Entertainment: Stuff

Vans 'Off the Wall' book
Stories of Sole from Vans Original

Essential tome for skaters and those with coffee tables and dreams of California

By Stuart Messham

June 2009

The Vans Warped Tour, the longest running concert series in the United States at 15 years in 2009, draws more than 600,000 fans annually.

Certain brands have loyal followings: Scousers love adidas. Thugs like a bit of Stone Island. Italians like shit wraparound sunglasses. And skaters just can't get enough of Vans. Tis a firm part of youth culture, so it is. So why not dedicate a beautifully-covered book to it? Why not indeed...

Working at the company for five years as the VP of marketing (whatever that entails) Mr Doug Palladini knows more about Vans than BA Baracus. But rather than bore us by chronicling the brand historically or discussing, as he puts it, "marketing wizbangery', he's just compiled a load of ace Vans-related pics, tossed in some explanatory captions and interviews and stuff and made the whole thing right dip-in-able and genuinely joyous.

Check out the photos he sent us and go buy a copy. It's custom designed for the skater attitude: laidback, infectious and annoyingly cool.

Vans: Off the Wall by Doug Palladini is published by Abrams, £12.99.

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Vans has long supported skateboarding through skate contests that allow skaters to pursue their passions. Here Tony Trujillo competes at a Vans Triple Crown of Skateboarding event in Cleveland, Ohio in 2002.

Legendary skater Steve Caballero performs with his band, Faction, in the early Eighties.

Vans’ long-time standing in skateboarding elicits strong connections with fans. Here a Vans Warped Tour concert attendee displays his brand affinity.

Joel Tudor catches a tube at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Tudor is considered to be one of the most influential and, as a two-time world champion, decorated longboard surfers of all-time.

A 15-year old John John Florence takes on one of the world’s most feared waves, Tahiti’s Teahupo’o.

Frenchman Dimitri Coste has amassed the most complete collection of Vans known. The distance between the French countryside and Southern California has done little to dampen Coste’s 25-year obsession and collection that numbers more than 500 pairs.

Steve Caballero skates the infamous Combi Bowl at Pipeline Skate Park in Upland, Calif. in the early ‘80s.

Steve Caballero skates in a contest at Del Mar Skate Ranch near San Diego in 1980. Vans teamed up with Caballero on the first signature skate shoe in 1989.

One of the originals who took skating from its sidewalk surfing roots to vertical, Tony Alva helped to design Vans’ first skate shoe in 1976.

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Entertainment: Stuff

Vans 'Off the Wall' book
Stories of Sole from Vans Original