When the Vans video Propeller premiered in London some of the team passed through too. We had some time allocated to interviews at House Of Vans before everything began. Having interviewed Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi previously we thought it would be nice to catch up with them again and ask some questions about the video. They spent some of the afternoon skating the bowl there, watched the premieres and then went back to squeeze in some more time getting to grips with it which is inspiring in itself. Here is what they had to say…
How is England treating you this far?
H: Man, it’s been really great. We are staying at the Mondrian hotel and it is beautiful, the food is amazing, our rooms are great and it’s right on the river.
C: It’s beautiful but it’s a short stay for us, we are out tomorrow. We’re not really getting to spend much time in each city.
H: Not much sight seeing but we are enjoying the view.
How was it filming for this video?
H: Filming for this video brought me back to when we used to skate contests and travel the world and push each other to want to perform better. It’s such an iconic video, 49 years of Vans! For me I put pressures on myself to perform. I wanted to do something that was memorable or at least add value to the team. I knew these guys were going to be filming their video parts and I was going to be skating with Cab. We were there for three days with Grosso and we were on this perfect ramp in Malibu. It was something else because it takes you back to that time where skateboarding meant so much to us and then all of a sudden it meant that much more to us again at that moment. Putting together this project was something special for me because I feel like I am part of a family. Being underneath Steven Van Doren with his vision for the company and being part of the legacy of Vans and the culture of Vans. It’s heart and soul comes all the way from Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams and the Zephyr team all wearing dark blue Vans so that is where I grew up. For me all of a sudden I’m here again. I went through some dark stages in my life but here I am now at the top with the best company in the world when it comes to skateboard shoes. Steve Van Doren not only loves his brand but he loves skateboarding and he cares for it probably more than 99% of all of the industry. There’s pride in this, in representing Vans and being an ambassador for Vans. I get a second chance really after what I’ve been through and to be hanging out with Steve Caballero, Tony Alva, Jeff Grosso, Ray Barbee and John Cardiel travelling around the world. It doesn’t get any better than that. This video is that special project which makes you feel like you are a part of something.
C: This video is there to showcase the younger guys who are up and coming and at the top of their game who currently represent Vans and we make an appearance. Obviously it would have been cool to be able to dedicate time to a full video part but that wasn’t the vision. That’s not to say that that can’t happen in future videos. this is the first video that Vans have produced and it’s a banger! I was impressed. Having Greg Hunt be a part of the production and filming and editing and just put the whole thing together has been an amazing experience. We were just as excited to see the video as anybody else because we knew nothing about it. What went down and where they actually travelled to. We got the call saying that they wanted to include us in the video and we had three days to film at the one spot. There was a little bit of pressure, I only had two days to film actually. The setting that Greg had in store for us was meant to recreate what we did in the 80’s. That’s how we did film video parts. it didn’t take three or four years to put a video together, we filmed video parts in one or two days. That was Greg’s vision for us, to recreate that Stacy Peralta vibe of togetherness with the team and everything and I think he pulled it off.
Steve Cabbalero ollies the door while Hosoi prays
How has the reaction been to the video so far?
C: Amazing!
H: It’s well received, it tells a story not of just each rider individually but the passion and love they have for what they do and the brand they ride for. There is a lifestyle which comes with Vans, each rider has a connection with it. It’s not just that you are one of the best skateboarders in the world, it’s that you have style. Vans represents style, Vans represents life, put those things together and you have got a lifestyle. Vans is culturally influential, whether it is music, fashion, art. It has been a huge influence on all of those cultures second to none. When it comes to individuality, hardcore attitude, self expression, all of those things bleed Vans. It is authentic and original. Why do they have those words represent the brand? Because they’re real, it’s true. When you get a video like this that communicates that same vibe of the Vans life, the Vans family, the Vans heart beat it comes through. It has an eclectic music selection, the riders and how they have shared their lives with the people who are going to see this film, it’s incredible. There is an emotional attachment to it and it’s hard to communicate that through a video but I think it came through really well. I think each rider should be proud of the work they put into it. When you see it you can only imagine how much blood, sweat and tears these guys have put into it. I like to look at their faces each time when they watch it and see the stoke on their face plus the nervousness because everyone is seeing it for the first time. That right there! There is so much passion involved.
C: There is a wide variety of styles and attitude with the team. I think that transcends across the video so when people are watching the video as a whole there is a little bit there for everybody. There are all different types of terrain and there is a lot of creativity going on in the video. It’s not just a video for one type of skater there is a wide range of styles and personalities which mingle with each other. That’s why I love the video, it’s really well rounded and portrays the team really well.
H: It inspires you to want to be creative when you skateboard too because just like Steve said, the way they have chosen to ride the terrain just makes you want to go out and skate. It inspires you to just go out there and skate and not to do a 50 stair handrail. you could go out there and hit a bump and do something that is fun personally. Not, I have to do the hardest trick in the world to feel like I’m doing anything. I think that is something that this video captures, the self expression in there makes you go wow how creative is that! It will make every individual just want to go out there and have fun.
C:Ditches, curbs, pools, ramps, parks. It has got it all, maybe there’s no slalom in it but there is some downhill! These guys are doing some tricks and going very fast down hills backwards, one rock and you would be done.
This video is going to be on repeat in a lot of houses. Do you remember wearing out any videos in particular?
C: Animal Chin, that’s one. I would have to say the first Plan B video, the Blind video you know a lot of the 80’s videos. Even like Skatevisions.
Has your son seen the video?
H: Yeah, definitely he loved it. As a matter of fact he is in the credits, my 8 year old has a frontside air in Omar Hassan’s pool which is huge. For him to be included in this video, this is a timeless video which will be on replay just because. It doesn’t matter how many videos come after this, it is going to be an iconic video. My littlest one saw it and was just glued to the screen, 5 years old and all he wanted to do was go skateboarding afterwards. “Dad we ‘re going skating”.
C:That’s been the feeling of the video. Afterwards everyone has said that they want to go and skate and that’s what videos should do.
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