I was a high level sponsored skateboarder and have been doing it for basically my whole life (close to 30 years.) I got about as good as you could get without becoming a legit professional with my name on a board, competed in competitions, and traveled and filmed video parts.
I wouldn't wish the type of pain and long standing and life changing injuries I have gone through on my worst enemy. Multiple broken bones, torn ligaments in my knee, fracture after fracture, and I even ruptured my vas deferens in my testicle that will give me problems for the rest of my life. I am not even 35 and I have a hard time squatting down and standing back up because my knees are so bad. My right ankle audibly cracks and crunches because I have no more cartilage in it. I have broken both sets of toes multiple times. I cannot run recreationally anymore. I sometimes fear the type of chronic pain may end up in one day because I see my mom who suffers from chronic back pain, and it is truly heartbreaking and terrifying to think I may go through with that.
I no longer skateboard like I used to. I will maybe once every 6 months get the itch to go to the skate park, and the skill is still there, but it is not worth getting injured anymore because you 100% will get injured. It's part of the game...
You can get seriously fucked up doing any sport at a professional or high level. It really doesn't matter what the sport is, you can get injured, however, you have to be one tough mother fucker to skateboard at a high level because you will get hurt.
The thing I've heard most about non-skaters experience with a skateboard is, "I tried it once but I fell and I said no thanks."
I don't fight MMA, but I do skate, and Payton does both. I think he's right.