KUALA LUMPUR: The local skateboarding community together with sneaker enthusiasts were treated to an art, music and street culture fair featuring local artistes in an event hosted by American sneaker brand Vans at the APW Bangsar.
The House of Vans Asia Tour 2017 in Kuala Lumpur today saw fans of the brand converged under one roof.
Bryan Chin, 31, who has been collecting sneakers since he was 18-years-old said the event gave a platform for the community of Vans fans to come and enjoy skating together, accompanied by live music.
“It is not just for the youth but for the next generation. You can see parents bringing their children to the event to expose them to the culture that Vans has brought to the country. It brings us closer,” said Bryan who is also the founder of the sneaker event in Malaysia, Sneakerlah.
Local skateboarding legend, Pa’din Musa who brought his two sons to the event said it gave them good exposure to the sport.
He said the the event’s Stoop Series, a mini skating competition was one of his favourite programmes as it allowed local skaters to show off their skills.
“It was different when I started skateboarding then, and now we have events like this for my sons to enjoy themselves and learn a bit about the culture,” said Pa’din, adding that his sons brought their skateboards to the event.
“Events like these are good for members of the community to make connections. I had the pleasure to experience various events around the world because of my friends,” said the two-time Asian X-Games 2000 and 2004 winner.
Other activities offered at the event included an embroidery workshop by local artist Anni Tai, a silk screen workshop by Dirty Donuts and live music performances by Hujan, Dirgahayu and Zamaera.
An exhibition on the history of Vans Authentic was also set up, curated by Jürgen Blümlein from Germany who runs the SkateboardMuseum in Berlin.
There was an art installation on skating culture by emerging artiste Abraham Donald which featured a combination of graffiti and street art.
The Vans’ Musicians Wanted Asia 2017 competition was also held where the three finalists battle it out for a spot at the final stage of the competition that will be held in Guangzhou, China.