Jay Adams, one of the world’s greatest skateboarders, has died at the age of 53 in Mexico, reports TMZ. The skateboarding legend famously said, “You didn’t quit skateboarding because you got old, you got old because you quit skateboarding.” The tragic news was first delivered via fellow Dogtown legend Stacy Peralta via his Instagram page:
Adams is survived by his devoted wife Tracy.
Here’s what we know so far:
1. He Was With His Family When he Died
Adams was on vacation with his family in Mexico when he suffered a heart attack. Adams’ last post on Instagram came on August 14. According to TMZ, Adams had no history of heart promblems.
2. Emile Hirsch Played Adams in Lords of Dogtown
We lost a true wild man with the passing of Jayboy. Jay Adams was a legend who will be missed.
— Emile Hirsch (@EmileHirsch) August 15, 2014
Adams was portrayed by Emile Hirsch in the movie Lords of Dogtown.
3. After Years of Battling Addiction, Adams Was Finally Sober
He became sober in 2014 after battling drug-addiction for many years.
4. He Had Been Banned From Leaving the County
Adams was on vacation with his family when he died. He had been forbidden from leaving the country since his earlier drug convictions. A source told Heavy.com that he was now off of federal parole “and had permission to leave the country.”
In 2004, Adams was overheard on a federal wiretap introducing a meth dealer in California to a buyer in Hawaii. After doing time in prison for that offense, Adams said “My good-luck chances with judges are through. I can’t make those mistakes anymore.”
5. ‘The Original Seed’ Will Be Greatly Missed
Goodbye Jay Adams. Thank you for inspiring us to get vertical and to keep pushing the limits of what is possible. pic.twitter.com/ezBW7ZwdtI
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) August 15, 2014
During his skateboarding career, Adams went by the nickname “The Original Seed.”