Skateboarding
First They Defined the Skate Shoe, Now Flight!
Vans soars a jumbo Sk8-Hi into the Charles River during the Boston leg of the 2016 Flugtag series.
Team Vans, prepping for flight
© [unknown]
On Aug. 20, Red Bull hit the Charles River of Boston, Massachusetts, in the most fantastical form. The very same waters once mapped and explored by John Smith circa the 1600s again played host to a sort of exploration and breakthrough, one of the greatest magnitude: Flugtag flight! Well, sort of ...
Flight is a loose term when dealing only in man-made, hand-powered crafts with a launch deck 28 feet high. But, just because a breakthrough here might equate to roughly a few dozen lateral feet of controlled (or not) falling, doesn’t make it any less impressive, right?
Watch: How Vans prepped the Sk8-Hi to fly
1 min
Vans Prep for Red Bull Flugtag
Vans Prep for Red Bull Flugtag
This past Saturday saw appearances and participation from a handful of special guests. Team Vans led the charge, launching off the deck first on flight day in a jumbo Sk8-Hi with a massive skateboard inspired parasol wing. The brand that had a major hand in shaping skateboarding history showed up to the runway with the perfect craft for re-shaping aviation history. A stretch? Maybe. But we’ve never seen a real life flying shoe, and that makes this a first in flight.
Watch: POV from inside the Sk8-Hi
1 min
Team Vans at Red Bull Flugtag
Team Vans at Red Bull Flugtag
Manned by Vans and Red Bull BMX team rider Tyler Fernengel alongside Steve Van Doren’s nephew, Phil Van Doren, the all-star team came correct, sporting matching custom event shoes (also given to participants, talent, media and staff).
Watch: Vans in "The Ripple Effect" (trailer)
1 min
The Ripple Effect: Vans
The Ripple Effect: Vans
Vans's dedication to this Flugtag isn’t surprising by any stretch, considering their Bostonian connection. Steve Van Doren himself, the man behind our favorite canvas kicks, originally hails from Beantown. Even more, just last year Vans opened the Lynch Family Skatepark in East Cambridge, MA, a ribbon-cutting ceremony that featured the likes of Tony Alva and Ray Barbee.
OG Z-Boy Alva, too, returned to Boston with the Vans crew this weekend. While he didn’t hurl himself off the deck in the Sk8-Hi, he did play the role of judge, handing out the Vans "Off the Wall" award to the most creative and crazy team of the day. While not a classic first-, second- or third-place prize, high praise from Tony Alva certainly rivals a podium finish (custom "Off the Wall" champion rings and a $500 shopping spree at the Vans store don’t hurt either).
For comprehensive highlights, check the video below, and don't miss the action this coming weekend at the final stop of the 2016 Flugtag tour in Louisville.
Watch: Flugtag Boston Event Highlights
1 min
Red Bull Flugtag Boston 2016
Red Bull Flugtag Boston 2016
