Lodge Legend, Adam Effertz, aka Scizzors
Current: Job / school:
Big Brothers Big Sisters (Youth mentoring organization)
Where are you from?
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Where do you currently live?
Miami, Florida
Family status:
Single, one daughter
Age:
42
Sponsors:
Creature, Skeleton Key, Gullwing, S-1, Immortal Laces, Fly Paper Grip
Years of skateboarding:
Enough to have plenty of scars and be limping around
Board size: 9X33 1/4
Wheel size: 60
Trucks: Gullwing Sidewinder NOS 1990
I change set up every: When it’s necessary
Current Board trend: Creature, Stu Graham
Your daily DAY by the hours, (or tell us about your longest day the last weeks)
06.00 I get up whenever I have to for work. Sometimes it’s early, sometimes later in the morning. Lately, I’ve been drinking fresh coconut water every morning. I built a 20 foot ladder and went up in the trees in my neighborhood and got hundreds of coconuts before they drop and damage cars and or rot on the ground. It turned into quite the spectacle as many of the neighbors gathered around, some of them were very nervous and expressed their concern for me as I made my way up the ladder. I had a strong, trustworthy neighbor hold the ladder. I gave lots of coconuts out. They go crazy for them. They are really good. I have a flexible work schedule so every day is different and I meet with many people throughout the community and I work on mentoring programs for at-risk youth and most of my time is spent partnering with local businesses, major corporations, universities, churches, police and fire departments, municipalities and many other organizations that I engage and maintain relationships with.
How are you doing at the moment?
I had surgery on my collarbone in late April and I’m currently healing. They put in a plate and some screws. I should be healed by early August. This was my 3rd surgery in the last 18 months.
When I chill, I chill with,
Locally, not too many people. Most of my friends live in other places. In my area, I like hanging out with the OW Crew and Tyler Coffman and Mark Lake. I also like chilling with the Keeping Vert Dead and Demon Seed crew up in Merritt Island and then of course chilling with Navarrette and the Creature crew.
Im have been on a mission lately in ( with)
I’m on a mission with taking it easy so my collarbone can heal. Apart from just having built that ladder to get coconuts and going down to the beach and moving around in the water, the last 2 months have been all about taking it easy and watching stuff on Netflix and spending way too much time on social media. I plan on getting real active in about a month when the doctor gives me the OK.
Dream session is,
Definitely on a vert ramp with people I consider friends and really good, loud music that everyone is feeling. I like all the hollering, camaraderie, stoke and brotherhood of a session. Even though a session is made up of individuals, I like the session where you feel like you are part of something bigger than just being an individual. It feels like you are part of a group or a battalion of brothers all trying to achieve the same goal and have each other’s backs and pushing each other on. It can be a battle of emotions. Everyone wants to get that stoke together and seeing someone land something new or land something they shouldn’t have gets you just as stoked as if you just landed something scary or new as well. That’s what it’s all about to me. Pushing the limits and surviving together. There are so many people I have in my mind that I would want to be at that “dream” session and it has little to do with how well they ride a skateboard and everything to do with their stoke, vibe, pushing their personal limits, letting go and ultimately how much fun they can have. It’s an outlet that everyone can choose to express how they want and that is also what makes it unique. It is still unique right? Or not so much? I don’t know. It will always be what you and your friends make it. Will there be a dream session in the Olympics? The real dream session is Blaize Blouin, Sean Miller and Jeff Phillips.
Lately I have been working on,
The Florida Vert Series with Bob Umbel and Mark Lake. The next contest we have is October 22nd at legendary Kona Skatepark.
Check links here…
http://rumbel.wix.com/floridavertseries
https://www.facebook.com/floridavertseries/
https://www.instagram.com/floridavertseries/
Where / what is your local vert ramp ?
Good question. There’s a few .. Robbie Weir and Wayne Hildreth’s ramp in Miami. Ramp 48 in Fort Lauderdale. Guilfooses in Royal Palm Beach and also Merritt Island vert.
When I was little I would like to,
get into lots of trouble.
When im home I like to,
bang my head against the wall.
I normally call my homies for,
prank calls. I pulled a really good prank call about a year ago on Pedro Delfino. I used a different voice and told him I was a team manager from a well known company and told him that I was thinking about sponsoring him and paying him, but that I didn’t know if he was good enough yet or deserving enough. Then I went on to tell him what improvements he needs to make before I would put him on the team and pay him. It went on for a good 5 minutes if not longer and he was totally fooled. It was so awful lol. Pedro is such a good dude. I have a lot of love for him. I think of him as like a little brother.
Your homies are,
The ones that are down to ride and the ones who got my back when it ain’t all good.
I enjoy going to,
Vert ramps.
Favorite drink is,
Lately its coconut water, but I won’t say no to a beer.
Favorite food is,
I love all types.
Favorite drug,
Vertical skateboarding.
Favorite music,
Anything from Slayer to Sade, Suicidal to Sam Cooke.
Favorite film,
12 Angry Men
Favorite skateboarders,
The list could go on and on and on just like my Facebook comments and Derek Krasauskas can confirm that because he “likes” them all but not as much as Ffej does lol. I have a deep appreciation for Erik “Woody” Froland. Many people have probably never heard of him. He is from Minnesota. I think from 1987 to 1992 he was one of the most amazing skateboarders in the world. He was plagued with some really bad knee injuries and multiple surgeries, but man could he fly and he had it all. I would have to say Woody is my favorite of all time. I am in awe of Craig Johnson and Chris Miller. Both have such contrasting styles, but both are captivating.
Favorite skatefilm,
Between Gleaming The Cube and Thrashin’, I would have to say The Bones Brigade Video Show. That was groundbreaking. I grew up on Skate Visions and Summer Sessions as well and all the old NSA contests that Hoffman did. Terror at Tahoe, The Houston contest, VA Beach, Del Mar, Upland, Duel at Diablo, I love the back yard ramp scene at Mark Lake’s house in Skateboard Madness, but I never saw that until much later. With the Internet, now everything is available for viewing. If you get a chance check out Michael Chantry on Facebook. The dude has got a deep vault of 80s footage.
Favorite skatepark,
Twin Cities Skate Oasis (gone but not forgotten).
Favorite spot,
Anywhere with the people you want to be with.
Favorite woman / men ( blond, fat, thin, big, small)
I’m not going to go there.
When I cook, I cook,
Fish or lamb.
To go to resturant is,
Whatever is clever at the moment.
To go to trick is,
Just riding.
To go to trick when you are farked is,
Is throwing a board and cursing a trick?
To go to trick when you are winning is,
Just riding.
TOP 3 Cities,
Barcelona, San Diego, New Orleans
When I travel,
I always bring, A positive attitude.
Best travel advise I can give is,
Pack wisely.
TOP SUCK citys,
Those that are cold and snowy.
When I do not skateboard I,
Go to the beach, ride a bike, hang out, relax, watch movies.
My fitness program is,
Not too good. I did get a Life Cycle recently though. It’s getting dusty. I’m way out of shape. I need to start running like Dave Allen. I need to do something.
When I get old I want to,
I feel like I’m already old.
I would like to see more of,
The family and friends I have scattered throughout the world.
That one time where I was in jail because of,
One time?! There have been more than a few times, but those times are way back in the rear view mirror. Not going back.
I should do more of,
Stretching and meditating. I’ve been talking about getting into yoga for over 5 years and I’m still talking about it. It’s working for Keith Baldassarre and he has come out of some bad injuries and he is ripping hard and he said yoga has helped a lot.
My future looks like,
It is getting smaller and smaller every day.
I dream of,
Jeanie.
The book I currently read is,
Not heavy on books. Smithsonian Magazine subscriber. Online news.
The best travel I have been on, Vert Search was good.
On Netflix I watch,
Anything with a good review. I love documentaries and thrillers.
If I could change the world I would,
I can’t so I won’t think about it.
Everybody should own a,
Piece of the pie, but only if their willing to bring something to the table.
The hobby I have, no one knows about is,
Baseball cards and sports memorabilia, but I’ve been trying to downsize my collection for a long time. I have a pretty big collection of Willie Mays baseball cards from the 1950s and 60s.
I will never get rid of,
Some of the same qualities that some people like me for that others don’t like me for.
I would love to be in a movie with,
Navarrette, Partanen, and Hitz. I think with the right budget and the creativity those 3 have, we could come up with something that would be really sick and a hell of a lot of fun. The cast of characters would include Matt Dove, Hewitt, peter furnee, Grosso, Hassan, Shark Dog, Kimbel, Russell, Delfino, Krasauskas, Gentry, Pribble, Sam Boo, Ed D’Ottavio, Lloyd Gilick, Wayne Hildreth, Shareef Mason, Duane Peters, Robbie Weir, Tyler Coffman, Bob Umbel, Howard Montaque, Rich Payne, Jake “Poptart” Welch, Dave Allen and Stu Graham (we need the British and Scottish accents for a scene I have in mind plus those are some bad boys). Pretty sure we would all walk away with Oscars or at least Golden Globe awards.
I currently follow (social media, instagram twitter, facebook)
FB and Insta.
Life advise so far? Someone once said
“You can’t make a woman love you. Not even with duct tape.” So true. You can’t make anyone love you.
Anything else,
Thanks for allowing me to drop in on the Shredders Lodge. The questions were fun. Good times.
Thank Adam for supporting the lodge !
LOVE THE INTERVIEW…but should have current photos of Adam skating.