Thousands attend skateboarder Jay Adams funeral over Labor Day weekend: Difference between revisions

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Monday, September 1, 2014

Friday, August 29th, 2014

An estimated 2,000 people from the skateboarding and surfing communities attended the funeral service and memorial paddle-out & skateboarding session this past Labor day weekend for skateboarding pioneer Jay Adams, who passed away on August 15th, 2014 while on a surfing trip with his wife Tracy in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. With-in days after his passing several smaller Hawaiian style paddle-out tributes were also held in his honor from Santa Cruz, California to Jacksonville, Florida.

Broadcast live on the web from Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on Friday, pastor Raul Ries delivered the eulogy along with Skateboarder Christian Hosoi, who first met Adams when he was just 10 years old. Both spoke about Adams influence on others faith inside and outside of the skateboarding and surfing communities. Adams own church pastor and one of his closest friends Trip shared personal stories from letters Adams had written him concerning his faith and his desire to be known for being a man of God. Adams step-father Kent Sherwood who taught Adams how to surf when he was just three years old, also shared personal stories about Adams when he was just starting to Surf and Skateboard as a young child.

With clear skies and warm sunny weather on Saturday, hundreds of surfers among Adams long time friends the Z-Boys, held a large memorial paddle-out tribute mid-day on the north side of the Venice Beach Pier. Chants of "Jay Jay Jay" could be heard from the Venice Beach Pier as onlookers watched water being splashed about into the air by the hundreds of people perched on their surfboards . Los Angeles county fire department boats with lifeguards were on hand to add to the paddle-out by spraying their water cannons high into the air and blowing their horns, while monitoring everyone's safety. Later in the afternoon near-by a skateboarding session was held at the Venice beach skate park also in Adams honor.

Adams became an influential figure in skateboarding and it's culture during the mid-seventies when he was just a teenager, as his skateboarding experiences with the Zephyr team in Southern California was chronicled by C.R. Stecyk III and Glen E. Friedman for skateboarding magazine. He has been acknowledged as someone who helped transform the novelty of skateboarding into a global phenomenon. His story was also featured in the films Dogtown and Z-Boys and Lords of Dogtown and he was inducted into the skateboarding hall of fame in 2012.

Later in life Adams became a Christian and found a purpose in helping the next generation of skaters and surfers by speaking to the public with positive messages about making good choices in life, along with other notable skateboarding legends Dennis Martinez. Adams is the second member of the Z-Boys to pass away this year, Shogo Kubo died while surfing in Hawaii in June. Three other members of the Z-Boys have previously passed away Paul "Baby Paul" Cullen in 2009, Bob Biniak in 2010 and Chris Cahill in 2011. Adams ashes will be scattered during another memorial paddle-out in Waimea Bay, Hawaii in September where he will be laid to rest alongside his mother Philaine and his brother Tony.

He is survived by his wife Tracy, his son Seven and his daughter Venice.

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