Life Before Magic!

I wasn’t always a magician/mentalist. At one point, I was considering my debut in professional skateboarding, a dream that was tragically cut short by a career-ending injury. The career switch was really challenging at eight years old, but I think I made it out alright.

Jokes aside, I did skate quite a bit when I was younger (we’re talking pre-2010; didn’t everyone?). Back then, there were, and still are, two superstars of the skating community: Nyjah Houston and Paul Rodriguez. These guys were my idols. I was starstruck by their incredible tricks and effortless cool that were all over YouTube, and my friends and I were constantly trying to be like them. Nyjah went on to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Men’s Street Skateboarding, and Paul started his own skating company, Primitive Skateboarding. 

Left: Nyjah Houston, Right: Paul Rodriguez

Over a decade later, I’d nearly forgotten about my skating heroes. Imagine my surprise when, while performing roaming magic in Downtown LA last week, I ran into both Nyjah and Paul. The nostalgia hit me hard, and I knew I had to put on a show for these guys.

Both Nyjah and Paul were really down-to-earth guys, pretty much exactly how I pictured them being all those years ago. It’s such a privilege to perform magic and mentalism here in Los Angeles. One day, I’m performing at a corporate banking event; the next day, I’m wowing A-list actors, musicians, professional athletes, etc. Guys like Nyjah and Paul prove that even the most successful people can be humble and approachable. Take a look for yourself! You can check out the magic and their reactions here: