Interview: Adam "Scizzors" Effertz

Adam Effertz / Scizzors Lift / Photo: Wade
Scizzors wears the S-One Lifer Helmet
S-One Helmet Ad / Focus Magazine

Name: Scizzors (Adam Effertz)

How long have you been skating: I caught the fever in the mid 80s. I took a long break from it and got rerouted, but I eventually found my way back. Apparently the punishment and pleasure is something I can't stay away from.

Sponsors: Creature, Gulllwing and S-One have been sending the UPS truck my way whenever I need gear. I feel fortunate to be getting the support especially when there are so many talented riders out there. I'm just humbled by the fact that there are folks who appreciate the way I ride. It's a good feeling knowing that there are people interested in having me involved with what they are doing. The friendships, fun and camaraderie that come with it are what it's all about.

How did you get hooked up with S-One?: Navs has seen me stack pretty hard when I ride with him. I'm good at that. I've hit my head a few times to say the least. I think sometimes I scare him. He'll tell me to take it easy and spend more time stretching out and warming up before I just start throwing stuff out there. I have a tendency to get over amped and anxious at times and he's great at checking me. You never want to see your friends get hurt. On Vert Search I was wearing a helmet with sponges inside of it instead of padding. It was pretty raggedy. Hewitt was bugging out, laughing and snapped a photo of it. It was a spectacle. All my gear and my whole set up was looking like I just came out of a time capsule from 1988 which is radical, but an old helmet from 1988 isn't the best idea and I ended up getting a concussion with it. I asked Navs about the S-One helmet and next thing I know the UPS truck is showing up and I'm hooked up. Best helmet ever.

You like the Lifer Helmet - why?: Simple, it's certified, fits well, and if I stack hard and smack my head with it, there's a far less chance of getting a concussion. My father has a brain injury from a motorcycle accident and he wasn't wearing a helmet. He was in a coma and we didn't know if he was going to live. It was a very scary time that had me dropping to my knees praying to God that I wouldn't lose him. I've seen first hand how head injuries change lives. You can fix a broken bone, but once you damage your brain, you are changed forever. There's no fixing that and my dad lives with that every day. If you're going to ride hard, ride big stuff, and put it out there, it makes sense to wear a helmet. If you're going to wear one, wear the best.

Tell me about the Scizzors Lift. How did you come up with it etc: I was just messing around with my board thinking about something I could try that I hadn't seen before and my idea was to do it backside. The idea floated in my head for months. I eventually tried it one night at the end of a session in Merritt Island, but couldn't get it, so I tried it frontside and eventually stuck it that same night with the Demon Seed dudes egging me on. They just kept pushing me late into the night to stick it. I love those dudes. I'm sure there are dudes like Bucky that could probably learn it in 2 tries if they wanted to, but it was just fun to come up with something different. Any trick where I can get pretty high up above the lip and smack my tail feels good to me. I want to get them higher and learn it backside as well. I was going to call it a switch blade, but when Grosso saw it, he coined it the Scizzors Lift. The rest is history.

How was the photo shoot?: It was an experiment and turned into a mission. My friend Wade shot it and we ran into some troubles. We shot it at night originally, but sequences at night are tricky. The background on some of the shots had different shades because of the lights interfering. I went back to re shoot it a month later in the day and there was too much sun. Third time's a charm though, so we shot it in the morning when the sun was in a good position. I was battling a pulled groin so I couldn't really skate, but I thought I might be able to pull it off if I could just do it right away. I took some anti-inflammatories, dropped in to a f-side grind, clenched my teeth or stuck out my tongue I guess, did the trick, he got it and we were out. 

What is the vert scene like in Florida?: We have nothing in Miami. There is one mini ramp that was built by my friends Robbie Weir and Wayne Hildreth and it has an 8 ft wide section of vert and they are planning on widening it. Mark Lake was skating there a couple weeks ago. He had a bad concussion that kept him off his board for the good portion of the last 18 months, but he is back ripping at the age of 54. The nearest vert ramp is 1.5 hours from me in Chris Guilfoose's backyard. We've had some good sessions there. Skatepark of Tampa has vert. Kona has a nice vert ramp. Vans of Orlando had vert, but they closed. My scene is really 3.5 hours away in Merritt Island. I go up there when I have a chance and spend the weekend at Wade's. Merritt Island has a strong vert crew. Payne, Workman and Umbel to name a few.

Favorite tricks: Being able to not limp after a session and not get hurt is my favorite trick, but I don't make that one very often.

Favorite skaters: Way too many to name. Anyone who brings fire and energy to the session and makes it fun for everyone. I like making noise and interacting with people when I skate. I like challenging people to push themselves and I like when people do that to me as well. My favorites aren't my favorites because of the tricks they do. My favorites are those that charge it and push their personal limits. Those that energize the session. They know who they are.
Is the trick going to be in the next creature video etc..: Creature has such an insane crew and they are pulling off more and more crazy stuff as we speak. It might be challenging to fit it in, but if they can, they will. I've been on quite a few filming sessions over the last year or so. I've seen some crazy stuff go down. 

Interview by: Chris Terins