Jay Adams a free man

[skategeezer]

well, here is the report courtesy fuel

Jay Adams: Free Man

Posted on Mon Jul 07 15:49:00 -0700 2008
After more than two-and-a-half years behind bars, skate legend Jay Adams was released this morning, July 7, from the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Oregon. Bussed to Portland and flown to LAX, Jay will be spending a few months at a halfway home in Southern California before moving in with his wife, Alisha, and their toddler daughter, Venice. He’s also been offered a job as facilities manager at Hurley headquarters in Costa Mesa. For the time being, Jay says he’s going to stay put in Southern California. Probably a wise choice, since the frontier of Hawaii’s North Shore can make things tough for people who often find themselves surrounded by their personal demons.
In November 2005, Jay was arrested by federal agents at his North Shore home for his middleman role in a heavy-duty meth deal between California and Hawaii. For the back story, click here. Jay, who was on probation at the time, was facing a possible life sentence, but he turned his life around, got married, and was trying to do the right thing. Jay had to hand over yet another one of his 'Nine Lives' cards, and the judge gave him a light sentence, considering the circumstances.
According to his friends and family, if Jay blows it one more time, he’s going back to prison for the rest of his life. This much he eluded to in a letter I got from him a few months ago. He also reminded me of the first time we met in-person (when I flew to Hawaii in 2003 to interview him) and how that version of Jay Adams (the one who wouldn’t sit down for the interview until I cracked a beer and agreed to join him in consuming a batch of prescription painkillers) needed to vanish forever. If drug-addict Jay needs to go away so that today’s Jay can live on the outside with his family and friends, I can raise a cup to that. But his legacy as one of skateboarding’s most gifted natural talents (and all the good and bad that comes with the ride) will never be erased. Cheers to that, as well.

[TIMORNE]

I wish him and his family well,also the power to heal himself.
God,bless him please & help take care of this man.

[drew]

Everyone makes mistakes. He's gonna be fine from now on.

[mikenike605]

it seems he is getting a pretty good deal coming out of jail.
good for Jay

[mexifly]

Good to hear, he has always been an influence

[Jerry Lewis]

I feel I should withhold my thoughts until he actually proves he isn't a cracked out jackass. Best of luck to him, if anyone deserves it, he does.

[smallhillrider]

I wish him, his relatives and his friends all the luck. Jay along with his fellow skaters has inspired a completely different aspect in my skating, and I give him respect for that. It's great to hear that he'll be able to skate more now. Hopefully we'll hear from him soon again to see how he's doing!

Cheers =)

[Stinkfist]

Great to hear! I hope he makes it, and we all get a chance to skate with him sometime.

[skatefart1]

Originally Posted by Jerry Lewis

I feel I should withhold my thoughts until he actually proves he isn't a cracked out jackass. Best of luck to him, if anyone deserves it, he does.

I'm with you. I've never had a ton of respect for violent, drug dealing, tax evaders (I think I got that list right)..no matter how well they skate. That said, good luck to Jay, I wish him well.

[Severian_Sidewalk_Surfer]

Originally Posted by skategeezer

...if Jay blows it one more time, he’s going back to prison for the rest of his life....If drug-addict Jay needs to go away so that today’s Jay can live on the outside with his family and friends, I can raise a cup to that. But his legacy as one of skateboarding’s most gifted natural talents (and all the good and bad that comes with the ride) will never be erased. Cheers to that, as well. [/font][/size][/b]

I remember seeing the "Dogtown & Z-Boyz" movie, and being totally blown away by Adams' style and physical genius. What a star, what an incredible, natural athlete he was.

It was so sad when the camera cut to Jay Adams in his prison uniform, trying to act as if being a Federal prisoner was "no big deal, yo". From sunny California golden boy and super skate champ, to ugly, burned-out, grunting wigger speed freak. God, what a shame.

Here's hoping Jay Adams treats his addiction like the cunning, baffling, deadly enemy it actually is, and doesn't blow this last chance he's been given.

There's plenty of help out there if he wants it, but nature hates a smartass. I hope to God he makes it. The guy's still got so much to offer, and he was a hero to so many.

I used to follow the Grateful Dead around the country every summer, and it's (not) funny, but all my old hippie friends from high school are dead now. Except for a couple who are in prison. As far as I know, I'm the only one of that crew who got clean and stayed clean.

The straight-edge punks were right. Drugs are the Man's way of keeping potential revolutionaries stupid and ineffectual.

"F**k That Hippie S**t!"

~Eric Cartman

[CL]

This is great news. Jay is good people, i wish him the best of luck staying away from the devil that is Meth. I think he'll be just fine. Keep rollin' Jay.

[elementalzoo]

Jay plainly has said many times, the dogtown movie included, that he doesn't regret very much but the heavy partying because problems flowed from there. The insinuation that he was trying to be 'federal prison is no big deal, yo' is ludicrous. But what is done is done and he knows better than anyone writing here that dwelling doesn't work and sometimes people mistranslate that awareness to apathy. If 'crying about' the past worked, junkies all over the world would be clean just from thinking about their mistakes.

I hope Jay does OK in spite of the hero worship on one side and the criticisms on the other, because somewhere in the middle is just a flesh and blood person who happened to love to surf and skate.

[Mile_High_Mark]

Originally Posted by Severian_Sidewalk_Surfer

The straight-edge punks were right. Drugs are the Man's way of keeping potential revolutionaries stupid and ineffectual.

"A poison-free mind strikes fear in the man without raising a fist." -- Spooky Cycles