House Of Vans Hits Jozi: Skateboarding, DIY, Music, Art and Fashion On The Streets Of Braam

Based in Chicago, London, and Mexico City – the House of Vans concept takes art, skating, music, and a good dose of stoke around the world. These pop-up events become a highlight for everyone “who runs, rolls, or stomps through its doors”. From November 1st to 3rd, 2024, House of Vans arrived in Jozi, setting up shop in Braamfontein. For these three days, Juta Street became a kaleidoscope of cash-for-tricks skate jams, fashion pop-ups, art installations, workshops, skate DIY and live concerts. 

Words: Chantal Graaff. Photos Lefa Tshidego, Grant Machlalan/Vans, David Shiffman/Vans and Shann Daniels/Vans.

Headline act Little Simz. Photo by Shann Daniels/Vans.

Music: Headliner Little Sims Takes Stage Alongside SA’s Up-and-Coming Artists

Sharing the stage with headlining act — British-Nigerian artist and Vans brand ambassador Little Simz — was a diverse lineup of South Africa’s most exciting genre-bending talents — Muzi, Internet Girl, K.Keed, Marcus Harvey, lordkez, Twenty-One Children and ebumnandini.

K.Keed’s DJ, Senora, highlighted the unique blend of music and skate culture at House of Vans, saying, “What’s special for me is that Vans is a skateboard brand, but they’re incorporating music into their events.” 

She emphasised the importance of such events as platforms for emerging artists, aptly stating that “House of Vans is here… and any type of art always joins together. Whether it’s music, sports, acting. It all comes together.”

Abdula Skink of Twenty-One Children — who’s been skating and rocking Vans since he was 13 stated, “We came to fuck shit up!” He added, “Events like this bring the community together… These events take people out of the usual DIY scenes that we involve ourselves in. This is like a nice little break from that and brings people from the outside in.”

Music Gallery:

Skate Build: Featuring a DIY & Raw Street Custom Park

A custom Vans skatepark was built in front of the Nelson Mandela Bridge, featuring the classic Vans checkerboard design with a pop of colour in the Baseline rainbow. Skate demos, free skate sessions, and workshops for the kids were all part of the action.

In order to pull in South Africa’s most talented skaters, Dave De Witt (DDD) and Mikey S (Sparrow) led the build crew in constructing a one-of-a-kind DIY build, blending wood with raw street elements like concrete and steel. This is what set it apart from typical pop-up skateparks. 

To overcome the uneven ground, they built a wooden platform to support the obstacles, which also made a great space for the checkerboard design. The park was designed to accommodate both skaters and BMX riders in spectacular showcases and free-skate sessions.

Justus Kotze, melon. Photo by Lefa Ditshego.

“The ride-on rainbow ledge was super fun — Dave got the idea from Washington Street DIY in the States,” says Sparrow. “The China bank was the gnarliest obstacle; only a few people even attempted it! Kelvin took it to the next level by popping off the awning into the bank!”

Skaters road-tripped, flew, and skated in from all corners of South Africa to send it on the House of Vans build. 

Local names like Blue Galore, Josh Beukes, Kelvin Vosloo, Chenai Gwandure, Terry Khumalo, Siyethemba Matshalilanga, Justus Kotze, and tons more threw down for the three-day event.

A highlight was the Vans Team Demo, featuring Kyle Kheswa,  Marci Rodrigues, Yann Horowitz, Thalente Biyela, Melissa Williams, London-based, Helena Long, and select riders from Vans Europe.

“But the baseline rainbow ledge was the biggest hit,” adds Sparrow. “We brought it out on day two for the ‘Cash for Tricks’ event — some high-quality, rad tricks went down, and Baseline handed out R10,000 in crispy R100 notes.”

Highlights included:

• Siye, with a nollie heel 50/50
• Marci, with a kickflip BS Smith
• Justus, with an ollie melon over the Funbox
• Schianta, with a nose blunt slide to fakie

Skate Gallery:

House of Vans: House of South African Street and Skate Culture

House of Vans wasn’t just about watching pros shred; it was about getting involved and learning new skills within the street culture scene. The beginner’s workshop covered the fundamentals of skateboarding, from setting up your board to basic techniques — aimed at inspiring a love for the sport in local women and youth of the skate community.

Local skate crew Spectrum shared how incredible it was to build boards alongside workshop attendees and stoke them up afterwards, with the surprise of being allowed to keep their boards. 

This meant a whole league of kids from inner city Joburg and Soweto and local rippers with worn-out skateboards would leave extra inspired with a new set of wheels.

“That’s the vibe,” says Josh Beukes. “More events are always important because this is how we build the community. The more events, the better you know. It just brings people together and inspires the next generation of skaters.”

Photo by Lefa Ditshego.

Art Workshops: Inspiring New Talent 

Attendees enjoyed the vibes alongside friends, their local crews, their idols, and influencers… with offerings from ALPHABET ZOO, who led a zine-making workshop with ebumnandini where attendees could learn about DIY culture and create their own zines. 

And for those interested in fashion, a heat press printing session led by Njabulo Hlophe (AKA Dirty Native Chief) allowed attendees to print custom designs on T-shirts.

“Shoutout to Vans for hosting this and hosting it in Braam… they are really doing a lot for the culture,” said Maestro, an attendee. “I’ll never forget Vans for doing this.”

Exhibitions & Pop Ups: Providing A Platform For Every Artist

House of Vans is a cultural collective that gives every artist a voice, a platform, and a stage. The art exhibitions were a highlight, with vibrant creations adorning the walls throughout the space. 

These visual displays showcased the talent of local artists, each capturing the essence of South African street culture in their own unique way.

The featured artists included works from Grant McLachlan, Chenai Gwandure, Melissa Williams, Tkay Modise, Kyle Kheswa, Crispy Skateboards, and David Shiffman.

If there’s one thing about Joburg, it’s that fashion is alive, and House of Vans provided the perfect backdrop to witness this firsthand. blunt spoke to attendees and the Spectrum skate crew, who expressed their excitement at seeing individuals showcase their unique style through clothing.

The pop-up retail scene added another dimension to the event, with brands like Milk Eyewear, Broke, Bantu Records, Franasonic, Studio Bananaaa, Shelflife, Sealand Gear, and Baseline offering exclusive merchandise.

Shoppers could score unique pieces that blended fashion and skate culture, taking home a tangible reminder of their House of Vans experience.

Attendees will know the atmosphere lights up in a way that it feels you could power the whole of Johannesburg with that energy… “Events like this inspire communities,” says local ripper, Steezus. “I came to skate, came to do what I love. Pushing the passion. I came to shred.”  

He believes that House of Vans provides a vital platform for young skaters, saying, “it helps the youth get exposed, like in places like this, to pull up and socialise and talk.”  

Steezus is stoked about the future, adding, “Who knows what might go on? We got dreams, man. If you can check out Soweto, Soweto got a lot of young guns coming up. The future of skateboarding is looking ‘nca’.”

People and Culture Gallery: