When Vans invited Juice Magazine to come to the open house for their new global headquarters in Costa Mesa, on Oct 12, 2017, we should have expected the unexpected right from the start. Steve Van Doren and the Vans crew know how to throw a party and what an amazing day it was. This event took the idea of a family reunion to a whole new level with a gigantic homecoming grand opening party complete with megatons of skateboarding, food, drinks, fun and incredible bands.
Tony Alva played an electrifying set with his new band, His Eyes Have Fangs, followed by the soulful sounds of B And The Hive, and an amazing all-star vert demo by the Vans skate team. Jeff Grosso, Chris Russell, Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, Jordyn Barratt, Willy Lara, Omar Hassan, Josh Borden and many more threw down while the voice of skateboarding, Dave Duncan, mastered the ceremonies on the mic. Next thing you know, the 3-time Grammy Award winner and musical wizard, Ben Harper, took the stage and gave an insanely amazing performance for the crowd, even dedicating a special song to Jeff Grosso.
As the day was coming to an end, an impromptu new band called “Wing It” (working title) formed for a surprise jam session with Steve Caballero on bass, Ray Barbee and Salba on guitars and Mitch Whitaker on drums. They were joined on stage during their set by Jamar and Brian Bonebreaker making the performance once in a lifetime cool. We are proud to be part of the Vans family and big thanks to Kristy Van Doren, Steve Van Doren, James Munzer, and the Vans crew for an unforgettable experience.
As Cabbie says, “When Vans says they are throwing a party, they don’t mess around. It was a great time with rad skating, BMX, live music, killer artwork and good food. I’m stoked on the success of the company and happy to be in this new location. I see a lot of cool things happening for Vans and I’m proud to be part of this family.”
The Juice question of the day was, “Where and when did you get your first pair of Vans and where did you skate them?” Check out all the rad answers and more in the video below. Congrats Vans family!!! ???
Photos and filming by Dan Levy. Editing by Terri Craft.
Photos by Dan Levy
