Skateboarding Olympics Gold Medalist Yuto Horigome Pulls Dangerous Stunt at WeHo Park

Do not try this at home. Skateboarding Olympics gold medalist, Yuto Horigome, posted a story clip on his official Instagram account this past Friday, where he’s seen pulling a dangerous stunt at the ledge of the bridge on level P3 of the West Hollywood Library Parking lot, which connects to the West Hollywood Park.

The skateboarding champion rides his skateboard dangerously close to the edge of a two-story fall. A car is seen driving down the driveway below. The stunt was captured from two angles.

That time skateboarding @Olympics gold medalist @yutohorigome pulled a dangerous skate stunt in @wehocity at #WestHollywood Library/ WeHo Park. Do not try this at home kids. #wehotimes #wehonews #wehocity #weho #skateboarding #yutohorigome #skateboard #Olympics #olympicgames pic.twitter.com/lb8fN3Cdtr

— WEHO TIMES (@WEHO_TIMES) March 8, 2022

The short 8-second clip made its rounds through social media, eventually landing on council member John Erickson’s instant messenger, who immediately brought it to the attention of City Hall.

The City of West Hollywood responded swiftly. By Sunday afternoon, skateboard blocking devices had been installed on the ledge to prevent other skaters from trying the stunt themselves.

Erickson told WEHO TIMES, it was a matter of public safety. Horigome could have been seriously injured if he had fallen off the ledge from such a dangerous height and onto moving vehicles below. The copy cats could also open the city to possible lawsuits if others tried to copy his moves, especially if they lack the skills of an Olympics gold medalist.

Yuto Horigome (堀米 雄斗, Horigome Yūto) is a Japanese professional skateboarder who made history when he became skateboarding’s first ever Olympic gold medalist at Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which took place in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The skater grew up near the Ariake Urban Sports Park where the Olympics took place. In the two runs and five trick rounds of the competition, his highest scores for the final point count were 9.03, 9.35, 9.50 and 9.30, adding up to an astonishing 37.18 points.

Kelvin Hoefler of Brazil took home the Silver Medal, and Jagger Eaton
of USA took home the Bronze.

“It felt significant to return to Koto ward, it means so much more for me,” Horigome said after his win. “I couldn’t miss the fourth trick, so I put everything I believed and worked for into that trick.”

The video story at the WeHo parking lot has since disappeared from his Instagram account, however the newly installed skateboard blocking devices at West Hollywood Library/West Hollywood Park will forever mark the spot: “Yuto Horigome was here.”