Without the influence of Jay Adams, the skating world would not be what it is today. His death is a tragedy not only to his friends and family, but also to the million of lives he has influenced throughout his ambitious skating career.
In the '70s, the Zephyr skate team changed the world of skateboarding forever. The Z boys pioneered a new skateboarding technique that was unimagined by any other skaters at that time. These skaters started a movement that would expand far beyond what they could ever imagine.
Just a few days ago, the Z boys lost one of their most significant and influential members. Jay Adams, one of the first skaters to join the Zephyr skate team, died late Thursday night of a heart attack at age 53.
Although he was the youngest member, Adams was arguably the most talented of all the Z boys. His daring spirit motivated him to try new tricks that nobody else had the courage to attempt. There was no trick too intimidating for Adams, which allowed him to drastically transform the skateboarding world.
With all the fame and attention that came with being a Z boy, Adams was careful to keep it from getting to his ego. He always managed to disrupt a photo shoot by throwing up a middle finger or making the most ridiculous face he could think of. In an excerpt from Glen Friedman’s My Rules Adams explains that "[he] always skate[s] for the love of it, the feeling that is like nothing else. Doing the thing [he] did, that some people after the fact look back and say it was so progressive and pushed the limits, that's cool but [he] wasn't thinking doing that. [He] just acted spontaneously and did stuff, see what happens and hope not to get hurt…Having fun is what really matters in the end, unless you're just out to impress others.”
Adams was not in it for the fame, but rather for the genuine love of skating. Friedman describes him as “the inspiration, he was the seed. He was one of the originators, and he didn't do any of it on purpose. He was as spontaneous as they come, and because of that he was one of the sport's great revolutionaries." Although he was extremely dedicated to skating, Adams was more dedicated to having fun and taking risks. He was so naturally talented, that he shaped the entire world of skating without thinking twice about it. Most people work all their lives to accomplish anything close to what Adams did, and he accomplished it as a carefree teenager just messing around with his friends.
Although Adams approached his celebrity status with a nonchalant attitude, he is undoubtedly one of the most iconic skateboarders to ever live. From pioneering pool skating to being inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, Adams had an extremely successful skating career. Skip Emgblom, one of the cofounders of Zephyr Skateboards, describes Adams as “Skateboarding's Mozart and Hendrix." Although he is not a household name like Tony Hawk, Adams is one of the most talented skaters in history.
Throughout his life, Jay Adams took advantage of every opportunity he had to have fun and test his limits. His natural talent led him to a remarkable skating career, but to Adams, the fame was not nearly as valuable as the amazing experience he had while becoming one of the greatest skaters to ever live.