Jay Adams
Jay Adams (born February 3, 1961) is an American skateboarder most prominently known as one of the original members of Z-Boys skateboarding team. He is considered one of the most influential skateboarders of all time.
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[edit] Career
He was born in Venice, California. As a teenager in the mid-1970s, he was a member of the original Zephyr skateboard team and of the Zephyr surf team along with Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta.
According to Bones Brigade founder Stacy Peralta, Adams "may not be 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."[1] Craig Stecyk dubbed Adams "the original 'seed'."[2]
[edit] In popular culture
Adams is featured prominently in the award winning documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys and in the 2005 dramatized film account of the Z-Boys origins, Lords of Dogtown. In the movie, he was played by Emile Hirsch, who was praised by critics for his portrayal of the original Z-Boy.
[edit] Legal problems
Adams has been in and out of prisons as he struggled with drug addiction.[3] He was charged with murder, and convicted of assault, following a gay bashing that he instigated in Los Angeles.[4]
He served two and a half years of a four year sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Oregon, after being caught on a wiretap acting as a go-between for a buyer and seller of crystal methamphetamine. He was released to a halfway house on July 8, 2008 for the remainder of his sentence.[3]
[edit] Personal life
He was married to Alisha Adams, with whom he has a daughter, Venice. He also has a son Seven, from Samantha Baglioni.[3] He was recently remarried in Honolulu to Tracy Adams.
[edit] Further reading
- DOGTOWN-The Legend of the Z-Boys, C.R. Stecyk III & Glen E. Friedman, Burning Flags Press, 2000, ISBN 0-9641916-4-4
- JAY-BOY - Classic photographs by Jay Adams stepfather, Kent Sherwood, Concrete Wave Editions, 2006, ISBN 0973528664 *[1]
- Scarred for Life - Eleven Stories About Skateboarders by Keith Hamm, Chronicle Books, 2004, ISBN 0811840530
[edit] References
- ^ Thrasher magazine
- ^ thesunmachine.net
- ^ a b c Edelstein, David, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/sports/othersports/30xgames.html "A Lord of Dogtown Reemerges" New York Times. July 30, 2008, accessed November 11, 2008.
- ^ Jay Adams, 2000 Interview, http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/jayadams/juice.html "Jay Adams, 2000 Interview", accessed May 15, 2011.
