Montage / Edit, Video

Grosso Forever: Japan Love Note: Street Skating | Skate | VANS

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The crazy thing about street skating in Japan is that in most cities it is not legal. Despite that jam up Tokyo, Osaka, etc have produced some of the best street skaters on the planet. This Love Note is an expanded version of the interview Jeff Grosso did with Tokyo legend Shin Okada and the T19 crew.

Japan has a long and radical skate history. With so many eyes focused on Tokyo in 2021 Vans wanted to make sure that the rich skate culture and storied history didn’t get lost in the hype of The Games. Japan has a great skate scene that should championed and celebrated long after this moment in history.

This is the last trip the Loveletters crew took with our beloved Jeff Grosso before his passing. Jeff and the crew had a blast meeting the many Japanese skaters from every generation.

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Montage / Edit, Tour, Video

Grosso Forever: Japan Love Note: FESN | Skate | VANS

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The Far East Skate Network is the brainchild of Japanese skater Takahiro Morita. FESN is a series of influential skate videos spanning 15 years, it’s a board company and a skate shop. Jeff Grosso sat down with Morita to get the history behind FESN.

Japan has a long and radical skate history. With so many eyes focused on Tokyo in 2021 Vans wanted to make sure that the rich skate culture and storied history didn’t get lost in the hype of The Games. Japan has a great skate scene that should championed and celebrated long after this moment in history.

This is the last trip the Loveletters crew took with our beloved Jeff Grosso before his passing. Jeff and the crew had a blast meeting the many Japanese skaters from every generation.

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Interview, Montage / Edit, Video

Grosso Forever: Japan Love Note: Aki Akiyama/ Nishi | Skate | VANS

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Two of the pioneers of the Japanese skate scene are Aki Akiyama and Nishi. Aki represented the clean, contest wholesome skater while Nishi was the wild man who skated, took photos, made art and published magazines.
Together these two laid the foundation for the Japanese skate scene and their impact can still be felt today.

Japan has a long and radical skate history. With so many eyes focused on Tokyo in 2021 Vans wanted to make sure that the rich skate culture and storied history didn’t get lost in the hype of The Games. Japan has a great skate scene that should championed and celebrated long after this moment in history.

This is the last trip the Loveletters crew took with our beloved Jeff Grosso before his passing. Jeff and the crew had a blast meeting the many Japanese skaters from every generation.

Continue Reading

Interview, Montage / Edit, Video

LGBTQ+ Love Note: A Conversation With ChandlerBurton | Jeff Grosso’s Loveletters to Skateboarding

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Chandler Burton played a huge part in the making the LGBTQ+ episode of Loveletters to Skateboarding. Burton introduced Grosso to many of the skaters featured in the piece and remains an encouraging voice for the queer skate community. Burton tells his story of coming out as a queer skater, how he battled societal norms, and the importance of allyship.

Vans is thankful to everyone who shared their story, strengthening the community of skateboarding. If you are a person in crisis or in need of a safe and judgement free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline now at 1-866-488-7386.

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Montage / Edit, Video

LGBTQ+ Love Note: A Conversation With Cher Strauberry | Jeff Grosso’s Loveletters to Skateboarding

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This was the last interview Grosso did for the Loveletters to Skateboarding series. He and Cher exchange emotional stories about life, love, skateboarding and the LGBTQ+ scene.

Vans is thankful to everyone who shared their story, strengthening the community of skateboarding. If you are a person in crisis or in need of a safe and judgement free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline now at 1-866-488-7386.

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Interview, Montage / Edit, Video

Loveletters Season 10: France | Jeff Grosso’s Loveletters to Skateboarding | VANS

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The Loveletters crew took a trip from Paris to Lyon to Marseille, meeting up with skaters from every generation of French skaters along the way. We interviewed as many as we could and made this episode from their stories. This episode is NOT a history of France’s skate scene! This is a Loveletter to some of the many great French skaters who have killed it over the years. Watch this and then put your phone down and book a flight to France immediately.

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