Skateboarding pioneer Jay Adams, who was featured in the 2001 documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, died Friday August 15 while surfing in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. He was 53.

Initial reports from the Los Angeles Times say that Adams died of a heart attack while vacationing with friends in Mexico.

Adams’ wife, Tracy, told his friends her husband was not feeling well Thursday and went to bed early.

Early Friday morning Tracy told the friends that her husband was choking while sleeping and was having trouble breathing. An ambulance rushed Adams to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Skate legend Tony Hawk wrote a short but sweet tribute on his Instagram: “Goodbye Jay Adams. Thank you for inspiring us to get vertical and to keep pushing the limits of what is possible.”

Adams was an original member of the Z-Boys, a 1970s skateboarding group from Santa Monica and Venice, California. Adams stood out among the Z-Boys with his individual skating style and big personality.

The Z-boys gained notoriety in the newly-formed skateboarding world of the 70s after entering a national competition (which were rare then). Adams took home 3rd place in the Junior Men’s Freestyle. Judges noticed that he skated like a surfer, a style that was very much in contrast with other skaters of that era. Over the years, Adams became known for this signature style, earning him  nicknames like Pure Seed and The Chosen One.

He was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2012.