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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Legendary skateboarder Jay Adams has died of an apparent heart attack while vacationing in with family in Mexico. Adams, 53, suffered the heart attack late Thursday while on an extended surfing holiday with his wife, TMZ reports.
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The couple had been in Mexico for three months, marking the first time in 20 years Adams was allowed out of the country due to a series of felony drug convictions from the 1980s.
According to family, Adams had been sober for months after years of struggling with addiction and had no history of heart problems.
Adams' life was the subject of the 2001 documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys and the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown in which he was portrayed by Emile Hirsch.
Founding Z-Boy Stacy Peralta posted a neon-washed photo of a young Adams to his Instagram, writing, "I just received the terribly sad news that Jay Adams passed away last night due to a massive heart attack, send your love."
The loss of a legend.. RIP Jay Adams #DogTown #Z-Boys He & Stacy Peralta are why I wanted to skate as a kid pic.twitter.com/OTrckpOvpd
Advertisement— Rick Dickert (@RICKatFOX) August 15, 2014RIP Jay Adams You were the spark that ignited what skateboarding is today. You will be missed. Skate in paradise man pic.twitter.com/XlmhomEEVB
— LSDemon ॐ (@GroovyDeandre) August 15, 2014Damn B Zipper Head Really Died From A Heart Attack Last Night. RIP JAY ADAMS pic.twitter.com/ug83SRcT5z
— micromath (@micromath) August 15, 2014We 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
