Jay Adams (Age: 50) is one of the original Z-Boys

Z-Boys

The Z-Boys was a group of skateboarders in the mid-1970s from Santa Monica and Venice, California. The aerial and sliding skate moves that the Z-Boys invented were the basis for aerial skateboarding today.-History:...

 and is considered one of the most influential skateboarder

Skateboarding

Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...

s of all time.

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

Tony Alva

Tony Alva , is one of the original Z-Boys and is considered to be one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. He was professional skateboarding's first world champion in history, a title he won in 1977.-Career:...

 and Stacy Peralta

Stacy Peralta

Stacy Peralta is an American director and entrepreneur. Peralta was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the professional skateboarding group, the Z-Boys.-Early life:...

.

According to Bones Brigade founder Stacy Peralta

Stacy Peralta

Stacy Peralta is an American director and entrepreneur. Peralta was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the professional skateboarding group, the Z-Boys.-Early life:...

, 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." Craig Stecyk dubbed Adams "the original 'seed'."

In popular culture

Adams is featured prominently in the award winning documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys

Dogtown and Z-Boys

Dogtown and Z-Boys is a 2001 documentary film directed by Stacy Peralta. Using a mix of film the Zephyr skateboard team shot in the 1970s by Craig Stecyk and more recent interviews, the documentary tells the story of a group of teenage surfer/skateboarders and their influence on the history of...

and in the 2005 dramatized film account of the Z-Boys origins, Lords of Dogtown

Lords of Dogtown

Lords of Dogtown is a 2005 biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Stacy Peralta. The film is based on the story of "The Z-Boys", an influential group of skateboarders who revolutionized the sport...

. In the movie, he was played by Emile Hirsch

Emile Hirsch

Emile Davenport Hirsch is an American television and film actor. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television films and series, and became known as a film actor after roles in Lords of Dogtown, The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and Into the Wild. In...

, who was praised by critics for his portrayal of the original Z-Boy.

Legal problems

Adams has been in and out of prisons as he struggled with drug addiction. He was charged with murder, and convicted of assault, following a gay bashing

Gay bashing

Gay bashing and gay bullying is verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender . Such abuse is used also to bully heterosexual persons and persons of non-specific or unknown sexual orientation.A "bashing" may be a specific incident, and one...

 that he instigated in Los Angeles.

He served two and a half years of a four year sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution

Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan

Federal Correctional Institution Sheridan is a federal prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Sheridan, Oregon, United States. This medium security facility, along with its satellite prison camp and detention center, houses approximately 2000 male inmates...

 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.

Personal life

He was married to Alisha Adams, with whom he has a daughter, Venice. He also has a son Seven, from Samantha Baglioni.
He was recently remarried in Honolulu to Tracy Adams.

Further reading

• DOGTOWN-The Legend of the Z-Boys, C.R. Stecyk III & Glen E. Friedman
  Glen E. Friedman
  Glen E. Friedman is an American photographer and artist.Coming to prominence in the 1980s with his photography of skateboarders and musicians, Friedman is considered one of the most important photographers of his generation.He is perhaps best known for his work promoting rebellious artists such as...
  
  , 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 *http://tailtap.com/jayboy.html
• Scarred for Life - Eleven Stories About Skateboarders by Keith Hamm, Chronicle Books, 2004, ISBN 0811840530