guys saw it. I just watched it a couple of days ago, and I was like, what the hell. Those were the craziest runs I've ever seen. That's insane. That's what's so cool about skating. Even aside from all of the contests, we love being out in the streets and just challenging ourselves.'
X Games heads to Salt Lake City for the first time this weekend. Though it's been updated since then, Huston said he skated in a street league on the same course a few years back.
He'll take whatever slight advantages he can get. Not that he usually needs them.
'[The X Games gold medal record] is definitely a little extra incentive and motivation,' he said. 'I mean, I'm still such a competitive dude. It's hard to let that side of me go. I've always been so competitive since I was a little toddler. As soon as I'm out there on the course, I'm doing what it takes to win. It would be great to get a couple of more [golds].'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft
Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is the new Maine man in Dallas. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night, hoping they have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away. Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team. But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, the college player of the year who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. The Mavericks quickly announced that Flagg would wear No. 32 in Dallas, where fellow Duke products Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II are on the roster. 'I'm really excited. I think I keep saying I'm excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them,' Flagg said. 'It's going to be an incredible experience.' His selection — considered likely ever since Flagg showed off his considerable game last summer after being invited to the U.S. Olympic team's training camp — was a daylong celebration in his home state for the 18-year-old forward from Newport, Maine. 'It means a lot to me to have the support of the whole state. I know how many people showed up today and supported me at some of the draft parties back home,' Flagg said. 'It feels amazing knowing I can inspire younger kids. I was in their shoes really not that long ago, so just to know I can give those kids those feelings and have the whole state behind me, it means a lot.' He joined Elton Brand, Irving, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero as Duke players drafted No. 1 since 1999, and he returned the draft to its longtime start with a one-and-done college player. That's the way the draft began every year from 2010 until Banchero's selection in 2022, but the last two No. 1 picks, Victor Wembanyama and Zaccherie Risacher, are both from France. Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by the Spurs with the No. 2 pick and will try to follow Wembanyama and Stephon Castle and give San Antonio a third straight NBA Rookie of the Year. 'It's definitely a goal of mine to make it three in a row,' Harper said. 'I think the coaching staff and the players are going to make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent, so definitely.' The 76ers then took Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, getting the first sustained burst of loud cheers of the draft from what seemed to be a number of Philadelphia fans who made the trip to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first two picks had long been expected, but the No. 3 spot was the first one where there was intrigue. Kon Knueppel made it two Duke players in the first four picks when the Charlotte Hornets took him at No. 4. Ace Bailey, who could have been in the mix to go third but declined to work out for the 76ers, ended up going at No. 5 to Utah. Then it was Tre Johnson of Texas to the Washington Wizards at No. 6 and Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears to New Orleans at No. 7, before the host Nets took BYU's Egor Demin at No. 8, Brooklyn's first of potentially five selections in the first round. Toronto took South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9 before Duke big man Khaman Maluach finished up the top 10, a pick made by the Houston Rockets but headed to Phoenix as part of the trade for Kevin Durant that can't become official until next month. ___ AP NBA: recommended
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft
By BRIAN MAHONEY NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is the new Maine man in Dallas. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night, hoping they have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away. Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team. But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, the college player of the year who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. The Mavericks quickly announced that Flagg would wear No. 32 in Dallas, where fellow Duke products Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II are on the roster. 'I'm really excited. I think I keep saying I'm excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them,' Flagg said. 'It's going to be an incredible experience.' His selection — considered likely ever since Flagg showed off his considerable game last summer after being invited to the U.S. Olympic team's training camp — was a daylong celebration in his home state for the 18-year-old forward from Newport, Maine. 'It means a lot to me to have the support of the whole state. I know how many people showed up today and supported me at some of the draft parties back home,' Flagg said. 'It feels amazing knowing I can inspire younger kids. I was in their shoes really not that long ago, so just to know I can give those kids those feelings and have the whole state behind me, it means a lot.' He joined Elton Brand, Irving, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero as Duke players drafted No. 1 since 1999, and he returned the draft to its longtime start with a one-and-done college player. That's the way the draft began every year from 2010 until Banchero's selection in 2022, but the last two No. 1 picks, Victor Wembanyama and Zaccherie Risacher, are both from France. Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by the Spurs with the No. 2 pick and will try to follow Wembanyama and Stephon Castle and give San Antonio a third straight NBA Rookie of the Year. 'It's definitely a goal of mine to make it three in a row,' Harper said. 'I think the coaching staff and the players are going to make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent, so definitely.' The 76ers then took Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, getting the first sustained burst of loud cheers of the draft from what seemed to be a number of Philadelphia fans who made the trip to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first two picks had long been expected, but the No. 3 spot was the first one where there was intrigue. Kon Knueppel made it two Duke players in the first four picks when the Charlotte Hornets took him at No. 4. Ace Bailey, who could have been in the mix to go third but declined to work out for the 76ers, ended up going at No. 5 to Utah. Then it was Tre Johnson of Texas to the Washington Wizards at No. 6 and Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears to New Orleans at No. 7, before the host Nets took BYU's Egor Demin at No. 8, Brooklyn's first of potentially five selections in the first round. Toronto took South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9 before Duke big man Khaman Maluach finished up the top 10, a pick made by the Houston Rockets but headed to Phoenix as part of the trade for Kevin Durant that can't become official until next month. ___ AP NBA:
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Sixers pivot from Ace Bailey, select VJ Edgecombe with No. 3 pick in NBA draft
GOT OUR to Philly, @vj_edgecombe! Former Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe was selected with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Edgecombe was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, averaging 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals on 34% shooting from 3-point range. He finished in double figures 27 times, including a season-high 30 points on Jan. 22 in a win over Kansas State. The 19-year-old is one of the most athletic players in the draft and was an offensive force when he got downhill, thanks to his shiftiness, vision and decision-making. He also projects the ability to affect games at a high level on defense due to his length and instincts. Since landing the No. 3 pick in the draft lottery last month, the Sixers were heavily linked to former Rutgers forward Ace Bailey. However, after Bailey canceled a workout with the team to secure a preferred situation, the Sixers removed him from their list of potential targets. Bailey had been the consensus third pick throughout the predraft process after a productive freshman year. However, Bailey and his representation sought a team that could maximize his development, something they apparently felt wasn't possible with the Sixers. Speaking Tuesday at a well-attended media availability ahead of the draft, Bailey side-stepped questions about that workout cancellation with the 76ers, stating: "I'm just blessed to be in this position I am right now. That's all. I'm taking it day by day." With the 3rd pick of the NBA Draft, the @sixers select VJ Edgecombe (@vj_edgecombe)!2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm LIVE on ABC & ESPN! Edgecombe reportedly made a strong impression on the organization during a visit in Philadelphia earlier this month. Though he was said to be nervous during the workout, the front office enjoyed speaking with him and getting to know him as a person off the court. The 6-foot-5 guard put himself on the radar last year after dazzling with the Bahamas in the Olympic qualifying tournament. On a team featuring Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon and Buddy Hield, Edgecombe finished third in scoring, averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Edgecombe is highly touted for his athleticism, size and ability to score and defend. His fit next to the likes of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain may not be seamless, but the Sixers are confident they selected the best player available with the pick.
