Skateboarding

Nyjah Huston has amassed quite the collection of sneakers while establishing himself as one of the top men's skateboarders on the street circuit.

The 13-time X Games gold medalist chatted with B/R Kicks about his favorite shoes and life on the road.

Follow B/R Kicks on Instagram and YouTube.

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk capitalized on rapper Drake wearing a bootleg Birdhouse hoodie by creating an official version of the design.

Hawk, one of Birdhouse Skateboards' founders, named it the "Degrassi hooded sweatshirt" in reference to Drake's breakthrough as an actor on Degrassi: The Next Generation:

The hoodie is listed on the company's official website for $70.

Hawk founded Birdhouse alongside fellow skateboarder Per Welinder in 1992. The company is best known for boards, accessories and other equipment related to the sport, but it also sells apparel.

Last April, the 52-year-old San Diego native told CNBC's Lucy Handley the business had taken a hit early in the coronavirus pandemic because of supply-line issues.

"We do get stuff manufactured here [in the U.S.], we get it manufactured in China and Mexico and we're having to scramble to find sourcing," Hawk said. "So, it's not been that the sales are down, it's that they're delayed. We just can't deliver on time."

Getting some unexpected attention from a celebrity of Drake's stature should provide a boost as the company looks to make up for any lost revenue over the past year of the pandemic.

Tony Hawk and Andy Macdonald are feeling nostalgic for 1999. 

One week after posting a highlight video of their vert doubles run from the X Games 22 years ago, Hawk and Macdonald got together in person to recreate the iconic moment for the 2021 crowd:

Hawk and Macdonald were the most dominant athletes at the X Games for an eight-year period between 1995-2003. 

They combined to win six individual gold medals and six gold medals in vert doubles, including five consecutive years from 1998-2002. 

At the 1999 event in San Francisco, Hawk and Macdonald beat Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist to win gold. They finished with a score of 95.50 on their second run. 

Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk completed his final ollie 540 in an emotional video posted to social media (warning: NSFW language):

The 52-year-old initially pioneered the trick in 1989 and provided a clip of himself working on it before eventually landing the 540.

After 32 years, Hawk showed he can still pull it off after several tries.

He was in tears afterwards as he confirmed it will be the last time he tries the one-and-a-half spin move.

"I'm like a little sad. I've never had much finality to anything but that was definitely the last one I'll ever do," Hawk said (h/t TMZ Sports). "Happy I made it."

While he can no longer keep up with the latest generation of competitors, Hawk continues to impress on the skateboard.  

Skateboarding legend Keith Hufnagel died this week, more than two years after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

He was 46.

HUF Worldwide, the company founded by Hufnagel, released the following statement:

"We are absolutely heartbroken to deliver the news today that HUF founder Keith Hufnagel has passed away. Keith battled brain cancer for the past 2.5 years. And though he beat the odds and fought back much longer than his diagnosis permitted, he ultimately and unfortunately lost the fight. 
 
"Keith was not only the ‘HUF’nagel in HUF. He was the heart and soul of this brand. He built and brought together a community of people like no one else could.
 
"Keith paved the way for all of us – as a respected professional skateboarder, shop owner, brand founder, footwear and apparel designer, creative director, and industry leader. He showed us how to do it, and how do it right.
 
"Keith loved skateboarding and the culture around it. He did things his way and did them for the right reasons. He inspired so many of us across the globe. 
 
"But above anything else, Keith loved and supported the people around him. He would do anything for his friends, family and children. He passionately wanted to see others succeed. And we all loved him for it.
 
"Keith’s legacy will continue to live on at HUF. Today, tomorrow and forever. 
 
"Rest in peace, Keith."

Hufnagel was one of the more influential skateboarders in history, helping push the sport from a niche to widely popular in the 1990s. Along with his work on the board, Hufnagel was a skate-style innovator who pushed HUF Worldwide to become one of the most popular skate shops in the nation. The brand's slogan, "F--k It," helped define a generation of skaters for both their relaxed attitudes and their willingness to do gravity-defying stunts.

Hufnagel is survived by his wife, Mariellen, and their two children. 

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk suffered a gruesome dislocated finger over the weekend that required his wedding ring to be cut off before his bones were set "to their full upright and locked position," he revealed alongside his X-rays Wednesday:

"And I still love my job," the 52-year-old noted.

Hawk has suffered much worse while skating such as a broken pelvis, fractured skull and over 20 concussions, according to CNBC's Lucy Handley.

Hawk has won 10 X Games gold medals, per the event's official website, and made history there over the years:

By 25 years old, Hawk won 73 of the 103 professional contests he had participated in.

Skateboard prodigy Sky Brown was released from the hospital Wednesday after receiving treatment for a fractured skull, broken hand, broken wrist and black eye suffered off a vert ramp May 28, according to TMZ Sports.

The 11-year-old posted a YouTube video showing the crash before panning to Brown in her California hospital bed and calling it "my worst fall" while promising to "push even harder":

Brown's caption for the video credited her helmet and arm with saving her life. "This will not stop me," she wrote. "I am going for gold in Tokyo 2021."

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk posted a photo to Instagram with Brown upon her hospital release, saying the following:

"Last Thursday Sky Brown had a horrific, traumatic crash. From my perspective and in many ways, it was the worst fall one could take from a vert ramp. The situation was dire and we were all worried sick, but nothing compared to the heartache her family endured that day. I didn't want to share this news before her family did because it is her story to tell. I have been thankful to have received updates from her father every day since, and it is with great surprise and HUGE relief to let you know that she is out of the hospital and headed home today (this photo was taken on her detour for ice cream).

"Her accelerated healing is nothing short of a miracle. Stay strong, Sky. Thank you for inspiring us with your unbroken spirit. And please take your time getting back to full capacities… we'll gladly wait for you."

Skateboarding will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo. The Games were originally scheduled for this summer but postponed to summer 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown, who was born in Japan, won the bronze medal at the 2019 World Skateboarding Championships for Great Britain.

Skateboarder Sky Brown was hospitalized after suffering brutal injuries while attempting a ramp trick Thursday, according to TMZ Sports.

The 11-year-old reportedly suffered skull fractures, a broken wrist, broken hand and black eye.

"Sky had the gnarliest fall she's ever had and is lucky to be alive," her father, Stewart, told BBC Sport.

Brown provided video of the incident on Instagram, along with a positive message for her fans:

"I know a lot of people are worried about me, but Don’t worry, I’m Okay. 👌🏼❤️🙏🏻I’m excited to come back even stronger and even tougher. My heart wants to go so hard right now🔥I’m just waiting for my body to catch up 👊🏼Thank you everyone for sending your love, messages and supporting me. I’m sorry to make you worry. I’m gonna be just fine."

Brown was hoping to be the youngest Olympian in Great Britain history this summer before the Tokyo Games were postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus. 

Even at a young age, she is already among the best in her sport, ranking third in the world in women's park competitions. She earned a bronze medal at the 2019 World Skateboarding Championship. 

Skateboarding legend Jeff Grosso died Tuesday at the age of 51. 

TMZ Sports confirmed the news with police in Newport Beach, California. The cause of death remains unknown, with the local medical examiner expected to perform an autopsy.

Tony Hawk eulogized Grosso on Instagram:

"He was a true skateboarder at his core, and a great wealth of entertainment, insight and valuable philosophy to a younger generation. ... One of the last times we spoke, we talked about how ridiculous it is that we still get to do this for a living and that anyone even cares what we do or think in terms of skateboarding at our age. I believe Jeff is a big reason that anyone truly cares, and skateboarding was lucky to have him as an ambassador and gatekeeper to its history."

Grosso was one of the most recognizable skateboarders in the United States in the 1980s, but Huck's Ed Andrews wrote in 2011 that "heavy indulgence in drink and drugs meant that his career was over by the early 1990s." He told Transworld Skateboarding in October 2012 that he had overdosed on heroin three times.

In recent years, Grosso hosted the YouTube series Loveletters to Skateboarding (warning: video contains profanity), which helped him build a following among younger fans and showed off his colorful personality.

Grosso made one appearance in the X Games, finishing fourth in the Skateboard Park Legends event at X Games 16 in 2010.

Shaun White saw his run at the 2019 World Skateboarding Championships end in the semifinal round Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

The 33-year-old finished 13th among 20 remaining skaters. Only the top eight moved on to Sunday's final, and White missed the cut by 1.5 points with a score of 82.00, according to TeamUSA.org. He was competing to gauge where he stood among the world's best skaters ahead of skateboarding's Olympic debut next summer in Tokyo.

"This will be the deciding event," White told SporTV following Thursday's qualifying round. "I basically told myself I'd go here and give it everything I have, and then, after this competition, see how I stack up with the other skaters and then make the decision to fully commit to the Olympics."

White also admitted that "it's been difficult" to translate the tricks he has mastered on vert (halfpipe) ramps to the bowl for park skating, which is necessary because the only two featured Olympic skateboarding events are park and street for both men and women. 

While White has earned five medals (two gold, two silver, one bronze) as a skateboarder at the X Games, he competed in vert and hasn't participated since 2011. Should he first decide to try for Tokyo and then qualify, it would be his fifth trip to the Olympics but first as a skateboarder.

Along with the competitors in Sao Paulo, White was previously seen sharpening his skating skills with the legendary Tony Hawk:

White became a household name as an Olympic snowboarder. He has competed in snowboarding in four Olympics (2006, '10, '14, '18) and notched three gold medals—all in halfpipe.