Pro Skateboarder Nyjah Huston Isn't Letting the Olympics Stress Him Out
The champion will be among the first skateboarders to compete in Olympics history. Here, Huston speaks with L'OFFICIEL about training, Team USA, and designing a capsule collection with Privé Revaux.
Nyjah Huston may be used to pulling adrenaline pumping tricks on the streets of Laguna Beach, but the professional skateboarder has actually had to pull back on the daredevil stunts ahead of competing in the 2020 Olympics. “Skateboarding is such a dangerous sport, it’s so easy to get hurt, especially if you are the type of skater that I am,” Huston tells L’OFFICIEL. “I love being out there, pushing my limits, skating 20-plus stair rails, so I had to put a hold on some things and be cautious of what I’m doing and staying safe, because [the Olympics] is definitely not something I want to miss.”
Skateboarding makes its debut at the Tokyo Games this year, with Huston as a gold medal favorite for the men’s street competition. Huston has previously won four street world championships and currently ranks first in the world. The 26-year-old athlete had an early introduction to the sport, as his father was a skateboarder and encouraged him to pick up a board at just five years old. Since then, Huston has climbed to the top ranks of the skateboarding world, largely relying on his own perseverance and dedication. Huston opted to self-train for the Olympics, practicing on the Southern California streets and at his skate park.
While the skateboarding champion says he’s stoked to compete, the uncertainty that the coronavirus brought over the past year has certainly put a damper on the experience. “Us skateboarders felt very unlucky—it’s the first time skateboarding is ever in the Olympics, and it’s also the first year the [Games] has had to get postponed in a very long time,” he shares.
But now with the Olympics commencing (Huston will compete on Saturday, July 24), Huston is ready to show the world just how worthy his sport is to be at the Games. “We feel like we deserve to be in the Olympics and skate on this global stage,” Huston says. “It's always been confusing as to why it wasn't there in the first place, considering that similar sports like snowboarding and skiing were there. But at least it's there now, and I'm in a very good spot as far as my ranking, representing the U.S.—that’s pretty sick.”
Like any professional athlete, Huston has learned how to keep the pressure of competition at bay. The skateboarder says he gets into a headspace to remain as calm as possible, and “picture it as another day on my board and not put so much pressure on myself.” While he doesn’t have any pre-contest rituals because “that stuff will make you get crazy sometimes,” Huston does like to skate with headphones in. “That has helped me out a lot, just listening to music that I’m hyped on and keeping my energy high to get me in the zone, instead of worrying so much about what’s going on around me.”
When he’s not training, Huston enjoys spending time outside doing other athletic activities like hiking and mountain biking, which informed his recent collaboration with Privé Revaux. Teaming up with the eyewear brand co-founded by Jamie Foxx, Ashley Benson, and Hailee Steinfeld, Huston launched a capsule collection of sunglasses and blue light-blocking frames. Featuring three styles inspired by sunny Los Angeles, the retro-infused glasses include the Hollywood aviator, stainless-steel Laguna, and square-framed Kinetic. The latter is especially innovative as it boasts Privé Revaux’s special HoldTight technology, with magnets built into the temples allowing the glasses to stay put when hooked onto a shirt or pocket. This feature is particularly useful for someone as active as Huston, who doesn’t usually wear glasses when skateboarding due to them falling off and breaking. But with the Kinetic, he knows his shades are safe. “I can actually do tricks and skate and they won’t fall off,” Huston says. “I’ve lost so many sunglasses that way before, so I know how it feels.”
Perfect for spending time outdoors this summer—that is, when you’re not glued to watching the Olympics—Huston’s Privé Revaux capsule is now available online.
