July 16, 2019
Black Rainbows
August 9th - 18th
Vans presents BLACK RAINBOWS, a 10-day immersive experience in Venice Beach, California that transports fans back to 1976 to celebrate the energetic time period and place that Vans’ first skateboarding shoe was born.
BLACK RAINBOWS aren’t just marks left by wallrides from skateboards, they are symbols of the creative reinterpretation of the world around you. Beginning August 9th– 18th, Vans will continue to elevate the Classic Era and honor the ubiquitous silhouette as an icon of creative expression past and present.
In 1976, Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta worked with the Vans family and created a shoe designed specifically designed for skateboarding. What they did next with that shoe set off a cultural explosion that sent shockwaves around the globe. Vans will commemorate the history and origins of the Era in the neighborhood between Santa Monica and Venice Beach known as Dogtown where these events took shape.
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. BLACK RAINBOWS’ interactive programming and highlights will include Vans skate demos, panel discussions with Vans Designers and skate legends, art and music workshops, film screenings and will culminate with live musical performances.