RSVP Open Now on Vans.com/blackrainbows

Costa Mesa, CALIF. (July 31, 2019) – Vans, the original skateboarding brand and advocate for creative expression, presents BLACK RAINBOWS, a 10-day immersive experience in Venice Beach, California. Beginning August 9, Vans will celebrate the origins and history of the first skateboarding shoe, the Era, and the impact it has made through across skateboarding, art, music and street culture. 

“BLACK RAINBOWS” aren’t just marks left by wallrides from skateboards, they are symbols of the creative reinterpretation of the world around you. To showcase the creative depth that is founded in skateboarding, Vans will offer interactive programming that is inspired by the history and origins of the Era including the eclectic neighborhood between Venice Beach and Santa Monica known as Dogtown. Programming will  include Dog Bowl Skate sessions, panel discussions, artist led workshops, live art installations and film screenings. RSVP is open now on Vans.com/blackrainbows! 

Programming highlights include: 

DOG BOWL SKATE SESSION

Vans has recreated a section of the Dog Bowl, the backyard pool from Santa Monica where Tony Alva invented the original “Off The Wall” frontside air. Vans will invite Tony Alva, Elijah Berle, Eric Dressenand Rowan Zorilla to skate the shallow end of the bowl. 

LEGENDARY ARTIFACT DISPLAY

Vans has partnered with Dogtown legend Jeff Ho, famed owner of the Zephyr Surf Shop and Jim Muir, original Z-Boy and skate Hall of Fame inductee, to bring forward an authentic depiction of the birth of a cultural icon, the Era, through a collection of photos and artifacts.

LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

Each weekend, Vans will welcome musicians including Venice thrash legends, Suicidal Tendencies and Orange County hardcore band, Fury. The luminary punk rock band X will hit the stage alongside punk newcomers,The Paranoyds. On Friday, August 16, Top Dawg Entertainment’s Reason andZacari will bring Los Angeles hip-hop to the stage. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Mikal Cronin and Shannon Lay will close out the final weekend with sounds inspired by surf and rock & roll.. 

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

BLACK RAINBOWS will host a series of thought provoking panel discussions including: 

·         “Tales of the Era”, a history lesson with the original Z-Boys team including Tony Alva, Jim Muir,Jeff Ho and Peggy Oki 

·         “Collaborations Through the Era”, candid insights into the design process by Vans partners and previous collaborators including Tetsu Nishiyama of WTAPS , Chris Gibbs of Union Los Angeles, and Carol Lim & Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony. 

·         Music panel highlighting the Los Angeles punk scene between 1978 and today as told by singer, songwriter and activist Henry Rollins, visual artist and folksinger,Phranc, Drew Arriola of Trap Girl, and Rudy Bleu & Hex Ray who have both helped to create spaces for the queer, punk Latinx youth in Los Angeles moderated by rock anthropologist and documentary filmmaker, Penelope Spheeris. 

·         Juxtapoz Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Evan Pricco will present the “Southern California Shaped” panel to explore how the Southern California skate and surf scene has shaped the next generation of art featuring Sage Vaughen, Robin Eisenberg, Albert Reyes and Daniel Gibson. 

WORKSHOPS

·         Bryan Ray Turcotte is the founder of Kill Your Idols, a publishing company that has released art books and limited edition zines centered around music. He has also directed the “Art of Punk” documentary series. He will bring his knowledge to the “Art of Punk Flyer Workshop”. 

·         Artist, Robin Eisenberg will host the “From SoCal to Space” character illustration workshop where she will bring participants into her vivid, neon world to create their own art. 

·         Grammy nominated artist, Randy Randall of No Age will host “Pedal Talk”  where he will walk participants through the process of layering pedals to create multi-layer effects and sound manipulations. 

·         Los Angeles-based skate veterans Daniel Shimizu, Clint Peterson, Justin Strubing and Andreas Trolf will bring their monthly skate trivia to BLACK RAINBOWS as part of the“Useless Wooden Knowledge Workshop”. 

FILM SCREENINGS

Throughout the week, BLACK RAINBOWS will host film screenings, including award winning documentary ‘Dogtown and Z-Boys’, the critically acclaimed ‘Lords of Dogtown’, a screening of ‘The Tony Alva Story’ and a special showing of ‘The Decline of Western Civilization’ introduced by director, Penelope Spheeris.

VANS SANTA MONICA RETAIL TAKEOVER

As an extension of this event, Vans Santa Monica retail location at 400 Broadway, Santa Monica will transform to showcase the history and timeline of the creation of the Era including its origins and its relevance within culture today. Throughout the entire 10-day event, you can shop 65 styles of the Era, including heritage Classic models, seasonal styles, Pro Classic Eras and our latest iteration. the ComfyCush Era. Drawing inspiration from the skateboarders who paved the concrete and saw perfect waves in empty backyard pools, Vans will pay homage with a replica of a “Dog Bowl” where a young Tony Alva first invented the “Off The Wall” air moment. 

The Vans BLACK RAINBOWS experienceat 6 Rose Avenue will be free and open to the public August 9- 18. To RSVP and learn more information please visit www.vans.com/blackrainbows . It’s not seeing what exists, it’s seeing what can be created.

#VansBlackRainbows

About Vans

Vans^®, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the original action sports footwear, apparel and accessories brand. Vans^® authentic collections are sold in 84 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and international offices. Vans^® has over 2,000 retail locations globally including owned, concession and partnership doors. The Vans^® brand promotes creative self-expression in youth culture across action sports, art, music and street culture and delivers progressive platforms such as the Vans Park Series, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing^®, Vans Pool Party, Vans Custom Culture, and Vans’ cultural hub and international music venue, House of Vans.

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