Vans' "Checkered Future" Jam Recap

What’s the formula for a must-watch skate jam? Usually, there’s some mix of A-list talent, novel obstacles and exotic locations. Vans definitely checkered all the boxes, but also added a bit of flair by including an EDM fest at Paris's iconic Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. Tag along as we cover the crowd and watch the best in the biz go off on some sacred stone. —Ted Schmitz

000 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000In Paris, you're greeted every morning with a great view of the city's most famous phallic structure 

001 Vans OTW Bowl Jam 2000This thing looks nice for a warmup before the big bowl jam

002 Mami Tezuka Smith Grind Paris Schmitz 2000Mami and the rollerbladers agree. Front Smith for the fans

002 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Not today, Satan! We're ripping under the watchful eye of mon Dieu

003 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000God's got a good view

004 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Can't tell if dead or poly

008 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Walkin' down, we got red-carpet treatment for the big timers

010 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000I mean Alltimers

009 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Our first Vans hang of the night—Shari, Landon and Stafhon on the wall

011 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000She's probably a big Curren Caples fan

012 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Cryptic images of the future. Let's investigate the lower level

013 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Twisted Tea about to enter the hard-goods market

014 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000The green rooms look a little different out here

015 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Doobie's got fans everywhere

016 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Heavy hitters: Willow and Doobie

017 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Beasts on board: Yann Horowitz and Jeff Carlyle

018 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Elijah came clean cut

019 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000What do Noah, Max and Atiba have in common? I don't know. Just make up a pun about Limos and keep scrolling

020 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Acosta brought the big guns for this shit

021 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Union of elite riders: David, Diego and Enzo

022 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Y'all color-coordinate the hang?

023 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Good shirt for church

024 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Vans mans Justin and Ako wouldn't miss tonight. It's their job, after all

025 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Sup, Maité?! And friends

026 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Steve Van Doren's never far from the action

027 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Paris regulars Effy and Tonya linked up

028 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Helena Long's got hella homies

029 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000The place is fillin' up. Maybe it's time to skate? Yeah, in like 15 photos

030 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Eli's gotta say, "What up?" to Daiki first

031 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Busy deck with Atiba and Kosta 

032 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Can't tell where one mop ends and the other begins

033 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Oh fuck, looks like we're starting up the hill

034 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000You guys ready?

035 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Let him cook!

036 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Your starting lineup for the evening: Elijah Berle

037 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Rowan Zorilla

038 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Daiki Hoshino

039 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000And Curren Caples. These guys are always skating marble gap-to-banks together

040 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Curren clicks the first O

041 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000And Doobie's here, too!

045 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Row-Zo flicks a kicky

043 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000But Elijah's got other ideas

044 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000First one off the wall into the bank, backside 50-50

046 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Followed with a classic K

047 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Daiki takes things a little further. Frontside 50-50 all the way out

048 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000So Elijah's back to the gap, 360 flip

049 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Then they called in the closer. Rowan Zorilla, switch frontside flip

050 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Can't believe they bounced Doobie

051 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000He's the best!

052 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Good to see more people agree

053 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Alright, everyone, turn around for the next event

056 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000I really wish they hadn't made a shirt about me

054 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Vans boys Tommy and Daiki ready for the main event

055 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000So is Josh Wilson! 

057 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000When I heard there was a marble bowl, I thought it was a bowl for marbles to roll around in. You can imagine my disappointment

058 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Archi didn't care, he just fired it up

059 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Hey, Mika!

060 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Polar bad boy David Stenstrom gave the box the ol' pivot test

061 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Archi was blasting by the second lap

062 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000David got his backside air

063 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000He can do 'em frontside too

064 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000So can Curren

065 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000So can Mika

066 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000The lanyard homie wasn't that impressed by Mika's frontside invert, but it's my favorite trick so I'm leaving it in

067 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000High-flyin' action every run

068 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000And serious hits on the lip, front blunt

069 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Back Smith around the bend 

070 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000You know he's got hang time

071 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Watcha thinkin', Atiba?

072 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Get the babies off the bowl? 

074 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Good call

073 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Shit's dangerous

075 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Mami's back… Smithing!

076 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000You want another frontside one, don't you?

077 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Yes, we do!

078 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Oh shit, somethin' big is goin' down

079 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Get there, B!

080 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000The best way to watch any DJ set

081 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Even Steve got in the groove

082 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000You could hear the beats all the way to Brazil

083 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Girl Talk ain't just a DJ name

084 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Good looks

085 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Astoria, stand up! Your man's in Paris

086 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000Just a normal Friday-night session

087 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000I was too scared to do drugs or dance, so it was time to bid the young people adieu

088 Vans Paris OTW Bowl Jam 2000À bientôt, Paris. Let me know how the Olympics go
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