SALT LAKE CITY — The X Games celebrated its 30th anniversary in Salt Lake City this weekend, featuring the return of skateboarding icons and showcasing the sport's bright future.
On Saturday, 7-time X Games medalist Ryan Sheckler competed on the X Games stage for the first time in eight years. He struggled through his first two runs, but he got rolling in his final round — and the Utah crowd showed him love every step of the way.
"I was getting ready to drop in and I saw everybody like stand up, and there was just a crazy moment of gratitude," Sheckler said. "I skate cause it's fun. All these fans love skateboarding, and I could just tell that they were hype. I wanted to do it for myself, but I wanted to do it for them, too."
WATCH: Fans stoked for X Games' debut in Salt Lake City for 30th anniversary
Fellow skateboarding legend Nyjah Houston, a 15-time X Games gold medalist, expressed his support for Sheckler's return.
"Ahh dude, Shecks is sick, man. Shecks is sick. We were all rooting for him," Houston said.
Houston, who is approaching his own milestone in the competition, reflected on his evolving approach to the sport.
"That's really my favorite thing nowadays. Putting a little less pressure on myself, having more fun out there," Houston said. "Just being thankful to... It's about to be 20 years, X Games. Next year is 20 years, so it's insane."
The event highlighted skateboarding's multigenerational appeal as 15-year-old Julian Agliardi secured his first medal in Utah's inaugural X Games.
"Winning my first medal, dude, it's insane. I can't believe it. When I was younger, when I first started skating, I watched all the X Games, all these contests and stuff. I never actually really thought I would be able to compete in these things, so I'm so hype," Agliardi said.
The teenager expressed his excitement about competing alongside his heroes.
"It's amazing, it's all my heroes, all my peers, everything. Skating with them, it's so sick, so fun," Agliardi said.
The X Games action continues Sunday at the Utah State Fairpark.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to article format with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
