Jay Adams facts for kids
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Adams in 2011
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| Born | February 3, 1961 Venice, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 15, 2014 (aged 53) Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico |
Jay J. Adams (born February 3, 1961 – died August 15, 2014) was a famous American skateboarder. When he was a teenager, he was the youngest member of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team, also known as the Z-Boys. His unique and energetic skateboarding style was inspired by ocean surfing. He helped create and make modern skateboarding popular. His powerful tricks, especially on ramps, made him one of the most important skateboarders ever. Jay Adams passed away from a heart attack in 2014.
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Early Life as a Skater
Jay Adams was born in Venice, California. He grew up with his mother and his stepfather, Kent Sherwood. Jay started skating and surfing when he was just four years old! His stepfather worked at a surf shop, which helped Jay get into skateboarding early. Jay's skateboarding style was greatly influenced by Larry Bertlemann, a professional surfer. Larry was known for dragging his hands along the waves as he rode them.
In 1974, when he was 13, Jay became the youngest member of the Zephyr surf team. This team was based in Santa Monica, California, and was known to locals as Dogtown. They represented Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions. Another Z-Boy, Tony Alva, once said about Jay: "Some kids are born and raised on crackers and milk; he was born and raised on surfing and skateboarding." This shows how much surfing and skating meant to Jay from a young age.
Skateboarding Career and Fame
The Z-Boys became a skate team when they heard about a big competition called the Bahne-Cadillac Del Mar Nationals in 1975. Jay Adams was the first member of his team to enter this competition, which was held in Del Mar, California. He took second place in the Junior Men's Freestyle event.
Jay's energetic and low-to-the-ground, surf-like moves defined the Z-Boys' style. This was very different from the older, more gymnastic-style tricks that were popular in the 1960s. Jay was amazing at turning almost-falls into brand-new, stylish moves. A documentary about the team, Dogtown and Z-Boys, called his style "an athletic stream-of-consciousness."
Much of the Z-Boys' fame came from a photo-journalist named Craig Stecyk. He wrote a series of articles called "Dogtown Chronicles" in Skateboarder Magazine in 1975. These articles told the stories of the Z-Boys. They rode in empty swimming pools in Southern California for two years, which helped create vertical skateboarding. Because of these articles and sponsorships, skateboarding became a real profession. By age 15, Jay was one of the first skateboarders seen "catching air." This means he was launching himself above the edge of a swimming pool and staying in the air for a moment.
The Zephyr team broke up soon after the Del Mar Nationals. Half of the team formed a new group with Jay's stepfather, Kent Sherwood. Sherwood and Adams created a brand called EZ-RYDER. Six months later, it changed its name to Z-Flex, and Jay Adams was the main face of the brand.
During his skateboarding career, Jay Adams had many sponsors. These included Hurley, Nixon, Osiris Shoes, Z-Flex, and others. He also worked with Jef Hartsel to bring back EZ-RYDER as EZ Ryder Originalz. They designed and tested their own handmade skateboarding gear. Jay also helped design boards for Z-Flex, like the Z-Flex Jay Adams Cruiser Skateboard.
Stacy Peralta, another former Z-Boys teammate, said that Jay "is probably not the greatest skater of all time, but I can say without fear of being wrong that he is clearly the archetype of modern-day skateboarding." This means Jay set the example for how modern skateboarding would look.
In 2012, Jay Adams was honored by being inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.
Jay Adams in Films
Jay Adams is a big part of the 2001 documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, which was directed by Stacy Peralta. A film critic named Kenneth Turan said that the movie was best when it showed mini-stories of its two biggest stars, Jay Adams and Tony Alva. The part about Jay Adams was especially good. It showed that even though he was the most naturally talented of the Z-Boys, he had some regrets about choices he made in his life. This documentary won awards at the Sundance Film Festival and an Independent Spirit Award.
Jay Adams was played by actor Emile Hirsch in the 2005 movie Lords of Dogtown. This film was a dramatized story about how the Z-Boys started. It was written by Stacy Peralta and directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Jay was also in Joshua Pomer's 2010 surf documentary called The Westsiders.
Personal Life and Family
Jay Adams' first wife was Alisha Adams, and they had a daughter named Venice. He also had a son named Seven with his ex-girlfriend Samantha Baglioni.
Jay married Tracy Adams in 2011. They lived in San Clemente, California, where Jay was an active member of a local church.
Death and Legacy
Jay Adams passed away from a heart attack on August 15, 2014. A memorial funeral service was held for him at Venice Beach, California, on August 30, 2014. Surfers and skateboarders from all over the country came to show their respect. They took part in a traditional Hawaiian-style paddle-out tribute, where they paddled out into the ocean. A memorial skate session was also held for Jay at the Venice Beach Skatepark by fellow skateboarders Tony Alva and Christian Hosoi.
Two murals in the Venice area remember Jay Adams. One is on the building where the original Zephyr Skate Shop used to be in Santa Monica. The other is painted on the surface of the Venice Skatepark's bowl. It shows Jay alongside another famous Dogtown skater, the late Shogo Kubo.
Images for kids
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Adams in 2011
