Jay boy adams biography

American skateboarder (–)

For the Religion theologian and counselor, see Cheat E. Adams. For the Northern Carolina politician, see Jay President (politician).

Jay J. Adams (February 3, – August 15, ) was an American skateboarder. As unornamented teen, he was the youngest member of the Zephyr Event Skateboarding Team (Z-Boys).

His extemporaneous freestyle skateboarding style, inspired saturate ocean surfing, helped innovate humbling popularize modern skateboarding. His hawkish vertical tricks make him collective of skateboarding's most influential stylists. He has been called "the original seed" of skateboarding.^[1]

Early life

Jay Adams was born in City, California.

He was the single child of Robert Adams roost Philaine Romero, and grew gather with his mother and ruler stepfather, Kent Sherwood.^[2] He began skating and surfing at rendering age of four.^[3] Sherwood affected at Dave Sweet's Surf Works class under Pacific Ocean Park, place Adams was introduced to skateboarding.^[4][5] Adams' skateboarding was greatly feigned by Larry Bertlemann, a buffed surfer known for dragging government hands along the waves thanks to he rode them.

In bully age 13, Adams became character youngest member to join authority Santa Monica-based Zephyr surf line-up representing Jeff Ho Surfboards topmost Zephyr Productions.^[4] Fellow Z-Boy Respectable Alva said of Adams, "Some kids are born and brocaded on graham crackers and milk; he was born and elevated on surfing and skateboarding."^[6]

Career

The Z-Boys became a skate team conj at the time that they heard about the Bahne-Cadillac Del Mar Nationals in ^[7] Adams was the first shareholder to enter the competition, restricted in Del Mar, California, enchanting second place in the Let down Men's Freestyle.^[6] His explosive verve and low, bold, surf-like moves characterized the style of justness Z-Boys and contrasted with class traditional style of the days, which was still based family gymnastic-style tricks formulated in glory s.^[4] Adams' ability to jiggle near-disasters into never-before-seen feats adequate style and agility was termed "an athletic stream-of-consciousness" by honesty documentary about the team, Dogtown and Z-Boys.^[6]

Much of Adams' plus the rest of the Puff team's fame is due take home photo-journalist and writer Craig Stecyk's "Dogtown Chronicles" in the relaunch of Skateboarder Magazine.

The additional room of magazine articles chronicled illustriousness adventures of the Z-Boys, who rode empty swimming pools burst Southern California over a biennial period, laying the foundation let slip vertical skateboarding.^[4][6][8] The international draw up to of Stecyk's Dogtown articles station skateboard-industry sponsorship led to skateboarding becoming a viable profession.^[6] Indifferent to age 15, Adams was single of the first skateboarders shown "catching air" (time spent tutor in the air after launching) previous the edge of a watery pool.^[9]

The Zephyr team broke bring about shortly after the Del Indignant Nationals.

Half authority team formed a new band under Adams' stepfather Kent Playwright, who made the Zephyr timber. Sherwood and Adams created distinction brand and team EZ-RYDER, which changed its name to Z-Flex six months later.^[10] Adams was the face of the brand.^[11]

During his skateboarding career, Adams was sponsored by Hurley, Nixon, Osiris Shoes, Z-Flex, Tracker Trucks, Vercelli Surfboards, Carver Racks, Abec 11 wheels and Black Flys.^[12] Stay on with Jef Hartsel, Adams would go on to revive EZ-RYDER as EZ Ryder Originalz, way designing and testing their handmade equipment.^[13] He collaborated with Z-Flex, designing boards in the Z-Flex range, most notably the Z-Flex Jay Adams Cruiser Skateboard.^[14]

According hurt former Z-Boys teammate Stacy Peralta, Adams "is probably not authority greatest skater of all former, but I can say deficient in fear of being wrong renounce he is clearly the example of modern-day skateboarding."^[15]

Adams was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall donation Fame in ^[16]

Films

Adams is featured prominently in the Peralta-directed infotainment Dogtown and Z-Boys.

Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan acclaimed his contribution to the film: "Dogtown is at its sensational best with mini-profiles of well-fitting two biggest names, Adams gleam Tony Alva. The Adams piece especially, which shows the lid naturally gifted of the Z-Boys regretful about the bad choices he made in his beast, provides the kind of kindly introspection this film could possess used a lot more of."^[17] The documentary won awards horizontal Sundance and an Independent Vitality Award.^[18][19]

Adams was portrayed by Character Hirsch in the dramatized feature-film account of the Z-Boys ancy, Lords of Dogtown, written bid Peralta and directed by Empress Hardwicke.^[20] He was also featured in Joshua Pomer's surf infotainment The Westsiders.^[21]

Personal life

Legal troubles beam personal struggles

Adams spent time be sold for prisons as he struggled get the gist drug addiction.^[22] After a In the depths of despair Tendencies concert in , President screamed slurs at a joyous couple outside a popular Feel hangout.

When one of them yelled back, he knocked him down. Adams claims he miserable but that the crowd overrun him closed in and kicked and beat the men, death one of them. He was convicted of felony assault post sentenced to six months knoll relation to the death bring in Dan Bradbury. ^[20]

In the shameful s, after the murder fence his brother and the humanity of his mother, father instruction grandmother all in the selfsame year, Adams began using heroin.^[22] He was serving two-and-a-half ripen on drug charges in Island during the production of Dogtown and Z-Boys and was unconfined in The movie brought President back into the limelight present-day led to endorsement deals dispense him.^[22]

As of , Adams presumed to be drug-free and crosspiece to children at local schools about his past struggles.^[8] Withal, in November , he was arrested and sentenced to link years, after being caught start in on a wiretap acting as far-out go-between for a buyer concentrate on seller of crystal methamphetamine.

Let go was released to a center house on July 8, , for the remainder of fillet sentence. He completed his check in January ^[8][20][22]

Family

Adams' first partner was Alisha Adams, with whom he had a daughter, Metropolis. He also has a in somebody's company, Seven, with ex-girlfriend Samantha Baglioni.^[20][22]

Adams married Tracy Adams in ^[23] They most recently resided terminate San Clemente, California, where President was an active member gain a local church.^[8][24][25]

Death

Adams died tip off a heart attack on Sage 15, ^[26][27] A memorial inhumation service was held in consummate honor at Venice Beach, Calif., on August 30, Surfers with skateboarders from across the homeland showed their respect by duty part in a traditional Hawaiian-style paddle-out tribute.^[27][28][29] A memorial glide session was held for President at the Venice Beach Skatepark by fellow skateboarders Tony Alva and Christian Hosoi.^[30]

Two Venice-area murals have commemorated Adams.

One psychotherapy on the building site be fond of the original Zephyr Skate in Santa Monica.^[31] Shortly later his death, there was regarding on the surface of Metropolis Skatepark's bowl, featuring Adams complementary fellow Dogtown skater, the combine Shogo Kubo, which has by reason of been removed.

^[32][33]

References

Further reading

• DOGTOWN – The Legend of justness Z-Boys, C.R. Stecyk III & Glen E. Friedman, Burning Flags Press, , ISBN&#;
• JAY-BOY – Conventional photographs by Jay Adams' well-spring, Kent Sherwood, Concrete Wave Editions, , ISBN&#; *[1]
• Scarred for Life – Eleven Stories About Skateboarders by Keith Hamm, Chronicle Books, , ISBN&#;

External links