Pro skateboarder Nyjah Huston started the New Year with a bang—unfortunately, it was his skull and eye socket that took the hit.
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The 31-year-old Olympian revealed in a Jan. 5 Instagram post that he fractured both his skull and eye socket. “A harsh reminder how death defying skating massive rails can be,” he wrote alongside a series of shots.
“Taking it one day at a time,” he added. “I hope y’all had a better new years then me. We live to fight another day.”
His post included a photo of himself in a hospital bed and images from after the accident. One showed paramedics and an ambulance at the scene, helping him as he sat on the curb. Another showed him lying on the ground with a makeshift pillow, surrounded by people assisting him.
Huston also shared a pic of himself rolling out of an Arizona medical facility in a wheelchair, sporting the classic hospital-chic look: a blanket and those iconic non-slip yellow socks. The skateboarder also treated fans to a mirror selfie for a high-def view of his battered eye socket—a brutal souvenir from a New Year’s celebration gone wrong.
Fellow Pro Skateboarders Rally Behind Nyjah Huston After He Fractures Skull and Eye Socket
The comments section turned into a skateboarding support group, with pros chiming in to send healing vibes. Tony Hawk kept it classic with, “Heavy. Stay strong; we know you’ll be back.” Ryan Sheckler added some heartfelt energy: “Man.. prayers for healing brother!” Dashawn Jordan dropped a simple but solid “🙏🏿✨👑.” Meanwhile, Gustavo Ribeiro went with, “Feel better soon 🙏🏼🙏🏼,” and Luan Oliveira rounded it out with, “Heal up G!” Seems like the skateboarding community knows how to roll in support.
However, many pearl clutching onlookers took the opportunity to stress how skatebnoarders should be wearing helmets… even pros.
“Time to make helmets cool,” one top comment read. “Helmets are literally the answer to not ending up like this. Lets start promoting and wearing them… make Helmets great again,” another Instagram denizen echoed. “You’re the best, but also wear a helmet, homie,” a third onlooker added.
Indeed, a helmet might have been a smart choice. Huston, who repped Team USA at two Olympic Games—Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, where he snagged a bronze in the men’s street skateboarding final—later shared footage from the day he took a tumble (though not the actual wipeout itself). In the clip, he’s rocking a stylish trucker hat instead of a helmet—proof that sometimes fashion takes the wheel, even when safety should.